Case study on the design of a contemporary Civil Engineering project Essay - 1

Case study on the design of a contemporary Civil Engineering project - Essay Example The bridge is a natural expression of structural engineering and architecture but a city center footbridge is equally about people and the environment; in short a piece of public architecture. The bridge gives the pedestrians unique views of London, free from traffic and high above the Thames. In September 1996, a competition was organized by a London-based newspaper the Financial Times and London Borough of Southwark to design a new Footbridge across the River Thames. The idea behind the competition was to get the best design in every aspect therefore the teams participating in the design were structured to have an engineer, an architect and an artist. More than 200 teams participated and the competition was won by Arup (engineer), Foster (architect) and Sir Anthony Caro (Sculptor). The height restrictions and the view behind the bridge required an innovative design which was provided in the form of a design which included some unusual practices; the suspension design had supporting cables below the deck level. This innovative design was given the name ‘blade of light’ by its designers. The structure of the Millennium Bridge is innovative and complex but it has been designed to achieve an apparent simple form. The design of the Millennium Bridge is based on the following considerations: An evolved support system in which the majority of the bridge stiffness is created by shallow cable profile derived tension. This allows a light bridge deck structure. A modular design in which several structural members and components can be repeated in the structure, thus reducing the fabrication costs. This can also simplify the maintenance after the construction and allows easy execution of the construction phase. The distribution of the forces on the foundations should be such that they do not disturb the existing structures on the north bank and also the foundations of the existing bridges. The aesthetics of the bridge at night were also a big concern and a l ight pipe system illumination was proposed to create a ‘blade of light’ across the river at night. The river traffic analysis is also important while designing a bridge at such a location. A major issue was the provision of planning advice for gaining the necessary approvals to construct a new river crossing in the heart of London. Moreover ways of generating the finances for the bridge were also to be considered while designing the bridge. Superstructure Design The bridge design is a shallow suspension bridge in which the view behind the bridge is facilitated by keeping the suspension cables below the bridge deck. The bridge is supported on two river piers through two groups of four 120mm diameter locked coil cables which span from one bank to the other. The three spans of the bridge have different lengths. The middle span which lies between the two piers is 144m long. The north span is 81m long while the south span is 108m in length. Fabricated steel box sections whic h are known as the transverse arms span between the two

All dance is narrative not only in its presentation but also in its Essay

All dance is narrative not only in its presentation but also in its form, its technique and its ways of continuing its lineage - Essay Example (The library of Congress, 2008). With time this evolved as a narrative tool. However, the narration was limited to the presentation of the dance. However in the nineteenth century, the art of dancing was more popularized through literatures. The influence of the popularization of music also contributed to the popularity of dance. Many other factors like an improvisation of the women’s role in the society and the strengthening of their physical activeness towards the beginning of the twentieth century were also influential in the development of social dance styles (The library of Congress, 2008). With this, techniques specific to different kind of dances evolved and were standerdised. Gradually these techniques became so expressive that these within itself tuned out to be narrative in nature. An good example to this is the evoloution of social dancing. The arena of social dancing emphasizes on the sociability of the art than on set rules and competition. The inclusiveness is the basic principle adhering to the social style of dancing and is not performance oriented. This style of dancing more relies on the spontaneity in accordance to the situation than on the rules and regulations. However the various disciples with in the social dancing style share some universal principles. It is creative, spontaneous, coordinated and conventional in terms of these principles (Renzland P, 2008). Some of the social dances which are popular in America today are Break Dancing, Alpine, Hip Hop Dancing, Argentine Tango, Balboa, Cajun, Ceili(dh), Charleston, Circle Mixers, Contra, Hambo, Irish Set, Lindy Hop, Old-Time-Waltz, Polka, Ragtime, Scandinavian, Scottish (Country/Folk) Dancing, Square, Vintage, Zwiefache and Zydeco. In short, it is the style of dance which connects the art form wit h the common public.Here the techniques of dancing in terms of these