Steel Suspension Bridges

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	*National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering* *University of California, Berkeley*


	The suspension bridge is the classical system for long spans, and due to its majestic and aesthetic appearance it is considered the queen of bridges. Since his work on the Cologne-Rodenkirchen Bridge, Professor Leonhardt has contributed to the development of suspension bridges, especially to their aerodynamic stability, by innovative designs and tests.

Some of his work is documented in the following references:

Schächterle, K. and Leonhardt, F.: “Hängebrücken (Suspension Bridges),” Die Bautechnik, 1941.
Leonhardt, F.: “Zum Einsturz der Hängebrücke über die Meerenge bei Tacoma (On the Collapse of the Suspension Bridge across the Tacoma Straits).” Fortschritte und Forschungen im Bauwesen, Reihe A, Heft 9, pp 10, 20, 28-32.
Leonhardt, F., Wintergerst, L. and Hoyden, A.: “Abhängigkeiten an erdverankerten Hängebrücken als Hilfsmittel für deren Bemessung (Interdependences for Earth-Anchored Suspension Bridges as Aid for their Dimensioning),” Der Bauingenieur 26 (1951), pp 230-234.
Leonhardt, F.: “Aerodynamisch stabile Hängebrücke für grosse Spannweiten (Aerodynamically Stable Suspension Bridge for Long Spans).” Preliminary Publication of the 7th IABSE Congress, Rio de Janeiro 1964, pp 155-167.
Leonhardt, F.: “Zur Entwicklung aerodynamisch stabiler Hängebrücken (On the Development of Aerodynamically Stable Suspension Bridges).” Die Bautechnik 45 (1968), pp 325-336 and 372-380.

RHINE BRIDGE, COLOGNE-RODENKIRCHEN
(1946-47)



		H15. View from one of the towers.


		H16. Overall view


	Four-lane Autobahn Bridge with spans of 94.5-378-94.5 meters. Bridge deck consisting of two 3-meter deep continuous riveted plate stiffening girders, main cross girders, longitudinal girders, secondary cross girders in composite action with a reinforced concrete slab. Cables formed of 61 locked coil ropes 65 mm diameter, hangers of two flatstrand ropes 80 mm diameter. 59-meter high towers have 9-cell riveted columns with dimensions of 3.6 x 2.8 to 4.5 meters and a 4.5-meter high cross girder at the top, and are founded on large caissons. Heavy anchorage-abutments dimensioned for friction on gravel. Erection of side spans on auxiliary trestle work and of main span with derricks by cantilevering along the cables. Intensive model and in situ tests of static behavior, cables, safety of abutments against sliding, etc. Bridge destroyed in 1945 and reconstructed nearly identically in 1952-1954, using the original towers, foundations and abutments, all of which survived.

Design and construction supervision (in collaboration) as Member of the Autobahn Authority.

Ref: Leonhardt, F. et al.: “Die Autobahnbrücke uber den Rhein bei Köln - Rodenkirchen (The Autobahn Bridge across the Rhine at Cologne - Rodenkirchen),” Die Bautechnik 27 (1950), pp 225-232, 246-253, 289-295, 351-359, and 28 (1951), pp 169-177, 237-245, 283-291, 310-314. Der Stahlbau 20 (1951), pp 81-84, 109-116, 129-133, and Der Bauingenieur 26 (1951), pp 44, 47, 72-74, 132-138, 201-205.



	H17. Overall view.

MOSEL BRIDGE, WEHLEN
(1947-49)

Two-lane road bridge with spans of 37.2-132.0-37.2 meters, replacing a truss girder bridge demolished in 1945.
Bridge deck consisting of steel main and cross girders in composite action with a precast reinforced concrete slab. Deck is continuous, elastically supported by the cable and at the towers.
Steel towers of rolled I-sections 23 meters high on existing foundations.
Due to material shortage after World War II, the main cables are the locked coil-ropes of the destroyed Cologne Bridge (see Slides H15, H16) rescued from the Rhine, and the hangers are hoisting ropes formerly used in coal mining.
One anchorage abutment founded on rock, the other on rock with tension piles (first prestressed permanent rock anchor cables).
Erection of deck with a gantry traveling on the main cables.

Design and supervision on site.

Ref: Leonhardt, F.: “Die neue Moselbrücke Wehlen (The New Bridge across the Mosel River at Wehlen),” Der Bauingenieur 25 (1950), pp 421-426 and 440-445.



	H18. Artist’s rendering.

RHINE BRIDGE, EMMERICH
(1961)

Four-lane highway bridge with spans of 151.5-500-151.5 meters.
Bridge deck consisting of an aerodynamically shaped continuous stiffening beam, only 1.2 meters deep, with orthotropic deck plate.
In order to improve aerodynamic stability further, it has only one cable (mono-cable) built of 61 locked coil ropes 63 mm diameter, and inclined hangers.
A-shaped towers, 85 meters above deck, with single-cell columns of maximum dimensions 3.4 x 4.2 meters.
Extensive wind-tunnel testing in the National Physical laboratory in Teddington, London.

Proposal in a design and construction competition.

References:

Leonhardt, F.: “Aerodynamisch stabile Hängebrücke für grosse Spannweiten (Aerodynamically Stable Suspension Bridge for Long Spans).” Preliminary Publication of 7th IABSE Congress, Rio de Janeiro 1964, pp 155-167.

Leonhardt, F.: “Zur Entwickling aerodynamisch stabiler Hängebrücken (On the Development of Aerodynamically Stable Suspension Bridges),” Die Bautechnik 45 (1968), pp 325-336, 372-380.


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	The University of California, Berkeley Copyright 1997, The Regents of the University of California. Structural Engineering Slide Library, W. G. Godden, Editor Set H: Structures of Leonhardt, Andrä and Partners


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