"It's as much sculpture as bridge. It's probably an architects dream, an engineer's nightmare...and when art meets engineering, worlds collide."
As I read chapter 13 I found myself very aware of the age of the publication. I kept wondering, what has been built lately that has, or will, push the envelope like some of the bridges mentioned in the chapter. So I set out to find an example of a bridge that might be worthy of mention in Petoski's book. The quote above is taken from the opening minutes of the Mega Builders episode I've linked to the right. The Sheikh Zayed bridge wasn't the longest, or tallest bridge. However, its complexity surely rivals that of any other bridge and pushes the boundaries of what is possible. The Zayed bridge faced many unique challenges, yet it stands before us today, completed, serving its purpose. It is a grand testament to the engineering skills of today. The bridge has so much about it that is just for the looks. It far exceeds the structural basics necessary to transport people from one side to another. It is a piece of art. It is similar to the pedestrian walkways of the Brooklyn Bridge in much the same way. They weren't necessary, but were put in for reasons other than function.
Many other large-scale bridge projects seem to be about the longest, tallest, or biggest bridges. It is much like bragging rights to the country with the tallest building in the world. It makes me wonder if challenges like the Zayed bridge are the future? Fusing design and function. Does the bridge that spans 50 more feet than the previous longest bridge really revolutionize anything about bridge design? When art becomes a part of engineering, does engineering become a new challenge? Do projects like the Zayed Bridge move the engineering field forward? When bridges like these are built, are other engineers motivated exceed them?
What a beautiful bridge! I can only think that this was a collaborative process between architects and engineers. It's an interesting question as to whether aesthetics are or will become the new challenge in engineering. Aesthetics are always a part of design and should be more than just an afterthought. Or you have "aesthetic failure" which Petroski says "can take away the zest for life." I think in more technologically advanced places, beauty may be the big challenge in engineering, but often it is still working within the constraints (available materials, time, conditions, etc.) that remain the primary focus.
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