Page 25 - Modern Steel Construction (April 2019)

right: The point where the tub girders split at
the east stair.
below: An elevation view of the Fanny
Appleton Bridge’s main span and east stair.

Courtesy of STV
Slender yet Complex
The slender design, complex geometry
and site constraints required a design that
could be fabricated and erected with minimal
disruption to the area while providing the
desired aesthetic and expected performance
of a modern pedestrian bridge. The continu- Courtesy of STV
ous fascia plate of the girder that produces the
ribbon appearance was held to dimensional below: A conceptual model of the bridge.
tolerances one-half of those typically used Courtesy of Newport Industrial Fabrication
for fabrication, with the intent of minimizing
horizontal or vertical waves in the fascia plate
that would be noticeable to the public. The
revised tolerance criteria were also applied to
the tub girders that support the fascia plate, as
variations in the tub girder would be reflected
in the plate. All connections were detailed to
be unobtrusive and were welded wherever
possible. Connections that needed to be
bolted for constructability purposes used
splice plates on the interior of the tub girders
and had bolts orientated so only the heads of
the bolts are visible. Weld access holes at the
girder shop splices were also filled with cus-
tom 3D printed plastic plugs to maintain an
uninterrupted visual appearance. This pro-
vided an economical solution that maintained
Modern Steel Construction | 25