1929: Salginatobel Bridge

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Building: Salginatobel Bridge
Location: Schiers, Switzerland
Construction Years: 1929-1930
Architect: Robert Maillart
Length: 133 meters (436 feet)

The Salginatobel Bridge was designed by Robert Maillart and had construction start in 1929. At the point of its inception, it was considered a great architectural and engineering feat. Maillart used a system known as box girders in order to withstand the torsion and give space for larger flanges. By using a box girder throughout the center of the largest span, Maillart was able to create a bridge which did not need a middle support which would have been costly and inefficient to install and maintain due to the height of the bridge from the bottom of the valley. The construction was done using precast beams created on the valley floor before being brought up. This allowed for no false-work supports to be used during its creation and instead Maillart supported the bridge using cable stays and suspended cantilevers until its completion. Due to these new construction methods and the minimalist designs, the Salginatobel bridge was efficient in the use of materials, time, and cost, making it a historic piece of bridge design.

Additional Articles: [1], [2], [3]

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