BE Magazine - Volume 5, Issue 1 - (Page 22) CIVIL BE Award Winner PROJECT OVERVIEW Double-Helix Design 3D modeling optimizes DNA-inspired bridge design Marina Bayfront Pedestrian Bridge, Singapore Organization Arup BE Awards Category Civil Structural Analysis, Design, and Documentation Objective Design landmark pedestrian bridge with unique double-helix design A lthough Singapore’s Marina Bayfront Pedestrian Bridge will be part of a walking route that passes a number of attractions, the bridge itself will be a destination. The bridge’s striking stainless-steel exoskeleton is inspired by the double-helix shape of DNA, the genetic blueprint of life. The 6-meter-wide walkway is encircled by opposing double-helix structures, connected by struts that provide structural support. The bridge spans 65 meters between piers for a total length of 280 meters. The bridge will link Singapore’s central business district with the largest casino complex in the world, which is currently under construction on a reclaimed site on the southern bank of Marina Bay. Balconies spaced along the bridge will provide platforms for viewing the central business district and the bay. Computer-controlled lighting along each of the helices will transform the structure into an active element during evening fireworks and light shows. The multicolored lights will mimic the chemical processes involved in DNA replication. Around 65 engineers, technicians, and specialists from 14 different Arup offices contributed to the bridge project. The design team faced unique challenges as it set about its work. The DNA-inspired structure of the bridge is like no other, and its structural support mechanisms are different from all other bridges in existence. By balancing the unraveling forces of the opposing helices, the bridge can be constructed from significantly less steel—less than a fifth as much steel a conventional box girder structure requires. The setout centerline adapts to the site geometry. An aerial view shows that the bridge curves in plan while simultaneously rising to a high point in the center to allow ships to pass underneath. The helix geometry is necessarily complex to incorporate the plan curve and vertical geometry within the constraints of the helix pattern. “Understanding this geometry and creating drawings suitable for design and construction would simply not have been possible without a 3D model,” said Greg Killen, senior associate in Arup’s Brisbane office and design manager for the Marina Bay Pedestrian Bridge. v The multicolored lights of Arup’s Marina Bayfront Pedestrian Bridge will be programmed to include a sequence that will mimic the chemical processes involved in the formation of DNA 22 BE MAGAZINE | Volume 5, Issue 1 © Marina Bayfront Pedestrian Bridge-Arup + Cox + Architects 61
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