BRIDGE ARCHITECTURE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

The aesthetic element of bridge design is more complex than many bridge design engineers realize. Some view aesthetics as something that gets in the way of a true engineering solution, adds excessive costs, and slows up the project. Others consider visual quality to be as important as structural integrity. A truly beautiful structure has the balance of visual elements that will give it a pleasing appearance throughout time. To achieve visual quality it is important to include an architect who is experienced in transportation architecture on the design team at the very beginning of a project. This early involvement on the design team will give the architect a chance to ask questions and make suggestions in the early stages that will affect the visual quality of the whole project. Individual components, such as bridges, retaining walls, noise barriers, location and style of light standards, sign bridges, transfer facilities, utility conduits, or other attachments to transportation structures, all need to be visually coordinated. Study models and sketches during the design process will give the architect and design engineers the ability to coordinate the visual and structural requirements. Our transportation environment deserves our best efforts.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/conf/1995/cp7/cp7v1-007.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309061091
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Mays, R R
• Conference:
  • Fourth International Bridge Engineering Conference
  • Location: San Francisco, California
  • Date: 1995-8-28 to 1995-8-30
• Publication Date: 1995

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 57-59
• Monograph Title: FOURTH INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE ENGINEERING CONFERENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AUGUST 28-30, 1995. CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, 2 VOLUMES
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Conference Proceedings
  • Issue Number: 7
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 1073-1652

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aesthetics; Bridge design; Bridges; Conferences; Structural design
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00711673
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309061091
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 5 1995 12:00AM