An international team, led by the staff of the Built Environment department of Eindhoven
University of Technology, will build the bridge using around 900 tons of ice over the course of
approximately six weeks. The structure will be made with water.
Two percent of the mixture will be comprised of paper fiber, which will make the frozen water three times stronger than normal ice and 10 times as tough.
The water is first sprayed in thin layers onto an inflated balloon that serves as a mould
and freezes the material almost instantly. Once the water has hardened, the balloon
is removed from under it. This technique is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s design
for an unbuilt bridge over the Bosphorus. The new bridge in Finland use the same
construction principles with compression being the only load on the entire structure.
The reinforcing paper will be used as compost in the spring, when the structure has melted.
In order to demonstrate the strength of the bridge, meant to be
used exclusively by pedestrians, the team will conduct a test by having a car cross it at the
opening ceremony. The bridge will be the main attraction of an ice festival taking place in Juuka.
+ Eindhoven University of Technology
+ Structural Ice
Via Gizmodo
