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The Dafne Schippers Bridge links the historical city of Utrecht to the newly developed residential area Leidsche Rijn. Together with Next Architects and Rudy Uytenhaak + Partners Architecten we produced the winning design of a landmark bicycle and pedestrian suspension bridge for the Municipality of Utrecht. The asymmetrical span is the result of designing the steel box pylons to match the tree line on one bank and the low building characteristics on the other side. A special detail is the integration of the approach span with the roof of the nearby primary school.
We did a full dynamic assessment including wind tunnel tests. By incorporating dampers into the concrete bridge deck, we met the dynamic requirements.
By combining advanced static, dynamic and foundation design skills in one team, we could efficiently deliver the suspension bridge design and meet the budget restraints set by our client.
The services which we provided include structural engineering, civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, dynamic assessment, cost estimate and lighting design. Additionally we played a key role in the collaboration between our client, the Municipality of Utrecht, and the owner of the canal Rijkswaterstaat, a part of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment.
The bridge is named after the world class athlete Dafne Schippers, who grew up in Utrecht and went to school in Leidsche Rijn. Nearly 2,000 inhabitants of Utrecht voted for the winning bridge name.
