User:Rcarlezo

Puente del Alamillo
The Puente del Alamillo, viewed from the left side of the Guadalquivir river
Coordinates	37°24′48″N 5°59′25″W
Carries	Motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles
Crosses	Guadalquivir river
Locale	Seville (Andalusia–Spain)
Characteristics
Design	Cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge
Total length	250 m
Height	140 m
History
Designer	Santiago Calatrava
Location

The Alamillo Bridge at night.

The Puente de Alamillo is a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge located in Seville, Andalucia, (Spain). It crosses the Canal de Alfonso XIII which separates Isla de la Cartuja and the city of Seville. Designed by well known designer and architect, Santiago Calatrava, construction began in 1989 and the bridge was completed in 1992, in time for the Seville Expo '92.

Structural Description

The bridge consists of a single pylon angled at 58° and has no back anchorage. The pylon is comprised of a steel outer shell filled with concrete and is located on the island side of the bridge. Steel cables connect the pylon to the deck with the top cable spanning the entire length of the deck. The deck is made up of concrete slabs. Spanning roughly 250 feet, Puente de Alamillo was completed in 1992 to allow visitors to access the Seville Expo '92 which was held on Cartuja Island. There are six traffic lanes with a raised walkway located in the middle similar to that of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Qualifications as Structural Art

The single angled pylon filled with solid concrete allowed Calatrava to design a cantilever spar cable-stay bridge without using back anchorage. The sheer size and weight of the pylon counteracts the live and dead loads on the deck which are transferred to the pylon through twenty six steel cables. Without knowing the material makeup of the pylon, it appears the bridge would be unstable. Since its completion in 1992, there have been no structural failures or issues. In regards to efficiency, the Puente de Alamillo is rather extravagent for a bridge with a main span of 200 feet. Total construction costed about thirty nine million dollars and with any cable stay bridge, there are significant maintenance costs. While the design is rather inefficient, the safety of the bridge is satisfactory.

In regards to the social aspect, the Puente de Alamillo is a success. Its main purpose was to connect the mainland to Cartuja Island for Expo '92. It was completed on time and it was a huge success. It accommodates cars and has elevated pedestrian walkways similar to that of the Brooklyn Bridge. During the Expo '92, over forty million people attended and the raised walkways allowed visitors to 'experience' the bridge while still allowing vehicles to pass. Today, the bridge is stilled used for vehicle transport and the local people of Seville and surrounding towns often walk across it. It is somewhat of a tourist attraction as well, as people from all over the world still visit to experience the architecture and form of the bridge. Although the bridge cost about thirty nine million dollars to construct, it still serves its purpose.

When first designed, Calatrava wanted to have another bridge on the opposite side of the island to emphasize the entrances to the Exposition. Although the country could not afford to build both bridges, it is well known that Calatrava wanted the bridge to be more than just a functioning structure. Because the Puente de Alamillo is the only cantilever spar cable stayed bridge without back anchorage, it could be said that the bridge was built more to be structural art or as a monument as the design is so radical and different from almost all other bridges. It is considered a symbol of Seville and all of Spain. It has reminded people of birds in flight or of a harp. It stands as a symbol reminding everyone that the 1992 Exposition took place on Cartuja Island as many of the pavilions that were set up were torn down after the Exposition ended. The Puente de Alamillo meets all symbolic expectations as it is a major architectural achievement that the country of Spain takes pride in.