3. DESIGN 3.1 Bridge Design Criteria
Quick facts, also refer to Figure 4: The tropical regions of western Nicaragua are not only
subject to substantial seasonal rainfall, but also tropical
storms and hurricanes moving west across the
Caribbean. The high water levels of the Esteli River and
high winds accompanying these storms are the primary
design criteria for the bridge layout and lateral capacity,
respectively. The vertical loads on the footbridge are
derived from the AASHTO Guide Specifications for the
Design of Pedestrian Bridges. The design pieces together
several resources that encompass the Bridges to
Prosperity design philosophy as agreed upon by the
Technical Advisory Board. In addition to the AASHTO
code mentioned, the organization use the latest editions
of AISC Steel Design Specification, ACI 318, ASCE 7, and
NDS National Design Specification for Wood
Construction. The bridge is expected to support an
average of 250 pedestrian, animal, and moto crossings
per day.
The walkway is supported by six 32mm
diameter wire rope cables that each have a
total length of 195m from anchor to anchor.
The clearance between the walkway and the
highest known water level is a minimum of 3m
above the full width of the river.
The bridge walkway is 1m wide and made of
steel crossbeams and a timber deck.
The steel towers are 9.5m tall, supported on
3m tall concrete pedestals.
The total concrete volume for all foundations
and anchors is 127m 3 .
Figure 4: Arenales Suspension Bridge Rendering
3/2017