The Role of Aesthetics in Bridge Design

Santiago Rodriguez1, P.E., S.E.

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Associate Vice President, T. Y. Lin International, 5285 Shawnee Road, Suite 210,
Alexandria, VA, 22312; PH (703) 245 5200; email: srodriguez@tylin.com

The role of aesthetics in the current bridge design practice varies widely. Many
bridge projects in the United States are developed without including
aesthetic as one on the project goals. On the other hand, a growing number
of “high profile” bridge projects

is confronting bridge engineers with the requirement to include aesthetics as one of

the main design considerations. Owners and bridge engineers are challenged to
incorporate aesthetics requirements into their work but they often lack the training
and experience they would need to be successful.

This paper discusses the differences between aesthetics in the context of fine arts,
such as architecture, and bridge aesthetics. Bridge aesthetics shares some
characteristics with industrial design in that the bridge designer is constrained by
technical issues, budgets and schedules. These constraints result in a different art
form with a specific vocabulary that can not be evaluated from a purely architectural
point of view.

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