Kunstbauten - Ingenieurkunst

Structural art - the art of engineers.

In former codes and guidelines of the German Railway, bridges, tunnels, underpasses and other engineering structures are summarized under the general term "Kunstbauwerke" ("Artistic Structures"). In Switzerland and Austria, this term is still very commonly used for both, street bridges as well as railway bridges. Originally derived from the term "artificial structure" the contemporary interpretation contains also a strong relationship to structural art and to the creative process of the design of structures. The paper follows the question what distinguishes structural art and the art of engineers. What does structural art in bridge design mean today and which conditions and requirements have to be considered? Using actual examples, challenges and solutions in bridge design are illustrated.