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Engineering: Design Competition Author(s): Henry Petroski Source: American Scientist, Vol. 85, No. 6 (NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1997), pp. 511-515 Published by: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27856884 . Accessed: 04/08/2013 17:19

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This content downloaded from 132.206.27.24 on Sun, 4 Aug 2013 17:19:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Engineering

Design Competition

Henry Petroski

[n earlyAugust 1996, a full-page advertisement In the shadow of theHigh Level is the appeared in theBritish magazine New Civil En Newcastle Swing Bridge, designed by JohnF. Ure gineer announcing a competition to design a and completed in 1876. A river-level crossing, the footbridge across the . The text of the 281-foot central span of this bridge pivots in the ad, headed simply "a new bridge across the center to provide wide openings for shipping, Tyne/' was briefer thanmany classifieds but fully thus allowing upriver access. When built, the challenging: "We are looking for design teams Swing Bridge was the largest of its type inGreat a who can create stunning, but practical, river lev Britain, and it remains a vital trafficlink across the el crossing which fits this historic setting, opens Tyne. Justupriver from the Swing Bridge is the for shipping and is good enough towin Millenni , a 531-foot span steel thatwhen um Commission funding. Teams who think they completed in 1928was also the longest of its type are up to the task should register fordetails of the in Britain. It is thismodern high-level crossing design competition/7 The address given was that that towers over Stephenson's of the Director of Engineering Services of the and the Swing Bridge in the photo accompanying Metropolitan Borough Council. the announcement of the design competition, and Gateshead is on the south side of the River all three , which are closer to each other Tyne, about eight miles upriver from itsmouth than the distances they span, had to be respected and directly across the river from themore well by any proposed new crossing of theTyne. known . This location in Details of the 1996 bridge-design competition the northeastern region of England is about 50 were provided in a strikingly designed folder, miles from the Scottish border. The deep and whose cover reproduced both a photograph narrow river valley around Newcastle has made looking upstream at the three historic bridges bridge building at this location challenging and the ad's eye-catching typography. Inside, since Roman times, and all early river crossings therewas elaboration on the competition's pur required the traveler to descend steep roads into pose, program and procedures. The site of the the valley and ascend equally steep roads on the footbridge, the brochure revealed, was to pro other side?until 's High vide "the essential pedestrian link" between Level Bridge was completed in 1849. Since the "two major urban regeneration projects." On spans needed at Newcastle were not nearly as the Newcastle side, "redevelopment is well great as those needed for his contemporaneous underway, with leisure and tourist activities Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait, interspersed with high quality commercial Stephenson chose a tied arch, or bow-string buildings and housing." Across the river, "the girder, rather than a tubular girder, for the Tyne focus is on cultural and leisure uses," with a for on crossing's superstructure. The foundation prob mer grain warehouse the riverbank "set to lems encountered beneath the Tyne were more become the largest contemporary visual art difficult than at theMenai Strait, however, and gallery outside ." Such is the setting the numerous timber piles had to be driven through new footbridge would have to be in keeping sand, gravel and clay before the piers could be with and, moreover, complement. built. The design and construction were done Potential design competitors were informed a new well, and Stephenson's bridge still carries road that the footbridge "will provide dramatic and rail trafficacross the Tyne. vista of the existing crossings upstream and the sweep of the Tyne as it curves to the south downstream." In addition, the from Henry Petroski is A. S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering appearance a the other had to be considered and professor of history at Duke University, where he also bridges naturally in the the aesthetic considera chairs the Department of Civil and Environmental design. Beyond were some mat Engineering. Address: Box 90287, Durham, NC 27708-0287. tions, however, there practical

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This content downloaded from 132.206.27.24 on Sun, 4 Aug 2013 17:19:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions was at Figure 1. Tyne River footbridge design by Gifford and Partners/Chris Wilkinson Architects chosen by design competition. Construction Gateshead, England, is pending funding by theMillennium Commission. (Color illustrations courtesy of Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council.)

were ters towhich designers had to attend. The foot Approximately six shortlisted teams a bridge, which would be located at the conver expected to be invited to submit design, which were gence of two planned bicycle routes,would have was to be due about six weeks after they a to be accessible to cyclists and would have to provided further information in the form of accommodate as many as 1.5million pedestrian technical brief thatwould spell out such details and cycle crossings each year. Finally the bridge as the opening and closing sequences for the would have to incorporate an opening mecha bridge's operation, each of which was expected nism to allow ships to pass. to be completed within twominutes. Each short The brochure made it clear thatmultidiscipli listed team would receive ?2,000 upon receipt of a nary teams were expected to be necessary to a satisfactory submission of design, and the an produce a design "of sufficiently high technical winning team would receive additional and aesthetic merit/' Teams could be led by a ?3,000. The winning design would be submitted civil engineer, a structural engineer or an archi to theMillennium Commission, a British organi tect, "but any contracts or agreements entered zation for funding such projects. In other words, into as a result of the competition will be based a design team was guaranteed no more than on civil engineering model documents." To be ?2,000 for its efforts,and even thewinning team no considered for shortlisting, teams were expected might see no more than ?5,000, for therewas to submit the names of all member firms and guarantee of a contract to execute the design. how they fit into the team's structure; details of qualifications and experience, especially with The Tradition of Design Competitions regard to bridge design and construction; and Though the details may vary, the process for a new across examples of previous bridge projects, especially generating ideas for bridge the opening designs, along with lists of clients. Tyne is typical of design competitions, which Entries at that stage were restricted to six pages have been held since ancient times. In the fifth of text on letter-size paper, plus drawings and century b.c., for example, the Athenian Senate a photographs. Among the criteria forbeing short invited architects to submit designs for War listed were "evidence that the team has under Memorial on the Acropolis. The young United stood the unique nature and qualities of the site" States of America held design competitions in and "experience of compatible teamworking." 1792 for both theWhite House and the U.S.

512 American Scientist, Volume 85

This content downloaded from 132.206.27.24 on Sun, 4 Aug 2013 17:19:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions so new Capitol, and in 1802 New York did for a Internal Competition not city hall and courthouse. In England, a famous A design competition is, of course, the only an a new design competition for a building to house the way to acquire excellent design for can Great Exhibition of 1851 drew almost 250 bridge or structure. Larger political entities own entries, none of which was judged to be ade support their design and engineering quate. Ultimately, Joseph Paxton's late entry of departments; many of the bridges built around as an iron and glass structure came to be known New York City in the firsthalf of the 20th century were authori the Crystal Palace. On continental Europe, in designed by the city's and the port own the early 20th century, the Swiss developed ty's engineers, who at various times includ as rules for engineering design competitions that ed such outstanding bridge designers Gustav have led to some of the most innovative and Lindenthal and Othmar Ammann. On theWest attractive concrete bridges in the world. In Coast, in the 1930s, the state highway depart Australia, on the other hand, the architectural ments of Oregon and California had in leader as design competition for a new opera house for ship roles such bridge engineers Conde was coast Sydney resulted in a striking structure that McCullough, whose Oregon highway are of recognized worldwide but that, because of its bridges among the finest examples bridge over construction problems and cost overruns, effec art inAmerica, and Charles Purcell, who saw the San tively ended the use of open design competi the design and construction of tions in that country. Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, then the largest Discussions of the pros and cons of design bridge project in the country. The magnitude of was so that competitions have taken place perhaps as long this California bridge project great were as there have been competitions. Frank Lloyd consulting engineers necessarily used aver Wright believed they led tomediocrity, "an extensively, but in the final analysis the bridge age upon an average by averages in behalf of the was but another state-highway project. not con average," referring to the compromises made in Smaller government entities, when everything from choosing juries to the juries strained by forbidding procurement procedures, on choosing winning designs. Michael Graves, and private organizations can, of course, go direct an or the other hand, feels that, although "itwould be ly to architect engineer whose work they nice to think one could compete with oneself admire and respect to ask for a design. This does to and that the projects we would do would be just not give much opportunity young, beginning as good if there were no other competitors," professionals looking for their firstcommissions, that design competitions do raise the level of compe however, and it is the design competition tition and therefore of design. Architects and does give them the opportunity to show off their com ultimate of a engineers have long agreed, however, that talents and possibly capture the prize was route petitions can be clever, even ifunintended, ways commission. This the that Santiago to get a broad range of professional services and Calatrava followed for years before getting his to opinion for a pittance. The late-19th century civil early opportunities have his imaginative paper as structures. and mechanical engineer J.W. C. Haldane wrote and model designs realized full-scale that "there is no class of work in which engi In the Tyne competition, the six shortlisted an neers, as well as architects, have been so scan teams and their designs were described in was to the dalously abused, as that known by the term illustrated leaflet that distributed a were a tear-off 'competitions/" and he devoted whole chapter public. Comments invited, and in his 1890 book, Civil and Mechanical Engi sheet was provided for them. The teams and neering, Popularly and Socially Considered, to their designs, described here verbatim from the were as describing and ridiculing the process. leaflet, follows:

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This content downloaded from 132.206.27.24 on Sun, 4 Aug 2013 17:19:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions on Figure 3. Footbridge, designed to handle both pedestrian and bicycle traffic separate paths, opens to allow the passage of shipping and fits into historic setting involving three existing nearby bridges.

Gif ford and Partners/Chris Wilkinson Arch announced their decision in February 1997. A itects:An innovative opening operation com larger folder then presented thewinning design bined with a simple design so that whether as theMillennium Bridge, quoting professor open or closed, the bridge presents an image Tony Ridley, immediate past president of the of strength and grace. Institution of Civil Engineers and chairman of the judging panel: Napper Partnership/Ove Arup and Partners: Two bridges combined?a rotating bridge on A contemporary design which comple a the south side joins a fixed pier supported ments the existing Tyne bridges in way new. bridge from the north quay. which is both refreshing and Its main arch echoes that of the WS Atkins/Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners: Tyne but it is not a it is A about Bridge, pastiche, entirely slender, cable-stayed deck, pivoting modern and a tribute to the of the location of the masts, to fitting peak support produce excellence we are as we a sail-like structure. engineering reaching near the end of theMillennium. Robert Benaim Associates/Lifschutz Davidson: Whereas the Gateshead A two level structurewith level Metropolitan quay crossing Council the the to a link between Borough sponsored competition, provide pedestrian was also the Newcastle and Gateshead town centres, with winning design supported by Newcastle City Council, the the possibility of a rapid transit facility on the Authority, English Partnerships and the Tyne higher level. and Wear Development Corporation. They were Ove Arup and Partners/Sir Norman Foster lending their names to endorse the ?7.5 million and Partners: A flexible deck incorporated project in the hopes that itwould be funded by into the traditional arch form gives shipping the Millennium Commission. Although the clearance. Twin steel support a deck competition documents had placed an upper which is pulled upwards to create a third arch limit of ?15 million on the final cost, they had was a when the bridge is opened. also made it clear that "value formoney" criterion and that itwas "not essential to design Parkman Ltd./Carlos Casado: A single span a structure costing themaximum allowable bud link across the riverwith towers housing the get if an equally attractive and appropriate bridge operating system rising from each structure can be designed and built for a . on the announce reduced figure." Nevertheless, The Gifford/Wilkinson design turned out to ment of the winning design, at least one local some be "the most popular with local people," and it newspaper report noted that people had was the unanimous choice of the judges, who been questioning even the ?7.5 million figure.

American Scientist, Volume 85

This content downloaded from 132.206.27.24 on Sun, 4 Aug 2013 17:19:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Figure 4. Bridge is designed to open by pivoting the entire 600-metric-ton structure from concrete piers located at each end. Two hydraulic pistons would open the bridge in two minutes.

a As the paper pointed out, however, the bridge Commission or elsewhere. Many striking could be had forhalf the price of a soccer super design and competition winner has remained star. This fact is quoted on the leaflet promoting on the drawing board, computer screen and the chosen concept, and inside the leaflet,which postcard for lack of an ultimate sponsor. shows the bridge in various stages of opening, the design is furtherelaborated on: Acknowldgment I am grateful to Chris Jeffrey,who kindly provided It is created from a pair of steel arches? me with a copy of the documentation for the design one forming the deck, the other supporting it. competitionand informationon its outcome. Thin suspension rods link the two. The 600 tonne steel bridge operates like the giant lid of a closed on a Bibliography eye slowly opening?turning M. F. 1981. Civil Northern on either side of the river bank to form Barbey, Engineering Heritage: pivot England. London: Thomas Telford. a arch which sail under. gateway ships Beckett, Derrick. 1984. Stephensons' Britain. Newton Abbot, Devon, England: David & Charles. The documents asked for a ? competition David P. 1986. "Aesthetics in "as innovative as some of its Billington, Bridge Design bridge design The Challenge." In Bridge Design: Aesthetics and were when were and the neighbors they built," Developing Technologies, ed. Adele Fleet Bacow and winning entry appears to be that. The striking Kenneth E. Kruckemeyer. Boston: Massachusetts from the Department of Public Works and Massachusetts footbridge design resulting competi Council on theArts and Humanities. tion is truly innovative, and the process for elic Haidane, J.W. C. 1890. Civil and Mechanical Engineering: it appears to have worked well. a iting By July, Popularly and Socially Considered. London: E. & F. N. Spon. final was for submis proposal being prepared Jeffrey, Chris. 1996. "A New Bridge Across the Tyne: sion to the Millennium Commission. In the Competition Documentation." Gateshead, Tyne and meantime, postcards had been printed showing Wear, England: Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council. computer-generated images of the winning from various and in vari Loukaitou-Sideris, A., and T. Banerjee. 1987. "The bridge design angles of a An In ous of Whether the is Anatomy Design Competition: Inquiry." stages operation. bridge Proceedings of the 1987 Conference on Planning and ever will on whether the built, however, depend Design in Architecture, ed. J. P. Protzen. New York: funds will be forthcoming, from theMillennium American Society ofMechanical Engineers.

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