SE213

Fall 2021

Bridge Aesthetics - Part 1

Example Bridges
Icons, Landmarks and Others

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

Salginatobel Bridge, R. Maillart, Swiss Alps, 1930
Three-hinged arch in reinforced concrete, L = 440 ft
Golden Gate Bridge, J. Strauss, San Francisco, 1933
Suspension bridge, L = 8,980 ft, Main span = 4,200 ft
Ganter Bridge, C. Menn, Simplon Pass, Swiss Alps, 1980
Concrete Finback Bridge, L = 2,220 ft, Main span = 571 ft
 Hodariyat Bridge, Abu Dhabi, UAE
International Bridge Technologies, 2012
Cable-Stayed Bridge, Main Span = 656 ft
Bridge Aesthetics – Part 2
Example Local Bridges

Cabrillo Bridge, San Diego, CA

Lake Hodges Bike/Ped Bridge, T. Sánchez, San Diego, 2008
Three-span stressed ribbon bridge, prestressed concrete, L = 990 ft
Rose Creek Bikeway Bridge, T. Sánchez, San Diego, 2010
Clear span girder in prestressed concrete, L = 350 ft
Bridge Aesthetics – Part 3
What does bridge aesthetics mean to you?
• What makes a bridge
beautiful?
• What makes a bridge ugly?
• What makes a bridge ordinary
looking?

Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia, 1923

What does bridge aesthetics mean to you?
Beautiful bridge
• Cherished and loved by the community
• Source of civic pride and inspiration

Ugly bridge
• Eyesore
• Source of embarrassment

Ordinary bridge
• Ignored
• Source of apathy
Are aesthetics important?
Should we consider aesthetics in bridge design?
• “Bridges should complement their surroundings, be graceful in form, and present an appearance of
adequate strength.” AASHTO LRFD, 8th Ed. Article 2.5.5

• “For the same reason we would not build a bridge that is unsafe, we should not build one that is ugly. To
ignore aesthetics is irresponsible.” TRB, Bridge Aesthetics Sourcebook, USA.

• “…good bridge aesthetics need not be costly nor a maintenance burden, but are integral to good
engineering design.” Paul Forward, Chief Executive, Roads & Traffic Authority of New South Wales,
Australia.

• “Bridges are massive objects. As part of our built environment, they have the ability to enhance or
detract from our communities, urban centers and scenic areas.” Tony Sánchez, La Jolla, CA.

• “Human happiness, joy in living and psychological health depend to a large extent upon the aesthetic
quality of the environment in which we live.” Fritz Leonhardt, Stuttgart, Germany.

• “The architecture of bridges is not some kind of treatment added to… a bridge. The architecture should
emerge from and is given by the bridge’s basic function.” Jiri Stráský, Brno, Czech Republic.
Frequent Objections to Considering Aesthetics:
It automatically adds cost.
• Not true. Use good design principles rather than adding on unnecessary ornamentation.
• Efficiency leads to Economy and Elegance.

People can’t agree on what looks better.

• Not true. Good design principles lead to better aesthetics that can generally be agreed upon by the vast
majority of people. Some bridges are universally regarded as beautiful, while others are not.

It takes less time to design and build a standard bridge.

• This is partially true. Bridges pieced together from standard components require much less time to design.
• However, the additional time to optimize a bridge for the site results in a more efficient and economical
bridge, which uses less material and can cost less to build.
• The optimized bridge can be more appropriate for the site (responds to the site) and can have improved
visual quality.
This is true in other fields as well … Industrial and Automotive Design

1989 Chrysler New Yorker, MSRP

$21,800

1989 Mazda Miata, MSRP $14,900

LRFD Bridge Design Specifications
Article 2.5.5, Bridge Aesthetics
The most admired modern structures are those that rely for their good
appearance on the forms of the structural component themselves:

• Components shaped to respond to structural function. They are thick

where stresses are greatest and thin where stresses are smaller.

• The function of each part is visible.

• Components are slender and widely spaced, preserving views

through the structure.

• Bridge is seen as a single whole; all elements should come from the
same family of shapes, such as shapes with rounded edges.

• Bridge fulfills its function with a minimum of material and minimum

number of elements.

• Size of each member compared with the others is clearly related to

the job the component does.

• Bridge as a whole has a clear and logical relationship to its

surroundings.
LRFD Bridge Design Specifications
Article 2.5.5, Bridge Aesthetics
Engineers should seek more pleasant appearance by improving the shapes and
relationships of the structural component themselves. The application of
extraordinary and nonstructural embellishment should be avoided.

The following guidelines should be considered:

• Designs without piers or with few piers should be studied.

• Pier should be consistent in shape and detail with superstructure.

• Abrupt changes in form and structure type should be avoided.

• Attention to details, such as deck drain downspouts, should not be

overlooked.

• Using bridge as a support for message or directional signing or lighting should

be avoided wherever possible.

• For spanning deep ravines, arch-type structures should be preferred.

Design Tenet 200’

No. 1 - Form
follows function
(Span Layout)
100’ 100’
• What’s the
function of a
bridge?

• Where should
supports go?

• Which is better:
1 or 2 spans? 58’ 84’ 58’

• Which is better:
2 or 3 spans?

• Why?
Design Tenet No. 2 - Form follows function (Structural Honesty)
• Form dictated by Lake Natoma Bridge, Folsom, CA, 1999
function and
structural
requirements

• Eliminate non-
essential elements

• Best use of
materials and
natural resources

• No unnecessary (or
fake) structural
components

• No unnecessary
ornamentation
 Design Tenet No. 3 - Efficiency, Economy, Elegance (EEE)
• Structural Sacramento River Trail Bridge, Redding, CA, 1990
efficiency

• Resolved
structural
system

• Less materials

• Less costly to
build - economy

• Light and
elegant
appearance
Simple Example – Cantilever Beam

Constant depth beam

Moment diagram

Parabolic taper

Linear taper
(Easy to build - good compromise)
Cantilever Beam Examples in Nature

Tree Branch Stone Ledge

Bird Wing Gazelle Leg

Bridge Aesthetics – Part 4
Aesthetic Fundamentals

Aes·thet·ics:
noun: aesthetics; noun: esthetics
1. A set of principles concerned with the nature
and appreciation of beauty.
2. The branch of philosophy that deals with the
principles of beauty and artistic taste.
Linn Cove Viaduct, North Carolina
Aesthetics Fundamentals
Visual Visual
Characteristics: Qualities:
• Order • Balance
• Line
• Proportion • Contrast
• Shape
• Rhythm • Scale
• Form
• Harmony • Illusion
• Color
• Unity
• Texture
• Shadow
• Reflections

Salginatobel Bridge, Switzerland, 1930

Visual Characteristic: LINE
• A direct link between two points
• Strongest line on a bridge is usually created by
the edge of deck
• Other prominent lines are created by railings,
girders, piers and abutments

Curved parallel lines are attractive

The decorative pattern muddy the clarity of this bridge

Visual Characteristic:
SHAPE
A39 Torridge River Bridge, Devon, England, 1987

• The outline of a
2D surface with
height and width

The haunch provides a more interesting shape than a constant depth girder
Visual Characteristic:
FORM
Rich Street Bridge, Columbus, OH, 2012

• The 3D array of an
object, adding
depth to its height
and width
• Visual experience
of moving under or
over a bridge is
primarily
influenced by its
form

The 3D form of a bridge is a result of the interaction of all of its solid elements
Visual Characteristic: US 191 Bridge, Moab, UT

COLOR

• Can accentuate or subdue the

element

• Warm colors (yellows and reds) tend

to emphasize the element

• Cool colors (blues and greens) tend Grey concrete, bridge stands out in the natural setting
to diminish

• Can help blend into or stand out

from the site

Red stain blends into environment

Visual Characteristic: Lomas Santa Fe Retaining Walls, Solana Beach, CA, 2009

TEXTURE

• Helps define form

through surface
variations and
shading

• Adds visual interest

• Can soften or reduce

imposing scale and
introduce human
scale to large objects

Pilasters and surface texture used to add visual interest and reduce the
imposing scale of this massive retaining wall
Visual Characteristic:
SHADOW
Kininice Bridge, Motorway D8, Czech Republic, 2006
• Area of darkness caused
by parts of the bridge

• Can be a very strong visual

component

Shadow reduces visual depth of the girder, while bright sunlight emphasizes the
thin parapet. Result is a slender appearance.
Visual Characteristic: • Reflected image
REFLECTION below can be an
important part of
the impression
made by bridge

Arch, piers and lighting of the Lowry Avenue Bridge reflect in the water of the Mississippi River
Aesthetics Fundamentals
Visual Qualities:
(Result from arrangement of visible elements in a visual composition)

• Order • Contrast
• Proportion • Scale
• Rhythm • Illusion
• Harmony • Unity
• Balance

Brooklyn Bridge, NY, USA, 1883

Visual Quality:
ORDER
• The arrangement of elements so each
as a clear place and function with no
clutter or confusion

Repetitive shapes and spacing give this bridge visual order.

The differing skews and crash walls on this bridge detract from an
orderly appearance - its hard to tell what is what.
Visual Quality: PROPORTION
• Appropriate sizes to the various elements
• Proportions suggest significance and role of the element
• Large elements look strong and intuitively carry more load

Girder depth at ends compared to middle

makes bridge look light and strong
Visual Quality:
RHYTHM
• Natural flow is satisfying
to the eye
• Similar elements placed
with regular spacing
• Major Rhythm:
• Piers
• Minor Rhythm:
• Ribs
• Rail posts
• Light Poles?

The regular spacing of the piers creates a major rhythm,

while the ribs under the overhangs create a consistent minor rhythm
Visual Quality:
HARMONY
• Design elements are
visually similar
• Relationships are
complimentary

Mission Valley Viaduct, San Diego, CA

Columns in this freeway interchange
have similar shapes and details even
though they are different sizes.
Girders and railings are also similar.
Visual Qualities: BALANCE
• Visual balance = perceived equilibrium of design • Balance of abstract elements, such as areas of strong
elements around a focal point color or visual mass

Arch has a central opening as its focal point. Open triangular areas on each side provide visual balance.
Visual Quality: CONTRAST
• Can relieve monotony by complimenting characteristics of design elements with their opposites
• Adds a heightened awareness of the elements
• Can use dramatic differences in color or light and shadow to achieve contrast

A contrasting paint color for the steel girder accentuates the bright parapet and parallel lines, and adds awareness that the
girder is a different material than the concrete columns, abutments and deck.
Visual Quality: SCALE
• Size relationship between features of the built environment and their surroundings
• Highway bridges have a large scale - they are built for vehicles and large trucks
• Pedestrian bridges need to be built on a smaller “human” scale

Highway bridges are very large elements, Overwhelming column size is apparent in a
even when compared to city buildings pedestrian environment
Visual Quality:
ILLUSION

• What people perceive is not

always real
Which rectangle Which line
• Designers can use illusion to appears longer?
appears thinner?
improve appearance

• For example, vertical grooves on

a column can make it appear
thinner

Slanted abutments create an illusion that the girder is

longer and thinner than it really is.
 • Provides a sense of How many visual characteristics/qualities do you see?
Visual wholeness • Line, shape, form, color, shadow
Quality: • Simultaneous effect of all • Order, proportion, rhythm, harmony, balance, scale = UNITY
aesthetic qualities
UNITY combined
• Full resolution of the site
where all elements are in
accord

North Torrey Pines Rd Bridge, San Diego, Ricardo Rabines, 2005

Determinants of Appearance
(In order of importance)

1. Horizontal and vertical geometry

2. Superstructure type
3. Pier placement
4. Span arrangement
5. Abutment placement and height
6. Superstructure shape
7. Pier shape
8. Abutment shape
9. Color
10. Texture and details
11. Lighting, signing and landscaping Ridge Rd Bridge over I-70, Frederick County, Maryland
Bridge Aesthetics – Part 5
Design Principles

Cadecka Bridge, Motorway D3, Slovakia

Bridges should compliment the site
• Arch bridge in a canyon location

New River Gorge Bridge, W. Virginia, 1977

Bridges should be well proportioned and use
materials efficiently
• Use current and best technology

Millau Viaduct, France, 2004

Bridges should articulate the way they work
(flow of forces)
• Arches and cable bridges do this well - geometry is more dramatic
• But girder bridges can still express the flow of forces

Bridge across Swiss Bay of Vranov Lake, J. Stráský, Czech Republic, 1993
Bridges should articulate the way they work
(Express flow of forces)

Haunched Girder Bridge

• Remove material where
not needed

• Add material where forces

are greatest

• Girder shape responsive to

internal forces

Confusion Hill Bridge over South Fork Eel River, Mendocino County, California, 2009
Main Span = 570 ft
Haunched Girder Bridges
Haunched girders are expressive and
responsive to the internal forces.

They can be more distinctive and

elegant than constant depth beams.

Three and five span haunches are

elegant and balanced structures

Avoid short abrupt haunches and

sharp angles between haunch and
beam
The Haunched Beam
Design Guidance from F. Leonhardt
• End spans smaller than main spans (0.7L to 0.8L), so bending moments are balanced.
• Parabolic haunch should end parallel to the deck.
• Unless girder is close to (almost touching) the ground, depth above pier should not exceed 2x the
depth at mid-span. (Haunch will look too heavy.)
• Pier should appear strong, corresponding to the concentration of loads, and must fully support the
haunch. (No “floating” haunch).
• Depth to span ratios: 1:36 (0.0275) at mid-span, 1:18 (0.055) at pier

0.7 to 0.8 L L 0.7 to 0.8 L

d >2d, too deep

Haunched Girder
Gateway Motorway (M1) Bridges
Brisbane, Australia, 1986 & 2010
Main span = 850 ft
Haunched Girder
Ringling Causeway Bridge, Sarasota, Florida, 2003
Main spans = 300 ft

“Floating” haunch – NOT GOOD!

Comparison of
Flow of Forces
for two different bridge
systems

From Billington, 1997

Bridge Aesthetics – Part 6
Design Guidance

Three Sisters Bridges, Pittsburgh, PA

 Aesthetics - Design Guidance

Fritz Leonhard, Bridges: Christian Menn, Prestressed RTA, Design Guidelines to

Aesthetics and Design, Germany, Concrete Bridges, Switzerland, Improve the Appearance of
1980 1990 Bridges in New South Wales,
2003
 Aesthetics - Design Guidance

TRB, Bridge Aesthetics around Minnesota Department of TRB, Bridge Aesthetics Sourcebook,
the World, 1991 Transportation, Aesthetic Guidelines Practical Ideas for Short and Medium
for Bridge Design, Span Bridges, 2009
Contributors: J. Muller (France), F. Leonhardt (Germany) 1995
F. Gottemoeller (USA), C.K. Revelo (Mexico), C. Menn
(Switzerland), J. Fernandez Ordoñez (Spain), Many others…
Bridge Aesthetics – Part 7
Design Examples
(Many images from S. Billington, 1997)

Maple Ave Bridge, Redmond, Oregon

 Freeway Overcrossings

a) Short spans, multi-column bents - b) Longer spans, single pier - light,

heavy, cluttered appearance simple, elegant appearance
 River Crossings

a) Long spans with single tapered piers - simple b) Short spans with multi-column bents -
appearance with good transparency cluttered appearance with poor transparency
 Multi-span Viaducts

a) Short spans result in “forest” of columns and b) Long spans reduce number of piers and
cluttered appearance provide more simple and open appearance
 Pedestrian Use under Urban Highways

a) Attractively shaped columns equally spaced – b) Forest of columns create cluttered and
orderly, uncluttered appearance disorderly appearance
 Curved Alignments

a) Curved girders on curved alignment are an b) Straight girders on curved alignment is not an
elegant solution. Complimentary shapes and elegant solution. Scalloped shadows call
parallel lines are attractive. attention to incompatible forms.
 Bent Types

a) Narrow two column bent, b) Elegant single column bent

hammer head cap with integral cap
 Skewed Bents

a) Bents on different skews - b) This one is even worse

Lacks order, confusing and unattractive
 Pier Shaping

Attractively shaped pier shows concrete’s

ability to be molded.
Single flared column simplifies load path and
improves slenderness
 Cable-Stayed Bridges

a) Four planes of stays reduces visual order and b) Single plane of stays provides a simple and
transparency orderly appearance with good transparency
Bridge Aesthetics – Part 8
Design Ethos – The Three E’s

Efficiency:
Minimum materials
Economy:
Minimum cost
Elegance:
Maximum expression

West Lilac Rd Overcrossing, San Diego County, CA

Keys to Success
• Simplicity - Minimum number of components

• Good proportions with emphasis on thinness

• No unnecessary ornamentation

• Appropriate for context and surroundings

• Clear demonstration of how the structure works

• Articulation of forces and structural honesty

• Components that resist larger loads should be larger

• Refinements that increase efficiency often lead to less material, better

economy and improved appearance