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Civil Engineering/timber use in bridge

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Expert: - 7/18/2008


Question
dear Mr. Arshad,
i have a college assignment looking at an extreme scenario where an 80 m bridge over a river is to be built out of timber for environmental and economic factors.The bridge has a middle section weiging in total with the lifting mechanism 100 tonne, and this load is to be transmitted by means of pier above rive, to a rock base 10 m below river bed. My question is what are the possible options to ensure safe transmission of this weight, taking into consideration the technical, engineering,and envionmental and economic facotrs.

Answer
Hi Hachem,

You have not given me enough info to advise properly, but for an 80m free span bridge, you will either need to design a timber arch bridge (using glulam sections) or else a truss bridge (which would need to be about 5m deep to make it economical). Please visit the following site which has a lot of very useful information:

https://www.aitc-glulam.org/shopcart/index.asp#software  

Civil Engineering

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Arshad Khan

Expertise

I can answer any questions to do with civil and structural engineering consultancy and construction industry in East Africa and the Middle East, and specifically with the analysis and design of reinforced concrete structures. My particular expertise is in the aseismic design and optimisation of tall buildings.

Experience

Employment history: 36 years in Construction and consultancy in the UK, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Africa, Somalia, Zambia, Austria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha and the U.A.E.

Organizations
.Fellow of Institution of Structural Engineers (UK) .Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers(UK) .Member of the Institution of Engineers, Kenya .Registered Engineer, ERB, Kenya .Member of the Architectural Association of Kenya (Engineers Chapter) .Chartered Engineer (UK)

Publications
•1984: International Conference on the Art and Practice of Structural Design, London •1994: 3rd Int. Kerensky Conference in Structural Engineering, Singapore •2008: International Conference on High-Rise Towers, Abu Dhabi

Education/Credentials
BSc, 1st Class Hons, in Building Engineering, University of Bath, UK MSc in Concrete Structures and Technology, University of London. Diploma of Imperial College, UK.

Awards and Honors
•Science Congress Special Award (for 2-seater Hovercraft - 1968) •Institution of Civil Engineers Award for outstanding performance at Bath University (1975) •Concrete Society Postgraduate study Bursary Award (1976) •Consular Representative for British High Commission, Nairobi. (1995 to 1998) •Examiner for Institution of Civil Engineers Professional Interviews, Nairobi. (1997 to 1998) •Branch Representative in Vienna for PI assessment for Inst. of Struct. Engrs. (1999 to date)

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