Timber Footbridge in Anaklia, Georgia

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Timber Truss Bridge

Planning and Prefabrication in Germany

A steel bridge construction would have considerably overrun the budget, which is why a more economical solution using timber was found. The engineering office of Leonhardt, Andrä and Partner (LAP) from Stuttgart, Germany, in cooperation with the Bavarian glulam manufacturer HESS TIMBER, planned the constructed multi‑span bridge made of truss girders with a triangular cross‑section. LAP also did the structural analysis.

Fast + Epp, a customer of Dlubal Software, was responsible for the structural analysis of the timber structure, and used RFEM for testing purposes with regard to the internal forces and design of the timber structure.

Structure

Near its center, the bridge's structural system is divided into two sections to reduce the effects due to restraint occurring in the longitudinal direction. The first bridge section consists of a continuous beam system; the second is additionally guyed by a steel pylon due to the larger spans.

The bridge's cross-section is formed by a spatial truss system made of glued-laminated timber with two truss girders inclined laterally by 45° as well as transverse beams that are planked with wood-based panels. In addition to their function as boards on which pedestrians can walk, the Kerto‑Q plates serve as a horizontal stiffener.

The glulam components within the truss were connected by means of dowel connections and slotted sheets, also dimensioned by Fast + Epp. Moreover, a glue fixing method patented by HESS TIMBER was used onsite. This made it possible to reduce the glued-laminated timber parts to a maximum length of 13.5 m (44.2 ft) so that expensive special transportation could be avoided.