Timber bridges with reciprocal structure. Comparative analysis of the traditional Chinese bridge and the Leonardo bridge

Abstract

During the last decades reciprocal structures have found a new purpose linked to the execution of temporary and recyclable projects in relation with current trends in sustainable architecture. The objective of this work is to analyze the behaviour of timber bridges with reciprocal structure. A numerical model was made and the structural behavior of a traditional Chinese bridge and Leonardo’s removable bridge were compared. The model was verified by measuring the deformation of a real bridge built in a workshop. In addition to the mechanical behavior, the load transmission mechanism, the influence of friction, lateral stability and robustness were studied. The Chinese bridge works mainly in compression, getting closer to the behavior of a funicular arch and transmitting a horizontal load on the supports around three times greater than the Leonardo bridge. The latter works fundamentally on bending and subjected to stresses and deformations closer to its ultimate limits