Bicontentio Sinus Footbridge in Martutene (San Sebastián)

This the story of a footbridge built using the concept of pre-designed bridges.

A new footbridge has been built over the Urumea river in San Sebastián (Spain). It replaces a previous concrete bridge with a pier, and a shorter length with insufficient hydraulic clearance. The bridge is an application of a pre-designed parametric bridge developed by ANTA.

The bridge is elastically fixed on both abutments. This connection is accomplished by placing two pinned supports close to each other. One works in compression, the other in tension.

The material used for the bridge is weathering steel, complemented with stainless steel railings and a wooden deck.

The design approach begins with an initial assessment of the site that will receive the future bridge. The existing topography determines the support conditions, and the resulting bending moment diagram of the structure inspires the final shape of the bridge.

The characteristics of the Martutene footbridge include hidden abutments, neutral colors, and it integrates the natural terrain with the support structures. To achieve a more slender appearance, the cross-sections along the length of the structure are very variable.

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