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WZQ Diagrid Bridge - Architizer Competition 2011
WZQ Diagrid Bridge - Architizer Competition 2011
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WZQ Diagrid Bridge - Architizer Competition 2011
Type
Competition Background
The competition was open to all Arup staff, for the reconstruction of the bridge in Mixia, Yunnan, one of our ‘Arup x WZQ’ collaboration projects as part of the Arup Cause initiative.
There is an existing bridge built by habitants of Mixia village. The bridge constitutes an important access for the local villages and it is especially used for children to attend school daily. The existing bridge is very vulnerable to high flows or heavy rain, and it often needs to be re-built after the wet season every year.
The competition was launched to find a concept design which served the following purposes:
resistant to seasonal variation of river flow
sustainability
choice of raw materials as far as possible
constructability in remote location (restricted access & machinery)
Creativity and innovation were encouraged by the organizers of the competition.
Design Submission
The proposal was a truss bridge where the typical quadrangular or triangular grid has been modified by a diagrid applied to a doubly curved surface resembling half a cylinder. Each truss member is straight and the curvature of the bridge is achieved by varying the angle of orientation of each member. There is no need to bend them to achieve the nice arch geometry that the model features. Its overall geometry is form found using an algorithm which allows for several variations prior to achieving the final and most efficient shape. The design of the bridge benefits from the use of parametric digital techniques which facilitate enormously its later fabrication.
Each member is made of a straight bamboo rod which has been cut to size and identified with a labelling code to facilitate the assembly process. Each bay can be assembled off-site and then transported to site for final assembly and further erection of the bridge in place.
Materials used are considerably light and thus, erection without heavy machinery will be possible.
Why this project deserves a second shot at glory?
The design of the bridge, although it could be seen as an adventurous design, was intended to fulfil the needs for a simple and light structure using local materials such as bamboo rods in China. On one hand, the digital aspect of the proposal is responsible of its complex geometrical look while on the other hand, it facilitates its fabrication and assembly processes. Without a digital based model, the realisation of a project of this kind will certainly be tedious and most probably unfeasible.
Creativity and innovation were two key aspects in the competition and thus, my intention was to demonstrate the endless possibilities that digitally designed and fabricated projects could render to the current bridge engineering industry.
The competition was open to all Arup staff, for the reconstruction of the bridge in Mixia, Yunnan, one of our ‘Arup x WZQ’ collaboration projects as part of the Arup Cause initiative.
There is an existing bridge built by habitants of Mixia village. The bridge constitutes an important access for the local villages and it is especially used for children to attend school daily. The existing bridge is very vulnerable to high flows or heavy rain, and it often needs to be re-built after the wet season every year.
The competition was launched to find a concept design which served the following purposes:
resistant to seasonal variation of river flow
sustainability
choice of raw materials as far as possible
constructability in remote location (restricted access & machinery)
Creativity and innovation were encouraged by the organizers of the competition.
Design Submission
The proposal was a truss bridge where the typical quadrangular or triangular grid has been modified by a diagrid applied to a doubly curved surface resembling half a cylinder. Each truss member is straight and the curvature of the bridge is achieved by varying the angle of orientation of each member. There is no need to bend them to achieve the nice arch geometry that the model features. Its overall geometry is form found using an algorithm which allows for several variations prior to achieving the final and most efficient shape. The design of the bridge benefits from the use of parametric digital techniques which facilitate enormously its later fabrication.
Each member is made of a straight bamboo rod which has been cut to size and identified with a labelling code to facilitate the assembly process. Each bay can be assembled off-site and then transported to site for final assembly and further erection of the bridge in place.
Materials used are considerably light and thus, erection without heavy machinery will be possible.
Why this project deserves a second shot at glory?
The design of the bridge, although it could be seen as an adventurous design, was intended to fulfil the needs for a simple and light structure using local materials such as bamboo rods in China. On one hand, the digital aspect of the proposal is responsible of its complex geometrical look while on the other hand, it facilitates its fabrication and assembly processes. Without a digital based model, the realisation of a project of this kind will certainly be tedious and most probably unfeasible.
Creativity and innovation were two key aspects in the competition and thus, my intention was to demonstrate the endless possibilities that digitally designed and fabricated projects could render to the current bridge engineering industry.
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