Suspended Pedestrian Bridge

[DTGT2002]

Hello,

I am looking for information in order to start an application for assistance with a suspended bridge crossing over a river in Honduras, in Central America.

I am hoping to find references or contact information to determine if a suspended bridge is rational for the area in question as well at review existing examples to see if the construction methods typically used would even be possible in this region.

There is much preliminary work to be done, but I am hoping to be able to make a reasonably logical arguement such that applying to Engineers Without Borders or a simliar group can be productive and fruitful.

If anyone has knowledge to share, I am very interested.

Thank you very much,

Daniel Toon
Atlanta, GA

 

[kelowna]

Daniel,
I thinkt you could contact Bridges to Prosperity, they are the kind of group that could help you. I have attached a couple of links you might find interesting.

Good luck

http://www.ittransport.co.uk/index.php?page=publications#Footbridge_Manual,_2004,_DFID

http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/

http://www.nepaltrailbridges.org/

 

[Castigliano]

There is a gentleman (a non-engineer, I believe), who has been building suspension bridges in disadvantaged regions across the world, primarily with surplus industrial and petroleum supplies. For the life of me I can remember his name, but there have been at least two articles on him in "Structural Engineering International" (published by IABSE) within the last few years; you may want to try looking him up.

Castigliano

 

[DTGT2002]

Excellent info!

Thanks for the help so far. I have previously applied for access to the Nepal Trail Bridge design manuals, but have yet to receive access.

Any additional info from anyone will be useful.

Thanks!

Daniel

 

[crossframe]

Engineering Ministries International (emiusa dot org) may be able to help. Most of the bridges I've seen on that site are suspension bridges.

Bridges To Prosperity seems to deal mainly with truss spans.

 

[civilperson]

Note: Nepal had a suspention bridge failure recently with many fatalities.

 

[edward1]

DTGT2002,
In October,2007 I was hired to do a preliminary design for a suspension bridge over the Holston River for pedestrian traffic and a 5 ton vehicle. I used VDOT plans for a swinging bridge to get size of cable and geometry for the span = 140 feet. I modelled the entire bridge using STAADPRO and used timber stringers and floorbeams to keep weight down. I also used a W27x84 steel girder for the lower chord to keep deflection to L/800 for live load. The towers were designed using 12" diameter steel pipe and the cables required were 1.5" diameter wire rope. Hope this gives you some ideas.