Form Dynamics at Concrete Overpass Bridges

Beyond an indispensableform logic, where the visible form comprehensibly represents the inherent structural system, further form refinements are possible in order to significantly enhance the external appearance. The approach ofform dynamicsis herein introduced, which shows strong and perplexing correlations between the work of engineers and the principles ofgestalt psychology. Terms used in the field of gestalt psychology like (perception) forces, tensions, and balance of forces, which were mainly proposed by the psychologist Rudolf Arnheim, are also used in the field of structural mechanics.

Recommendations based on gestalt psychology are presented to encourage engineers to improve the outer expression of bridge structures in order to aim for a moredynamicappearance. Special attention is paid to concrete bridges, which cross highways and expressways, since they are exposed to extraordinarily high numbers of observers. An integral overpass bridge along the route A5 of the ASFINAG network, north of Vienna, Austria, which follows the above mentioned principles is introduced as an example.