Integrating Aesthetic Design and Structural Engineering on a Signature Bridge

The new Walterdale Bridge offers Edmonton a unique opportunity to create a striking new entrance into the downtown. The mandate of the Walterdale Bridge Replacement project for a functional signature bridge offers the opportunity to create a public place on the North Saskatchewan River.

The aesthetic goals of the structure played heavily into the structural systems chosen, which ultimately had a substantial impact on the overall structural design. This paper will explore how key aesthetic features were explored and influenced the structural design of the bridge and how that vision was maintained and protected through the construction phase, with focus on contract requirements for Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel and Architecturally Exposed Concrete.