Design of the Nishisuimon Bridge, Tokyo

The Nishisuimon Bridge, which has a classic and yet unique structural system, was recently constructed in Tokyo, Japan. The classical structural system, a lattice-girder structure, was used in the bridge in order to satisfy aesthetic requirements at a moderate cost. In addition to the adoption of the lattice-girder, many engineering attempts were made to improve the bridge design based on this classic structural system, both structurally and aesthetically. Those efforts can be seen in the design of the main girders, which have a characteristic diagonal member arrangement; the slabs, which use a composite system; and the cross girders, which have a tensile structural member and a composite section.