Innovation in the design and construction of large-span arch bridges was investigated by considering buildability, maintainability and durability factors and their interaction at the design stage in terms of their effects on quality of construction and whole-life costs. In this study the utilisation of innovative composite arch ribs was examined and comparisons were made with concrete and steel arch ribs. A parametric study of a new composite arch rib was performed for a two-hinged arch in the span range 300–1000 m. The arch cross-section comprised three steel trusses interconnected by concrete slabs in composite action with the top and bottom truss chords. The results appeared promising for the span range 300–600 m in comparison with the steel arch and therefore the composite arch rib was tested in a new Croatian arch bridge carrying the highway over the Krka river. The fixed arch has a 204 m span and a rise of 52·0 m with a rise-to-span ratio of f/l=0·25.
<p>The sustainable development of the Sava River banks area in Zagreb, as the most dominant natural and urban city motif, is planned to make the capital of Croatia a better place to live in. The improvement of this area, so far used only as a protection from floods, would be achieved by the complete river integration into the city and sufficient transport links between the city parts. Solving the problem of the inadequate capacity of the Sava River crossing in Zagreb, the public competitions have been organized for the preliminary bridge designs for the two new bridges located near the lakes, Jarun and Bundek. In this paper the two winning solutions are shown. When they will be built, the Jarun Bridge, asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge with one inclined pylon, and the Bundek Bridge, a continuous steel girder bridge comprising intersected arches forming frames, would be modern representatives of the worldwide-known Zagreb school of bridge engineering.</p>
<p>The necessity of joining structural and architectural approaches to reach human-oriented structures and develop contemporary urban environment is presented through several examples. Projects of an airport, a stadium and few bridges as outcomes of collaboration between structural engineers and architects will be overviewed.</p>
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