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3D Printed Steel Pedestrian Bridge Will Soon Span an Amsterdam Canal
ErnieKey writes: Amsterdam is famed as the "Venice of the North," with close to 1,300 bridges in use. The next bridge to be built over one of the city's canals will be easily its highest-tech, as it will be constructed via 3D printing technology from MX3D. The steel pedestrian bridge, brought about by a collaboration between MX3D, Heijmans, Joris Laarman Lab, and several sponsors and supporters, will be built using 6-axis industrial robots that will begin construction on either bank and build in toward one another.
A gracht IS a canal. A city-canal to be more precise.
I just found a nice Q&A Page about this project.
Weird about this on SlashDot first, given that I live in Amsterdam...
"Money is a sign of poverty." - Iain Banks
No, the Dutch word 'gracht' is used for the small man-made waterways like you see in Amsterdam (and Utrecht, and Leiden, etc.), as well for moats around castles (called burchten). There's no one to one mapping between Dutch and English when it comes to the word gracht.
It's not a canal. It's a gracht.
Wrong. It's a kannal. It might be a gracht, and if it is it could've been a vaart, maybe even a singel at some time.Until the Dutch government announce where it is I'd hold off on calling it a gracht - just in case both sides of the kanaal aren't lined with houses. No matter which water-filled ditch it is - it will always be a kannal.
Here's another (better?) story on the project.
I give more credits to the Dutch who lectured me on the history of their waterways than your Google university degree. As second prize you win 50Kg of lovely Dutch liquorice for your sweet tooth. Enjoy.
Like I said above, moats are also called grachten, and moats do not typically have houses on both sides, so that can't be a necessary condition for something to be called a gracht.
As a native Dutch speaker, I associate the term 'kanaal' with man-made waterways that are typically much wider than grachten, so a gracht is not a kanaal and a kanaal is not a gracht, even though they're both man-made and therefore differ from rivieren, beekjes, and (some) sloten.
Dutch has a lot of words for bodies of water. A bit like Eskimos and snow perhaps.
It may be a gracht, but how is it not a canal?
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
I thought Venice was the Amsterdam of the south. And the small Dutch town of Giethoorn was the Venice of the north.
moat?
Now that it is possible to 3D print large high strength steel parts it won't be long until car analogies become directly applicable as arguments in IP-piracy/copyright debate.
They are actually welding the structure one drop of molten metal at a time. The energy expended must be staggering compared to classical construction technologies, and I'm pretty sure the resulting metal is seriously inferior to standard steel...
As second prize you win 50Kg of lovely Dutch liquorice for your sweet tooth. Enjoy.
Yuck. I don't want to know what third place gets you.
According to story you linked to (thanks, by the way), it'll be built 'in the centre of Amsterdam'. Which makes sense, from a city marketing perspective. This implies it will definitely be over a gracht. Call a it a canal or kannal if you like - but I can assure you you're wrong in assuming the original poster didn't know what she was talking about.
"Money is a sign of poverty." - Iain Banks
Did they have an actual engineer check the statics, weight durability, corosion and weather/temperature resistance/durability?
Or did they just have that artist draw different cute pictures of Rivendell-Style bridges and pick the prettiest/easyest to print?
I'd rather ask before I break my neck and drown crossing one of these. Just saying.
Aside of that: Neat project. This is where things are headed. I like the outlook of this.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
by language hipster logic.
I guess someone wanted to have an excuse for spending so much time in coffee houses over there.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
the picture implies it's inside a city.
however, the article is written in english so it's a canal.. besides, by the definition of the word canal it's still a canal. it's a man made waterway from the looks of it.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
-there's a yearly city swim in amsterdam.
-you can probably cont them on one hand - it's europe after all.
-hashish is a cannabis-product.
-there's an age limit
-sure, it's europe after all
A kannal does not exist.
I assume you meant kanaal?
Linguistically speaking, the whole eskimo-snow thing has been mostly debunked.
However, for those interested, I cam across this (Dutch) page (google translate). Apparently, there is a branch of science called hydronomy that deals with the etymology of names for bodies of water...
Canal, channel, and dutch kanaal is from the latin canalis, while "gracht" is from the germanic graven (to dig, in English in grave and groove). Dictionaries are unclear on a real distinction between kanaal and gracht, but in my intuition in general a gracht is in an urban setting (including moats around cities and castles) and has a dual purpose of defense and transportation, while a kanaal is longer and aimed at transportation.
Of course, both kanalen and grachten are also extremely important for drainage, where they are joined by the "wetering" (water-ing), which is a dug canal with drainage as its original purpose. In general, it would be dug parallel to a river to help drain the land next to the rivier, and would drain to a lower point, often a "spui" (spew) which would drain into sea at low tide using a sluice. A well know example is the boerenwetering (farmers watering) in Amsterdam, which used to run from around Ouderkerk to the Spui square in central Amsterdam. The water near the Rijksmuseum (Hobbemakade / Ruysdaalkade) still bears the name, and if you look at the map you see how along a straight line from the Spui to Ouderkerk there are still a lot of remains of the old Wetering.
TMI, I know :)
Nope. That would translate to 'slotgracht', i.e. a 'gracht' around a 'slot', which is another word for 'burcht'.
You probably mean 'coffee shops'. You can buy hash and weed there and smoke it too. 'Coffee houses' are mostly run by and frequented by (former) Turkish nationals (men); the main themes there are playing games, talking and drinking coffee.
Wenn ist das Nunstueck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
No, gracht is not restricted to urban setting. We use it also for any little creek dug (i.e. man-made) alongside the road, a fierce obstacle when drunk on foot or in the car... Where I live in Flanders we have them alongside almost every other road.
I'm Dutch. Gracht is just a type of canal ('kanaal'). There is no a linguistic or translation problem, it's perfectly valid to call it canal.
And live to tell?
Yes, it's not exactly clean water, but now that all houses and house boats are supposed to be connected to the sewer system for a few decades, it's definitely less filthy than it used to be.
How many window-sitter prostitutes wind up in those a month?
Zero-point-something. Not nearly as many as drunk tourists.
Can you smoke cannabis on the streets of Amsterdam? Hashish?
Sure, it's not necessarily a healthy idea, but it's allowed (and done a lot).
Is there an age limit to smoke dope?
Drink spirits? Wine? Beer?
Sure, 18 years for alcohol/sigarettes, I assume for dope too, not sure.
"Money is a sign of poverty." - Iain Banks
A gracht IS a canal. A city-canal to be more precise.
Nope. There are seven distinct things that in English are all "canal". In Dutch, they are distinct, different things. No Dutch person would call a gracht a canal. Nor a singel, vliet, wetering, sloot, vaart. It's as if English wouldn't have separate words for truck, car, bike, motorcycle, van, bus but rather would call each of them "vehicle".
no, I don't have a sig
Actually, in the Netherlands we don't call these little creeks "gracht" but instead we call them "sloot" (or "vaart" or "kanaal", if they are larger and have a transport function). De grachten are restricted to towns (where they served as a passage way to the old warehouses to deliver the spices from the far east).
I'm American, I live above sea level and in close proximity to food and water. People in other parts of the world think I am stupid because i don't even know how to print a bridge to get out of my basement. Let's call it even.
the picture implies it's inside a city.
Grachts, vaarts, and singels are all kanaals. As cities expanded singels became vaarts or grachts. Imply what you like from a picture of a kanaal that has yet to be decided on by the Dutch government - but you're just guessing.
however, the article is written in english so it's a canal.. besides, by the definition of the word canal it's still a canal. it's a man made waterway from the looks of it.
Is your point that you don't comprehend what I wrote? I was replied to someone who insisted that it was a gracht (a kanaal with houses on both sides). Gracht doesn't translate into a single English word. My point, which seems to elude you, is that if, as the GP suggests, we should use the Dutch term, it's a kanaal (though it might also be a gracht when the Dutch decide on the location of the project). Kanaal does translate - to canal (same thing in Polish, Italian, Portugese, French and probably other languages). If you're trying to make the point that we must always translate foreign terms from foreign lands into English - you're being petty. Especially given the limitations of the "English" language - which is built from other languages, and that only a handful of Dutch don't speak fluent English. No need to dumb everything down to the level of the lowest common denominator (most of us speak at least some of another language - except, perhaps, if your from the northern states of the USA).
Dear God, save us from the marketing department.
The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
According to story you linked to (thanks, by the way), it'll be built 'in the centre of Amsterdam'. Which makes sense, from a city marketing perspective. This implies it will definitely be over a gracht. I can assure you you're wrong in assuming the original poster didn't know what she was talking about.
I don't have your deep understanding of the GP's credibility and undocumented insights into the as yet approved project - so I'll take your assurances with the same bucket of salty liquorice I take the GP's language skills. Having spent a number years living in Amsterdam: there are central areas where canals (kanaals) are not grachts; nor your "intuitions" about city marketing, determine where the final location will be. Don't be surprise if it winds up being built in Oog - the prophesies of Dutch politicians and the accuracy of news releases from the marketing departments of dutch engineering companies are no more reliable than those in other countries.
Note that the "picture" that another poster mentions is not a real picture.
As second prize you win 50Kg of lovely Dutch liquorice for your sweet tooth. Enjoy.
Yuck. I don't want to know what third place gets you.
Too late - it's 80Kg of salty liquorice and 10Kg of pickled herring. First prize is as much Dutch beer as you can drink.
Mmm hmm beer. Best drunk after breakfast at a nice cafe (giggle, hic).
This page is in English, not Dutch. Hence, it is a canal.
This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
A horrible read.
Like I said above, moats are also called grachten, and moats do not typically have houses on both sides, so that can't be a necessary condition for something to be called a gracht.
As a native Dutch speaker, I associate the term 'kanaal' with man-made waterways that are typically much wider than grachten, so a gracht is not a kanaal and a kanaal is not a gracht, even though they're both man-made and therefore differ from rivieren, beekjes, and (some) sloten.
The technical term for what the English would call a moat - if it's not used for a transport, and it doesn't have houses on both sides, is a singel. As a dozen Dutch and you'll get a dozen answers. Most will tell you that if it runs through the city is a gracht. Ask a dozen Dutch kanaal historians and you'll only get one answer. I got my definitions from them, and a quick look at Wikipedia shows the same definitions. Any Dutch drainage ditch or river that's been "improved" is a kanaal - but most Dutch will give it a more definitive name. Just like the English don't point to any body of water and say "that's a body of water" - they'll say "river, or lake, or creek". I point to what I was told was a gracht and get told it's a singel - I say "everyone calls it a gracht" and I'm told "they're idiots - there's a castle on one side and a park on the other, and no tow path or moorings - that section is a singel". (sigh)
As a native English speaker, I couldn't tell you the difference between a street and a road. The simplest distinction is pavements for pedestrians, but some roads have them too. What I'm saying is that all these sorts of categorisations are ambiguous.
Got them moderator blues I blieve I walk out the do', With these mod-points I been gettin', I 'most never post no mo'
I'm not arguing but genuinely interested - what's Singelgracht then? :)
Actually, in the Netherlands we don't call these little creeks "gracht" but instead we call them "sloot" (or "vaart" or "kanaal", if they are larger and have a transport function). De grachten are restricted to towns (where they served as a passage way to the old warehouses to deliver the spices from the far east).
A "gracht" can surround a castle as wel, as in "slotgracht".
I don't have your deep understanding of the GP's credibility and undocumented insights into the as yet approved project
I don't think I claimed any insights into the project, and it's not your fault you never met the GP personally.
Having spent a number years living in Amsterdam: there are central areas where canals (kanaals) are not grachts;nor your "intuitions" about city marketing, determine where the final location will be.
Living there for thirty years now: true, but none that I could think of would make much sense for this project. Admittedly assuming that this is partly city marketing.
Don't be surprise if it winds up being built in Oog - the prophesies of Dutch politicians and the accuracy of news releases from the marketing departments of dutch engineering companies are no more reliable than those in other countries.
Not sure what you mean with 'Oog'; maybe Oost, after your spellchecker 'corrected' it? But, no argument about this not being certain. We'll see what gets built where and when.
Note that the "picture" that another poster mentions is not a real picture.
Noted.
"Money is a sign of poverty." - Iain Banks
Being of Dutch descent and having chosen to live in The Netherlands for a number of years to reconnect with my (soggy) roots, it pleases me to no end that a Slashdot headline featuring 3D printing AND bridge construction, so quickly devolves into the nuances of Dutch linguistic syntax.
Nothing evolves faster than the word of god in the minds of men who think themselves divinely inspired.
However, as it has been pointed out before, for reasons that are not immediately clear, Venice is not commonly known as "the Manchester of the South"...
*woosh*
In Dutch, these are called 'sloot', not 'gracht'. The latter is reserved for canals in cities and around castles.
Sorry, that was me. ;-)
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
1. No, the water is a fairly strong acid that will kill in 5-10 minutes and strip the flesh from bones in a few days.
2. Prostitutes are dumped at designated locations throughout the city. The red bins are for prostitute disposal. Green is compost, blue is glass/metal/paper recycling and black is trash.
3. You can do any drug anywhere. The incense in churches is the dankest of bud by law.
4. No age limit. Basic bong usage instructions are given in pre-school.
5. No age limit for booze either.
To find out more, just ask your friendly customs agent upon arrival. The proper way to greet him or her is by grabbing their crotch and saying, "Hi, where's the party?".
I can finally tell the wife I have a compelling reason to buy a 3-D printer for our house. It's great for creating construction materials.
I had been waiting so long for another thrilling 3D printing story. Woo hoo!
http://www.acetonestudio.com
Linguistically speaking, the whole eskimo-snow thing has been mostly debunked.
I don't know about Eskimo's and snow, fact is that a "sloot" is very different from a "kanaal" or a "gracht". Still, in English they're all "canal". This means that Americans see a sloot or a gracht or a canal, and think it's all the same thing. At the same time, to a Dutch person it wouldn't even occur that you could use the word "sloot" for a "gracht" or "kanaal".
no, I don't have a sig
It's funny this has been rated "-1 off topic" while a lot of replies have been reated "5 informative", including my own. I know the topic was "3D printing of bridges", but it does refer to Amsterdam (my home town) and to a gracht which is not a kanaal.
no, I don't have a sig
I'm not arguing but genuinely interested - what's Singelgracht then? :)
A "singel" is a meandering gracht around a village or burrough, like around Naarden Vesting. Singelgracht is a meandering gracht outside the more well known grachten, which to make things more clear they called "Singelgracht". It's less confusing really than the gracht that's called "Rechtboomsloot". Which technically is a sloot as it doesn't surround anything, and it's narrow, but it connects two grachten.
Read Babel 17, you'll understand.
no, I don't have a sig
I'm Dutch. I live in Amsterdam. It's not perfectly valid to call a gracht a kanaal. The issue here is not what the Dutch call our canals and grachten and sloten, the issue is that the fact that English has one word for a collection of things that the Dutch have individual words for affects more than just language. It affects the way people think about them.
Again, read Babel 17 and you'll see.
no, I don't have a sig
I have not been to Amsterdam in a very long time (the weed selection was not so good but I did buy some heroin off the street - it was very good) and my time there was short but I did get a long-winded verbal essay about the variations of canals (and the verbiage) in the area. Isn't what you are saying a lot like saying that a truck is not a vehicle? I was under the impression that they were all kanaals but that they were all different types. So, even with the word car, we can have sports car, compact car, station wagon, sedan, coupe, convertible, and more. (Anything less than a car analogy is no good.)
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
I have to say, I found this post refreshing (and I don't think it's offtopic, as it has a tonne of replies ... maybe we need a new +1 'topic changing') as I expected to see nothing but people complaining about how it wasn't really 3D printing. :)
"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." - Every fascist, ever
To find out more, just ask your friendly customs agent upon arrival. The proper way to greet him or her is by grabbing their crotch and saying, "Hi, where's the party?".
-1 I tried this, do not recommend.
I don't think I claimed any insights into the project
Then your assurances don't give me reason to think that poster has any more knowlege about kanaal terminology than the people I listened too.
...assuming that this is partly city marketing.
My first "impression" was that it was the printing company doing most of the "marketing".
Not sure what you mean with 'Oog';
Eye Hospital "joke" from my Dutch partner (no, I don't "get it" either, another time she told my "viva la pipette" was the appropriate toast at ceremony with the French embassy). She also disagrees with me - but then she complains about "wireless", but says "you know what I mean" when I ask if she means AM/FW/SW/Bluetooth/WiFi or UMTS.
Except when they're ditches.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
If he doesn't want the salty liquorice I'll have it.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Re point two, they take recycling very seriously in Yoorp - the fines for incorrect disposal can be up to 250,000 Euro. So be sure to remove any jewelry, watches, piercings etc. from your trollop prior to binning.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Maybe you should send an angry letter to Van Dale that calls gracht a kanaal right in the main definition ;-).
With your second part I agree (way of thinking and language are intertwined), but I was just responding to someone who said you can not call a gracht a canal. That is just plain incorrect.
The Eskimo Snow idea may or not be true - - but it sure is a fun idea. The whole Whorfian hypothesis has been debunked by a long series of straw men.
Dick
Thanks for the info! I'm still confused, but slightly less so :) Dank je wel!
The world going to end. As there is no man power(using machines and tech), there will be more loss. If everything can be done using 3d printing, what about a man?
If he doesn't want the salty liquorice I'll have it.
Likewise. As with pickled herrings (accompanied by Dutch beer) it's something I've learned to enjoy.
I think ditches are greppels in Dutch.
Interesting stuff!
Mostly forgotten today, but clearly relevant in the past, were distinctions between different natural, open bodies of water. Nowadays most people simply call them "meer" (lake), but when you look at their names and their shapes, you'll see a clear difference between a "meer" (big lake), "poel" (smaller lake, often part of a larger lake complex), "aa" or "ee, depending on region (long, narrow lake), and brekken (small, irregularly shaped).