Stressed ribbon bridge
A stressed ribbon bridge is a tension structure similar in many ways to a simple suspension bridge. The suspension cables are embedded in the deck, which follows a catenary arc between supports. As with a simple suspension bridge, the weight is taken by the suspension cables, but unlike the simple span, the deck or ribbon is stressed in compression, which adds to the stiffness of the structure. The supports in turn sustain upward-thrusting arcs that allow the grade to be changed between spans. Such bridges are typically made from concrete reinforced by steel tensioning cables. Where such bridges carry vehicle traffic, a certain degree of stiffness is required to prevent excessive flexure of the structure, obtained by stressing the concrete in compression.
Examples
- Leonel Viera Bridge, Uruguay - the first stressed ribbon bridge ever built. Designed and built by engineer Lionel Viera. Completed in 1965. In 1999 a twin bridge was built 20 meters upstream to accommodate two-way traffic.
- Lake Hodges Pedestrian Bridge, California - the longest stressed ribbon bridge in the world, measuring.
- Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge - a hybrid concrete arch/stressed ribbon bridge across the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas.
- Rogue River Pedestrian Bridge - a pedestrian-pipeline bridge across the Rogue River at Grants Pass, Oregon.
- Terwillegar Park Footbridge - a stressed ribbon bridge across the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, Alberta, that is the second longest in the world, measuring.
- Langur Way Canopy Walk - located in The Habitat atop Penang Hill in Penang, Malaysia, this is the world’s highest-altitude stressed ribbon bridge as well as being the only one in a tropical rainforest.