Design Process and Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Design Process and Appraisal - Essay Example Materials: The original bridge was constructed from granite stones but the in the second bridge latest technology at that time was used and concrete beams and slabs were used along with concrete piers for the construction. Along with the reinforced concrete the architectural work is done by grey Cornish granite and Portland Stone. Opinion about the design The use of reinforced concrete beams under the footways and the road supported by slabs is a very good design by strength point of view but if we consider the aesthetics and the building heritage of London the original design of the bridge should have been preserved by using arches. This would also have eliminated the need of the cantilevers which are present now. The design calls for supporting beams only at the outside edges, which is actually a very good feature as it lets light enter the underside of the bridge which makes it very pleasant for the river traffic. To guard against the possibility of subsidence from scour the piers are given jacks which can be used to level the structure. The architecture of the bridge is also important and in order to preserve the building architecture of London various stones, mainly the Portland stone has been used in cladding. Millennium Bridge Type of Bridge: Steel Suspension Bridge Purpose: To facilitate pedestrians crossing river Thames in London Age: 9 years Dimensions: The width of the bridge is 4 meters (13 ft) and the total length is 325 meters (1066 ft). It can support 5000 people on it at a time. Materials: The Millennium Bridge is mainly constructed of steel with steel cables and steel armatures. The transverse arms are also made of steel while the deck of the bridge is made of aluminum as it is a very light metal and the use of aluminum in the deck has reduced the load on the armatures and cables. Opinion about the design The design of the millennium bridge is basically steel suspension design which initially posed some problems and the bridge was ultimately cl osed just after 2 days of its 1st opening due the intense vibrations due to resonance. But the corrections were made later during a period of 2 years. The use of aluminum deck is the best feature of the design in my opinion because since it is a pedestrian bridge the strength of the deck is not an issue here so in order to make the design cost efficient and sustainable the loads on the cables and armature have been lessened by the use of aluminum in the deck which is a very light material as compared to steel or concrete. Moreover while designing a bridge entirely of metallic structure proper considerations should be given to the design as the modifications are very difficult and costly in nature as the case of the millennium bridge tells in which the bridge was closed for 2 years and an additional cost of 5 million pounds was spent on the modifications. Tower Bridge Type of Bridge: Bascule and suspension bridge Purpose: Tower Bridge is basically a road bridge for usual traffic Age: 116 years 7 months Dimensions: The total length is 286.5 meters. The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each 270Â  feet (82Â  m) long. The pedestrian walkways are 143Â  feet (44Â  m) above the river at high tide. Materials: The towers are made of steel whi