Danjiang Bridge

Does technology bring new possibilities in designing bridge structures? The way we are designing structures nowadays is simply by using great amount of material to withstand all expected load scenarios. What if - instead - a structure had a brain and muscles allowing it to adapt to forces influencing it and thus it would reduce its material requirements?

Danjiang Bridge is located in the mouth of the Tamsui River in Taipei and connects city districts Tamsui and Bali. The Port of Taipei is also situated on the left bank. A need to build this Bridge comes from a demographic prediction expecting up to 300 thousand new inhabitants comming to the Tamsui District in following decades, while the closest bridge is located 2.5 km away and its capacity is already reaching its limits. \nThe Bridge is designed as a system of four considerably flat arch shaped girders (height 30m, main span 580m) made out of high performance steel. It uses 468 linear actuators located mostly in the diagonals of the main part of the bridge (336 elements) to adapt to various loads. These linear actuators are expected to create counter forces to dynamic forces loading the bridge (traffic, wind, etc.) in order to reduce deformations and vibrations. \nThe Bridge is at both ends connected to existing pedestrian and cycle routes. A new free time area is designed around the northern end. This approach reflects recent development in Taipei - an effort to clean the Tamsui River and convert its banks to attractive free time locations. Demolition of several buildings is planned in order to create space for the Bridge, all these buildings have a temporary character and are not coresponding with the high density (up to 20 stories) residental buildings located in the surrounding areas.