Paper bridge

Passerelle temporaire

30210 VERS,
PONT DU GARD, FRANCE
2007

The bridge consists of two truss arches connected by horizontal elements forming the deck. It has a span of 20 m, a vertical clearance of 5 m and a width ranging from 4 m to 5.80 m in the center to the ends. The passage width is 1.4m.

The two beams are post-tensioned mesh, composed of cardboard tubes, connected by metal nodes. The cardboard tubes work in compression. Tension forces applied to the tubes are resolved by a threaded rod inside each tube and attached to each end of them.

A cable network provides post-tensioning of the structure and wind bracing. The cardboard tubes used have an outer diameter of 11.5 cm and a thickness of 19 mm.