KTH students learn to design and construct a material-efficient wooden bridge
Architecture students and engineering students are working side by side in a practical project aimed at designing and building a wooden bridge with a 10-meter span.
36 students from 2 different master's courses - "Design of timber-based hybrid structures" from the School of Engineering and Applied Architecture from the School of Architecture - are currently constructing the bridge, a 10-meter wooden footbridge.
"Architecture and engineering students have few common courses, but in this course, they collaborate. It becomes a blend of architecture and engineering," says Magnus Wålinder, professor at the Department of Civil Engineering.
The construction follows a design and construction phase, where 6 different groups consisting of 3 engineering students and 3 architecture students have worked together to develop alternative bridge structures.
An important aspect of the design work has been to use as little material as possible, resulting in a bridge weighing approximately 2-2.5 tons.
Among the 6 proposals, one bridge design was selected by a jury consisting of both architects, engineers, and representatives from the industry. Several aspects were considered, including constructability, structural efficiency, and how well it fits into the environment where it will be placed. Another important parameter was that the bridge should be easy to transport as a "flat package" (think Ikea) and easily disassembled for reuse. The entire project is expected to take about 2 months.
Initially, the construction time was estimated to be around 5 days, but material delays make it challenging to meet the deadline.
Facts
This is the second year of the joint project to design and build a 10-meter wooden footbridge through collaboration between two master's courses: AF2302 Design of timber-based hybrid structures (Teachers: Roberto Crocetti, Magnus Wålinder) and Applied Architecture (Teachers: Tobias Nissen, Mats Fahlander).