THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY

The article offers a subjective view of the interaction of aesthetic functional and economic elements in bridge design. Economy is usually of prime importance with aesthetics and suitability to situation generally of secondary consideration. Materials such as concrete and steel can be used in bridge construction to produce structures of great simplicity, particularly with box girder designs. In addition to economic and aesthetic considerations a bridge structure should also be judged on its environmental impact. Badly designed structures can fail in appearance due to poor detailing causing staining and weathering defects or due to lack of fitness for basic purpose. A bridge design can also fail if it is out of scale with its surroundings while other structures in densely built-up areas can cause environmental nuisance through pollution. It is concluded that to be successful a bridge design must include functionalism and aesthetics as well as economic considerations. /TRRL/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/10480594
• Publication Date: 1975-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: 3 p.
• Serial:
  • Civil Engineering
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 0885-7024
  • Serial URL: http://www.pubs.asce.org/ceonline/newce/html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aesthetics; Box girders; Bridge design; Bridges; Concrete bridges; Defects; Design; Economic factors; Economics; Environment; Environmental impacts; Landscaping; Metal bridges; Sound; Steel bridges; Structural design; Traffic
• Old TRIS Terms: Economic considerations
• ITRD Terms: 3474: Box girder; 3455: Bridge; 5238: Defect (tech); 9011: Design (overall design); 255: Economics; 2455: Environment; 2887: Landscaping; 6748: Sound; 755: Traffic
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Economics; Environment; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00137729
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 13 1977 12:00AM