By the end of the year, a 3D-printed bridge will be put to use in China for the first time.

　　我国首条3D打印桥梁将在年底投入使用。

　　Different from traditional bridges, its novel design doesn’t use reinforced concrete. It is made of resin designed to weather rain and sun for an extended period, and that’s durable enough to meet national construction industry standards. If parts of the bridge become damaged, they can be repaired separately.

　　与传统使用钢筋混凝土的桥梁不同，3D桥梁使用了创新性设计，它由树脂制成，能承受长期的日晒雨淋，它的耐久性足以满足国家建筑行业的标准。如果桥的某些部分损坏了，可以单独修理。

　　The 15-meter-long footbridge in Shanghai will take 35 days to build, and will have service life of up to 30 years, according to its chief architect. The complex curved surfaces of the bridge can only be achieved using 3D printing technology. Based on laboratory testing, it can bear a load of 250 kilograms per square meter.

　　据总建筑师介绍，上海这座15米长的人行天桥耗时35天，使用寿命可长达30年。桥梁的复杂曲面只能通过3D打印技术来实现。经实验室检测，每平方米荷载250公斤。

　　This isn’t the first time that a 3D-printed bridge had been made in China. In July last year, Tongji University in Shanghai made the world’s first two 3D-printed pedestrian bridges. But that pair of bridges was only build as a demonstration, and not for actual use.

　　用3D技术打印一座桥，其实这并非首例。去年7月，上海同济大学内就有全球第一组3D打印完成的步行桥，但当时那两座桥只用于展示，不能实际使用。