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Floriade Expo 2022 unveils sustainable bridge

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Floriade Smart Circular Bridge

The installation will empower research into the circular economy for the construction sector

Floriade, the International Horticultural Exhibition, has revealed one of the first Smart Circular Bridges in The Netherlands.

The new bridge was unveiled on 22 April and is made from a bio-composite material consisting of flax and a special bio-resin.

The bridge is light and highly stable due to the choice of materials which bear properties comparable with aluminium or steel. The results of the project offer a huge opportunity for a bio-based circular economy, as this approach provides the potential to reduce CO2 consumption in the construction industries and reduce reliance on resources.

The need for transformation

The bridge was officially inaugurated on 22 April by Almere mayor Ank Bijleveld-Schouten. The Dutch politician said: “As the Mayor of Almere, I am very proud that my city is a partner in this fantastic project and very happy to see the achieved result.”

Floraide 2022 Bridge Opening

“The unique bridge is made from bio-based materials and equipped with a monitoring system that helps to measure the life cycle of the bridge. When the Smart Circular Bridge project started back in 2019, we could not even think of how even more important this could be currently for Europe.

“More than ever we need a transformation to a biobased economy and need to lower our dependence on fossil fuels. As the city of Almere, we do not only see and feel this urgency. We also want actively to contribute to the national and European ambitions, aiming at a climate-neutral and sustainable future.”

Other project participants followed by outlining their work on the bridge over the past few months.

Floriade Expo 2022 Almere Mayor
Ank Bijleveld-Schouten opens the installation

Maximum usefulness, minimum impact

The “Smart Circular Bridge” EU project was made possible by an interdisciplinary team of fifteen participants who have worked on the development of smart, sustainable bridges.

The project is managed by project lead Rijk Blok and run by the Eindhoven University of Technology. As such ALmere’s “Smart Circular Bridge” is the first of three bridges, with two more to be built in Ulm, Germany, and Bergen op Zoom. The bridges will open in 2022 and 2023 respectively, being suitable for pedestrians and cyclists.

It is hoped the ongoing research will provide insights into the prospects of bio-composites. As such, the bridges will be monitored by a series of embedded sensors, with the Almere variant containing almost 100 sensors providing real-time data on the effects of everyday use on material behaviour.

The bridge’s impact on the circular economy is also being looked at, with the project investigating the best way to utilise components when they have reached the end of their useful life. Three options are currently being explored which are mechanical, chemical, and biological recycling.

Floriade 2022 was officially opened to guests earlier this month, by King Willem-Alexander.

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Adam Whittaker

Adam studied Marketing and Advertising Management at Leeds Beckett University. Originally from Lancashire and now based in Norfolk, UK, you can usually find him appreciating art deco design or on a roller coaster.

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