History and Aesthetics of Cable‐Stayed Bridges

Abstract

This paper discusses the early 19th century ideas on cable‐stayed bridges, the innovations from Germany following World War II, the introduction of such bridges into the United States, and some developments in design elsewhere up to 1987. The conclusion gives some thoughts on how innovations in bridge design arise and how they are related to the cultures within which they arise. We relate these questons briefly to issues of technical developments, design competitions, and engineering education (for example, in Germany and Switzerland, where so much innovation has come in the past 60 years, education was presented not just as mathematical analysis but also as physical designs. Such education included engineering aesthetics and the experiences of design competitions, all of which contributed to the development of new techniques and new forms).