UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY

A Bridge That Soars Like a Bird

Professors' Bay Bridge Design Features Seismic Resistance, Landmark Looks

Two Berkeley professors are proposing a stunning single steel tower, curved bridge to replace the eastern span of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, which needs a $1 billion quake retrofit.

Professor Abolhassan Astaneh, of civil engineering and environmental design; and Associate Professor R. Gary Black, of architecture, unveiled their conceptual design at Cal Day to wide interest.

"Our desire all along has been to provide a bridge for the East Bay crossing which-in addition to its superior seismic performance-would act as a landmark for Oakland and East Bay counties in much the same way as the Golden Gate Bridge symbolizes San Francisco and Marin," said the two designers.

Their design takes the suspension support approach of the Golden Gate Bridge one step further. By angling a single tower, the cables act like a series of reigns to support the deck and pull it back, providing a visual and structural counter-balance.

The two have conducted preliminary stress analyses and will continue further analyses and development of the "Asteneh-Black" bridge.

The design will then be presented to the Bay Bridge Design Task Force. Public hearings will be held on various proposals through July, when a final recommendation is made to Caltrans.

   


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