New conceptual design for footbridge over river

This paper proposes a new conceptual design for a footbridge over a river. This design is different from the traditional structural design, in which a stiff frame is subjected to enormous horizontal forces during heavy floods. It is based on the conceptual design for a “Nagarebasi,” which is a type of traditional floating bridge in Japan. The new design philosophy three concepts: lengthening the span of the footbridge, adopting a flexible structural system, and utilizing a sustainable form. These concepts are applied by adopting a truss system to lengthen the span of the footbridge, dividing the superstructure into individual units to prevent serious damage during heavy floods, and making it easy to replace fatigued members of the superstructure.