The Zuoz Bridge, also known as ''Innbrücke Zuoz'' is a three hinged

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...

box girder A box girder or tubular girder (or box beam) is a girder that forms an enclosed tube with multiple walls, as opposed to an i-beam, - or H-beam. Originally constructed of wrought iron joined by riveting, they are now made of rolled steel, rolled ...

hinged arch bridge A hinged arch bridge is one with ''hinges'' incorporated into its structure to allow movement. In structural engineering, a hinge is essentially a "cut in the structure" that can withstand compressive forces. In a steel arch, the hinge allows f ...

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...

Robert Maillart Robert Maillart (16 February 1872 – 5 April 1940) was a Swiss civil engineer who revolutionized the use of structural reinforced concrete with such designs as the three-hinged arch and the deck-stiffened arch for bridges, and the beamless f ...

, and is the first box girder bridge to be constructed out of reinforced concrete. Constructed in 1901, this was the first of his independently designed reinforced concrete arch bridges.

Design

With reinforced concrete construction still being relatively new at the time, it was standard practice to imitate the forms of masonry construction both structurally and visually. As such, on his previous Stauffacher Bridge in

Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

, architect Gustav Gull designed the concrete arch to be hidden behind a masonry facade. Rather than parting with this non-structural form entirely, Maillart integrated an outer wall of concrete into the Zuoz Bridge, such that the arch increased in depth and the overall stiffness of the structure increased. Although there was no mathematical approach for proving the structural viability of Maillart's design, Wilhelm Ritter, the

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative divisions * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and entertainment * Canton (band), an It ...

s consultant suggested that the project go ahead after subjecting it to a full scale load test. Testing revealed acceptable minor cracking, which throughout the structure's life increased, such that on his following 1904 design for the Tavanasa Bridge, Maillart removed those segments of the wall subject to cracking.

References

Bridges in Graubunden Arch bridges Zuoz {{Switzerland-bridge-struct-stub