The book at hand provides an overview of current tendencies in pedestrian bridge construction, of fundamental structural and functional requirements, of the various load-bearing systems, of application areas of the various materials and of important economic aspects. Successful real-life examples round out the volume and are meant to provide motivation to make fascinating designs a reality in interdisciplinary collaboration.

'Stress-ribbon bridges' is the term used to describe structures formed by a very slender concrete deck in the shape of a catenary. They can be designed with one or more spans and are characterized by successive and completementary smooth curves. These curves blend into the natural environment and their forms, the most simple and basic of structural solutions, clearly articulate the flow of internal forces which can be erected without undue pressure on the environment.

This comprehensive and up-to-date reference work and resource book covers state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice for bridge engineering worldwide. Countries covered include Canada and the United States in North America; Argentina and Brazil in South America; Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine in the European continent; China, Indonesia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand in Asia; and Egypt, Iran, and Turkey in the Middle East. The book examines the use of different materials for each region, including stone, timber, concrete, steel, and composite. It examines various bridge types, including slab, girder, segmental, truss, arch, suspension, and cable-stayed. A color insert illustrates select landmark bridges. It also presents ten benchmark comparisons for highway composite girder design from different countries; the highest bridges; the top 100 longest bridges, and the top 20 longest bridge spans for various bridge types including suspension, cable-stayed, extradosed, arch, girder, movable bridges (vertical lift, swing, and bascule), floating, stress ribbon, and timber; and bridge construction methods.

Bridges have become a focus of increased attention and awareness in the last ten years as highly visible elements that define the urban and nonurban landscape. This book contains detailed presentations of some sixty-five bridges from ten European countries, with text, comprehensive and detail plans, and photographs taken especially for the volume.