2 days ago
UMass, MIT team tune up WMass bridge with new 3D-printing tech
AMHERST — A UMass Amherst and MIT team have successfully strengthened an aging bridge in Great Barrington with cutting-edge 3D printing, the university announced Thursday.
The 3D-printing technique is called cold spray, and it was applied to the bridge last month in a proof-of-concept demonstration.
The technique is expected to reduce the cost of repair key structures, like bridges, while also minimizing traffic disruptions.
Led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology mechanical engineering department, the team worked on the 1949 'Red Bridge,' formerly called the 'Brown Bridge.'
'Now that we've completed this proof-of-concept repair, we see a clear path to a solution that is much faster, less costly, easier, and less invasive,' said Simos Gerasimidis, UMass associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and a principal investigator on the project.
The cold spray technique involves an on-site 3D printer spraying high-velocity metal particles onto bridge beams. Repeated spraying restores thickness and structural integrity.
This method has used on submarines, airplanes and ships. The bridge test was a first, the researchers say. Bridges present unique challenges due to their size and because the 3D printer must be brought on site.
About half of American 623,218 bridges are deteriorated.
Other project partners include the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.
'Any time you drive, you go under or over a corroded bridge,' Gerasimidis said. 'They are everywhere. It's impossible to avoid, and their condition often shows significant deterioration. We know the numbers.'
Across the U.S. 49% of the nation's bridges are only in 'fair' condition and 6.8% are rated 'poor,' according to the 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. The projected cost to restore them exceeds $191 billion. Roughly 9% of Massachusetts's 5,295 bridges are structurally deficient and require repair—a need that far outpaces available funding.
Read the original article on MassLive.
