ON THE COVER: In his article “Rethinking Bridge Design: A New Configuration,” Man-Chung Tang, Dr.-Ing.,P.E., Hon.M.ASCE, explains the new concept of a girder bridge that is partially supported by cables and offers exceptional design advantages. The Taijiang Bridge, background, will grace the city of Sanming, near Fuzhou, China. Cover composition by Huang He.
Features
By Man-Chung Tang, Dr.-Ing., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE
In an attempt to create a visually stunning bridge that would nevertheless conform to a tight budget, the author devised an innovative scheme that takes advantage of the fact that suspension, cable-stayed, and arch bridges, particularly those with short or medium spans, often possess reserve capacity in their girders. By reversing the roles of the two structural elements, employing the girder as the primary member and the cable support as the secondary member, the concept of the partially cable-supported bridge was born.
By David P. Findley, L.G., L.E.G.
In late 2005, when two rockslides struck sections of Interstate 90 in the state of Washington, an investigation revealed the need to remediate three cut slopes in the Snoqualmie Pass corridor. An innovative digital imaging and mapping technique—together with a mechanical rock scaling process—proved critical to completing construction on this vital highway project before the next winter and with only minimal disruption to the traffic flow.
By Mark R. Harris, S.E.
A new recital hall at Utah State University is a world-class performing arts center that features a glass-enclosed lobby with an undulating roof meant to complement the site’s mountainous surroundings. The structural engineers were challenged to devise vertical and lateral support systems that would not interfere with the light-infused design of the lobby or with the superb acoustics of the performance hall.
By Darryl W. Davis, P.E., M.ASCE, D.WRE
Although protecting people and property from the threat of flooding remains the stated goal of many government policies and programs in the United States, development in certain flood-prone areas appears to be increasing the risk of flooding. Current efforts to control flooding must be scrutinized and improved before the nation experiences another disaster.
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