Project overview
This project is a steel bridge connecting the twin towers of a DoubleTree hotel in Ras Al Khaimah. Wrenze Steel carried out the structural design, working for Designers Engineering Consultants as client and consultant. Our company profile lists it as one of our key projects.
The 3D model shows the bridge deck framed in steel beams, spanning between two steel support structures, one at each side.
Our scope
Our scope was structural design. That covered the bridge deck and its framing, the supporting structures, the connections between them, and the interface with the two towers.
On a bridge between buildings, the interface is often the hardest part of the design. The bridge has to be supported by, or fixed to, two structures that were designed separately and that move independently.
The structure
Movement between towers. Two towers do not move together. Each sways in the wind, settles on its own foundations and expands and contracts with temperature. A link bridge fixed rigidly to both would try to restrain this movement and attract large forces. The usual solution is to fix the bridge at one end and allow it to slide at the other, with bearings sized for the expected movement in each direction.
Deck framing. The deck is framed with main beams spanning between the supports and secondary beams carrying the floor. The main beams are sized for strength and also for deflection, because a sagging deck is visible and affects finishes.
Vibration. People walking across a light steel bridge can set it vibrating. If the bridge’s natural frequency is close to the pace of walking, it can feel lively. Stiffness and mass are checked so that the bridge feels solid.
Wind and cladding. Where a link bridge is enclosed, its cladding and glazing add weight and catch wind across its full length. The steel must carry these loads with movement small enough for the facade to stay sealed.
See our other bridge projects, including link bridges between towers, or request a quote for a link bridge.
