Bridge Aesthetics - Educating Engineers

Author(s):  
D.R. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
Frederick Gottemoeller ◽  
David Billington
Keyword(s):  

Author(s):  
W. Radomski

<p>Relations between structural form as well as service function of bridges and their aesthetics are analysed. Irrespective of their scale bridges always affect their surroundings or landscape. Therefore, they not only have an engineering and economic meaning but also a social and a cultural one. In some cases, especially older bridges have an additional symbolic or a historic meaning. Contemporary trends concerning bridge aesthetics are discussed. Commonly modern bridge structures ideas are controversial – their forms often seem to be more important than their service function and classical aesthetic principles are rather rarely observed. Presented problems are exemplified by bridge structures in Poland and in other countries. Conclusions concerning the relations between the bridge aesthetics and bridge function are formulated. Some remarks on the future trends in the bridge engineering are also presented.</p>


Author(s):  
Martin P. Burke ◽  
Jeanette Montoney

Discussed here are the three major aspects of design excellence— science, technology, and aesthetics—with particular emphasis on aesthetics. Although generally applicable to all visible engineered structures, specific comments, descriptions, and illustrations relate to the design and construction of bridges. The study identifies some outstanding books and design manuals on bridge aesthetics that recently have been developed and published by the engineering profession. It also lists a number of primary design guidelines that are recommended by many design authorities and suggests how these guidelines can be used to advantage by those with limited design experience.


Author(s):  
Eugene C. Figg

Many important qualities must be considered for the proper aesthetic design of bridges to develop harmony with their environment. Methodologies for segmental bridge design that create bridges that preserve the existing landscapes and complement, and even enhance, their settings are examined. Bridges considered have received 123 design awards in the past 21 years, including 3 Presidential Awards through the National Endowment for the Arts. Proper scale and proportions of various bridge members to create balanced and slender appearances are quantified, including proper span-to-depth and pier width-to-height ratios for graceful structures. The design methodology for aesthetics includes a quantitative and qualitative sorting of natural site features to determine appropriate shapes for the superstructure and substructure. Criteria for selecting and evaluating the visual effects of shape, shadows, vistas, color, textures, and the use of native materials are addressed. Quantification of the cost of aesthetic decisions and determination of aesthetic value are addressed for different elements of these bridges. Case studies are used to quantify aesthetic features for such bridges as the Natchez Trace Parkway Arches [first precast concrete arches with 177-m (582-ft) main arch span], Tennessee; Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Florida; Linn Cove Viaduct, North Carolina; Hanging Lake Viaduct, Colorado; and Wabasha Street Bridge, Minnesota.


Author(s):  
Julien-Erdem Erdogan ◽  
Ivica Zivanovic ◽  
Matthieu Guesdon

<p>Deviation saddles for cables are regularly used in projects such as cable stayed bridges, suspended bridges or extradossed bridges. The choice of a deviation saddle may be imposed to improve the bridge aesthetics with a slender pylon and to simplify the construction with a solid pylon section. Saddles are a proper anchorage and must be designed such as to ensure a safe transfer of vertical forces and of differential forces of stay cables into the pylon structure.</p><p>For parallel strand cables, since grouted stay cable tends to disappear from commonly accepted design and technologies, due to corrosion protection and fatigue issues, the most widely used concept of saddle is made of a battery of individual tubes, placed inside a guide pipe poured of concrete.</p><p>The most recent saddle system developed consists in allowing the passage of the strands through the saddle without individual tubes. Strands go directly through concrete recesses within the Ultra High Performance Fiber Concrete (UHPFC) matrix. Recesses are made thanks to reusable rubber bars removed after poured concrete is hardened. Thanks to an optimized cross section of the recesses, individual holes maximize the friction between the concrete and specially sheathed strands with local application of a cohesive sheathing (Cohestrand®), which allow strands to transfer important asymmetrical loads to the saddle without sliding. Meanwhile, a continuous corrosion protection is ensured by the strand sheathing from one deck anchorage to the other.</p><p>This make the use of saddle a cost-effective and durable mean to deviate and anchor parallel strand cables, that suits Owners needing simple but robust design for stay cable or extradossed bridges. Such saddle bridge design is nowadays clearly described in the 7<span>th</span> edition of the PTI recommendations, that specifies the qualification process of saddle technologies, especially in regards to the accurate definition of a minimum friction coefficient.</p>


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