Urban Bridge - Ally of the City

Abstract

THE DYNAMIC, EXPRESSIVE SPIRIT OF BRIDGE DESIGN IN AMERICA IS VANISHING. IN THE ARCHITECTURAL FORM OF THE BRIDGE, THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP OF INTEGRATED DESIGN IS DISSOLVING IN THE FACE OF THE SURFACE APPLICATION OF AESTHETIC ELEMENTS. THE PREDOMINANT BRIDGE TYPE TODAY, THE ROADWAY BRIDGE, IS BEING DESIGNED PRIMARILY IN THE CONTEXT OF TRAFFIC ENGINEERING AND UTILITARIAN FUNCTION. ONE MUST QUESTION WHERE THE DYNAMIC BEAUTY, THE EXPRESSIVENESS OF SPAN, THE DREAM FUNCTION OF THE BRIDGE HAS GONE. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PURPOSE BY THE BRIDGE DESIGNER BEYOND PURELY UTILITARIAN FUNCTION TO ADDRESS THE BRIDGE'S MANY PURPOSES AND ROLES IS NEEDED. PERHAPS SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED: WHERE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS, WHAT WERE THE DECISIONS, WHAT WAS THE ENVIRONMENT THAT ONCE ENCOURAGED THE INTEGRATION OF UTILITARIAN FUNCTION AND THE GRACE OF AESTHETIC DESIGN IN BRIDGES? ARE THE CURRENT ALTERNATIVES TO THIS TYPOLOGY OF BRIDGE DESIGN SUFFICIENT, AS THE SYMBOLIC, THE MEANINGFUL, THE AESTHETIC IS DISAPPEARING IN OUR BRIDGES? HENRY PETROSKI IN ENGINEERS OFDREAMSSAID, "WHETHER DESIGNED BY ENGINEER OR ARCHITECT, ARTIST OR BOY SCOUT, EVERY BRIDGE IS A LEGACY TO ITS ENVIRONS AND ITS USERS." THIS THESIS SEEKS TO INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF THE BRIDGE AS AN URBAN ELEMENT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE; TO INVESTIGATE FACTORS AT PLAY THAT WILL PROMOTE OR PREVENT A RENEWED COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO THE DESIGN OF URBAN BRIDGES AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THEY REPRESENT. A BRIDGE DESIGN PROJECT AND SUPPORTING INVESTIGATIVE STUDY OF THE HISTORY, THEORY AND PRACTICE OF THE DESIGN OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TODAY WERE THE PRINCIPAL VEHICLES OF THIS STUDY. THE BRIDGE OCCUPIES A CRITICAL ROLE IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE SPENT ON THESE PROJECTS. WHERE IS THE INFLUENCE OF THE URBAN DESIGN PROFESSIONAL FELT IN THE PROCESS THAT LEADS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE MASSIVE CONTEXTUAL INTERVENTIONS? AS OUR LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE AGES AND TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS MULTIPLY EXPONENTIALLY, WITH THE AUTOMOBILE MAKING AN EVER GREATER IMPACT IN TUCSON, WHO WILL ADVOCATE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE? WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE? THIS STUDY SEEKS TO PURSUE THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION; WHAT FORCES MUST COME INTO PLAY TO MAKE THE URBAN BRIDGE AN ALLY OF OUR CITY ONCE AGAIN, AND HOW MIGHT A MANIFESTATION OF THIS BRIDGE APPEAR.