"Last month, as part of a broader government effort to revitalize the canal, Siam Cement Group (SCG), Thailand's oldest cement firm, unveiled the country's first 3D-printed pedestrian bridge across its waters. The bridge is part of SCG's drive to bring new construction materials to Southeast Asia, Surachai Nimlaor, who helms its operations in cement and green solutions, tells Fortune in a Jan. 20 interview."
""When we use 3D printing, we can shorten construction time and create buildings with unique shapes that conventional builders may not be able to achieve," says Nimlaor. The process involves creating a digital model, slicing it for the 3D printer, and then allowing the printer's robotic arms to set down concrete, layer-by-layer, to form structures. By removing the need for traditional molds or formwork, it enables freeform architecture which includes sculptural curves"
Ong Ang Canal in Bangkok's Chinatown served as a vital 18th-century trade artery but became heavily polluted and gained a reputation as the city's dirtiest canal. Siam Cement Group (SCG) unveiled Thailand's first 3D-printed pedestrian bridge across the canal as part of canal revitalization and to promote new construction materials in Southeast Asia. SCG began applying 3D printing to construction in the early 2020s, including building the world's first 3D-printed medical center in Saraburi in 2023. 3D printing shortens construction time, enables unique freeform architecture by layering concrete without traditional molds, and helps address a shrinking local construction workforce.
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