A biocomposite footbridge has opened on the campus of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), in the Netherlands.

The fourteen-meter-long "biobridge"—a collaboration of TU/e, the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), composite company NPSP and the Center of Expertise Biobased Economy—is made from a hemp and flax-fiber base. To develop the biocomposite, fibers were stuck to a biological polylactic acid foam core, after which a bioresin was sucked into the fiber layers using a vacuum to produce a strong girder upon hardening.

The bridge is intended to demonstrate the potential of biocomposites as a sustainable alternative to existing construction materials. Image credit: TU/e."The bridge shows the plasticity that can be achieved with vacuum-injected molding techniques,” says bridge co-designer Joris Smits, a lecturer at TU Delft.

While there have been previous construction projects using biomaterials, never before has a load-bearing structure been made entirely of biomaterials, says Rijk Blok, TU/e researcher and project leader. Twenty-eight sensors in the bridge will measure the bending that occurs, from which the team hopes to learn about the behavior of the biocomposite.

The plan is to leave the bridge in place for one year. The project partners say they hope that in that time the bridge will demonstrate the potential of biocomposite as a sustainable alternative to existing construction materials.

“Using biocomposite in construction reduces our dependence on finite fossil resources and brings us a step closer to the circular economy, in which products and resources are reused,” Blok says. “In time, I expect that we will see more of these materials in our buildings."