One of the symbols of the 1992 Seville International Exhibition, the Barqueta bridge represents an original design for a bowstring steel bridge, a flying central arch rising from the vertex of two lateral triangular frames. The 168 m span over the Guadalquivir River rests in four vertical supports spaced 30 m in the transverse direction.
The pureness of this arch and the clean geometry of the entrance gates, in combination with the welcoming feeling produced in the passers-by as they cross the bridge, the sense of movement and dynamism in the horizontal direction created by the incline hangers, and the explicit expression of the flow of forces, results in a bridge endowed with really strong and delicate expressive values, becoming a milestone in bridge designing.
The triangular frames receive the corresponding axial force from the arch, avoiding with its opening the occupancy of the deck by the falling arch and, at the same time, forming true gates for the entrance to the Island where the Expo took place. The transversal sections of the arch and the inclined feet produce enough local inertia for avoiding any needing of stiffening.
The nodes which connect the central arch with the inclined feet are the umbilical points of the structure, with intern elements to facilitate the direct connection between the arch and the feet; while the external appearance is a clear reflect of its structural mission, from where its expressivity and aesthetical value flows to the rest of the bridge.
Owner: EXPO’92 – Ayuntamiento de Sevilla
Project: Juan José Arenas (A&A), M. Pantaleón.
Total length: 198.8 m. Deck width: 21.4 m. Main span: 168 m
Contractor: Auxini - Ensidesa
