Spain-based global infrastructure developer Acciona announced on Tuesday that it has built an iconic bus stop using 3D concrete printing technology for the emirate of Ajman in the UAE.

The bus stop, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the Middle East, and the UAE was built for Ajman's Transport Authority.

The bus stop, which weighs almost 3 tonnes and is 4.5 metres (m) long, 2m wide and 2.3m high, consists of three printed pieces, and took less than 10 hours to be printed, the company said in a press statement

Luis Clemente, ACCIONA 3D Concrete Printing Business COO said the project showcases the application of 3D concrete printing technology for making iconic, innovative and sustainable urban street fittings.

"It is also the first to be carried out using this Powder Bed technology in the Middle East," he said, adding that in this case, the design allows for the placement of solar panels on the roof of the bus stop.

He noted that the benefits of manufacturing urban furniture using 3D concrete printing technology, as opposed to the conventional construction methods, are reduction of waste (no molds or forms are used), the lessening of CO2 emissions and the freedom to innovate in structural design.

Acciona owns and operates the largest fully functional concrete 3D printer in the world with the Powder Bed technology, which is a particularly suitable option for generating pieces with complex shapes that require structural resistance, according to the statement.

In the Middle East, the company has set up its 6mx3mx2m 3D printer at Dubai's Ras Al Khor Industrial Area to support Dubai 3D Printing Strategy, which requires 25 percent of new buildings' components to be manufactured with 3D technology by 2025.

(Writing by Madhura Deulgaonkar; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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