The Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, is the world's tallest and one of the worlds widest steel arch bridges. Locally, it is called "The Coathanger" due to its design.
The bridge spans 48.8 m (about 160 ft.) Therefore, since torsional shear force was a likely design constraint for this bridge. It uses a mix of an arch and a suspension design, with an arch structure attached to abutments in the ground by the pylons. The steel cables attached to the arch hold the road in place.
Another major design constraint for the bridge is the themal expansion of the steel, which can cause the arch to rise or fall up to 18 cm. Instead of using typical expansion joints, the bridge uses steel bearings at each end of the arch that can rotate and accommodate expansion and contraction. This helps avoid thermal stresses.
Fun Fact: The pylons at the ends of the bridge originally served no purpose besides their aesthetic value adding to the safe look of the bridge. However, all four have now been put to use; for example, one is now a museum and tourist center.
The bridge spans 48.8 m (about 160 ft.) Therefore, since torsional shear force was a likely design constraint for this bridge. It uses a mix of an arch and a suspension design, with an arch structure attached to abutments in the ground by the pylons. The steel cables attached to the arch hold the road in place.
Another major design constraint for the bridge is the themal expansion of the steel, which can cause the arch to rise or fall up to 18 cm. Instead of using typical expansion joints, the bridge uses steel bearings at each end of the arch that can rotate and accommodate expansion and contraction. This helps avoid thermal stresses.
Fun Fact: The pylons at the ends of the bridge originally served no purpose besides their aesthetic value adding to the safe look of the bridge. However, all four have now been put to use; for example, one is now a museum and tourist center.
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