Thursday 18 April 2024

It Was Designed To Last 100 Years,

but a "Strong focus on aesthetics", 


photograph by Jan-Tore Egge, contributed to the bridge failing after just 10 years, thankfully with no loss of lifephotographs below courtesy of the NSIA

it was the Tretten Bridge, over the Gudbrandsdalslågen river in the Øyer area of southern Norway, which gave way as a heavy goods vehicle was crossing, completed in only 2012, the glulam-and-steel truss bridge, was designed by Norwegian architecture studio Plan Arkitekter and engineering firm Norconsult for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA),

A recent report by the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) was critical of parties involved in the bridge's construction and management, "The investigation has shown that inadequate caution was exercised in the planning, design, inspection and approval of Tretten Bridge, with respect to the risk factors linked to its unconventional design," the report said, "A short construction period, span lengths and reuse of existing foundation were framework conditions for the planning of the bridge," it continued, "These framework conditions, combined with the choice of material and a strong focus on aesthetics, contributed to the structure not being robust." 

the Tretten Bridge was 148 metres long and 10.5 metres wide, with a main span of 70 metres. A report produced by Plan Arkitekter and Norconsult in 2013 gave the bridge a life expectancy of 100 years, "As far as the Accident Investigation Board is aware, there are no wooden and steel truss bridges in the world that are comparable to Tretten Bridge," said the NSIA report (translated from Norwegian), "The bridge was special both in terms of span length and asymmetry, trusses in the same direction and the combination of wood and steel." note to architects and designers, just because a project is strong on aesthetics, it does not mean it is safe! the article is here.


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