George Washington Bridge

The George Washington Bridge (GWB), a vital passage

connecting New York City and New Jersey, is a two-
level suspension bridge that spans the Hudson River
between upper Manhattan (West 178th Street) and
Fort Lee, New Jersey. It is a primary route for
commercial vehicles in the Northeast Corridor.

Firmitas

This suspension bridge was

designed by Othmar H.
Ammann, the Port Authority’s Geore Washington Bridge
Chief Engineer at the time.
Ground was broken for the
Suspension Bridge original six-lane bridge in
Tower October 1927, and the Port
Authority opened the bridge to
traffic on October 25, 1931. The addition of lanes in
1962 provided for more capacity. The structure is
structurally stable and firm due to the 604-foot towers
Suspension Bridge Profile
of the bridge. The towers and the suspended structures
contain more than 43,000 tons of steel.

Utilitas

The bridge provides accessory functions such as sidewalk, bikelanes, and an integrated bus station. More than 30 state
of-the-art electronic variable-message signs provide real-time decision-making information to motorists on the
roadways leading to the bridge. With the combination of technology and the functions integrated in the
structure, the bridge provides for a better efficiency in dealing with the busy traffic.
Venustas

The GWB is the proud home of the world’s largest free-

flying United States flag. The flag, which is located under
the upper arch of the New Jersey tower, drapes vertically
for 90 feet and flies freely, responding to breezes from
the Hudson River or Palisades. The flag’s stripes are
approximately five feet wide, and the stars measure
about four feet in diameter. Weather permitting, the flag
is flown on major holidays and on special dates that
honor those we lost on September 11, 2001.
John Hancock Tower
Firmitas
The cantilever concept represents the
highest possible efficiency in a tall
building system. But in the modern
era, due to the principles of the
International Style, the idea that steel
frames could be assembled to form a
three-dimensional resistive system
emerged. It involved the use of
computer simulations. Fazlur Khan
systematically pursued a logical
evolution of tall building systems.

Utilitas

The program included multiple functions such as commercial space,

parking, offices, appartments, and television transmission spaces
yielding a total of 2,800,000 sq.ft. All these fucntions were place in a
100-storey tower which was based on the on the economies of
possible structural systems. The single tower concept was made
possible as a result of the development of the truss-tube at a unit
structural steel quantity of 30 lbs per sq.ft.

Vensustas

As a representation of both the International Style, and possible,

Brutalism, due to the structural expression it portrays on its exterior,
the John Hancock Tower showcases the innovations of the Digital Age.
Salginatobel Bridge
The Salginatobel Bridge is Robert
Maillart’s design for a competition held in
summer 1928 to link the villages of Schuders
and Schiers in the Swiss canton of
Graubünden. Since its completion in 1930, the
90m-span bridge has received considerable
praise: while some have celebrated its striking
new art form, others have emphasized its
brilliant economical and structural efficiency.

Firmitas
The bridge`s concept design was drawn from
mathematical and geometrical concepts such
as the parabola in determining the structural
form. Maillart used parabolas throughout the
entire design process in order to define any
non-straight geometry. The choice of a three-
hinged bridge has an influence on the design
process: the structure can thereby be
statically determined by a simple equilibrium
of forces on a half bridge.

Utilitas
Due to the graphical determination of the form of the bridge, the mathematics
used involved geometry and calculus which somehow influenced the function to
which it was intended in terms of the concept of a compression bridge.

Venustas
The bridge`s organic form represents the art that is found in mathematics,
the beauty of parabolic curves. Just like the ancient methods of making the
mathematics of proportion systems an art, it somehow depicts the ideals of
classical architecture and the renaissance proportion systems of building
construction and design.
References:
1) Iyengar, Hal, S.O.M. (2000). Reflections on the Hancock Concept. CTBUH Journal, Spring 2000
2) (2010). George Washington Bridge Interesting Facts. www.panynj.gov
3) Fivet, Zastavni (2011). ROBERT MAILLART’S KEY METHODS FROM THE SALGINATOBEL BRIDGE
DESIGN PROCESS (1928). JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SHELL AND SPATIAL
STRUCTURES: J. IASS.
ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES
1:00-2:00, TTHS, H615
AR. DONNA R. TABANGIN

CRITIQUE OF STRUCTURES ON THE BASIS OF THE THREE

COMPONENTS OF ARCHITECTURE: FIRMNESS, COMMODITY AND DELIGHT.

SUBMITTED BY:
RAMOS, KEVIN EARL A.