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2025-06-23

Nové Město nad Metují – Revitalization of Metuje River Valley Around Town Center

This Master's thesis focuses on the revitalization of the Metuje River valley in the town of Nové Město nad Metují, with the aim of enhancing its accessibility, aesthetic quality, and recreational potential. The proposal is based on a comprehensive conceptual approach to the area and includes the design of pedestrian and cycling routes, complemented by small-scale landscape and architectural elements such as footbridges, rest areas, and viewpoints. Emphasis is placed on sustainability, the harmonious integration of interventions into the landscape, and the strengthening of the relationship between the town and its surrounding natural environment. The outcome of the thesis is a clear and structured set of measures, with key areas of the territory developed in greater detail. The goal is to create an attractive and functional space that naturally serves both residents and visitors.

Author	Malika Urinova
University	CTU \| Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Republic

Basic Information

Purpose: Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge
Span: 18 meters (between the supports)
Material: Supporting arches made of glued-laminated timber, other elements made of structural solid wood

Model of a timber footbridge structure created in RFEM 6 using the Timber Design add-on.

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Timber Structure of Pedestrian Bridge

Supporting Structure

The main supporting system consists of two curved arches made of glued-laminated timber (e.g. GL24h), with a rectangular cross-section. The arches are anchored to reinforced concrete footings, which transfer both vertical and horizontal load components into the foundation. A spatial bracing structure made of structural solid wood, consisting of slanted and horizontal elements, is placed between the arches.

Deck (Sidewalk)

The sidewalk is supported on the bottom part of the arches, across transverse beams made of structural wood. The walking surface is made of longitudinally placed wooden planks, fixed with screws or nails.

Fill and Guardrail

The top part of the structure consists of a spatial bracing fill, which also serves as a protective guardrail. This fill is made from structural solid wood in the form of diagonal and horizontal reinforcements.

Foundations

The structure is mounted on reinforced concrete footings, which ensure:
The transfer of loads into the foundation soil, anchoring the arches to prevent displacement and overturning, and protection of the wood from direct contact with moisture.

Visual representation of axial force distribution in a timber footbridge model analyzed using RFEM 6.

Internal Force Distribution in Timber Footbridge

Material Solution

Supporting arches: Glued-laminated timber (e.g. GL24h)
Other elements (trusses, fills, deck): Structural solid wood
All wooden elements are coated with a protective finish against weathering, UV radiation, and biological attack.

The designed wooden pedestrian and bicycle bridge was subjected to static assessment with regard to the basic load combinations according to applicable standards. The calculation was performed using a numerical model in the RFEM 6 program, utilizing the Finite Element Method (FEM).

3D model showing a pedestrian and bicycle bridge with 18-meter span and timber arches.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge with Timber Arches

3D model of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge featuring supporting arches made of glued-laminated timber and structural solid wood elements.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge Model with Timber Structure

Axial Load and Bending Moment M_y

The bridge was designed considering the design load from the live load (pedestrians and cyclists) according to ČSN EN 1991-1-1. Additionally, the self-weight of the structure and supplementary permanent loads were taken into account. The resulting axial forces in the main load-bearing elements were analyzed and compared with the bearing capacity of the cross-sections.

In areas of maximum bending, the bending moment along the y-axis (M_y) was monitored, and the resulting values were compared with the design bending moment for wood. It was verified that the maximum values do not exceed the material's ultimate bearing capacity.

The global deformations of the entire structure were monitored for a load representing a fully occupied bridge. The maximum deflection of the structure corresponds to the prescribed limiting ratio l/300. Therefore, the bridge meets the requirements for the serviceability limit state (SLS).

Equivalent Elastic Stress

For a comprehensive assessment of the stress in the structure, the stress state was evaluated using the equivalent elastic stress according to the von Mises hypothesis. The resulting values were compared to the characteristic strength values of the wood used, and it was verified that no critical point of the structure exceeds the ultimate stress limit. Therefore, the structure is safe with regard to the ultimate limit state (ULS).

Timber footbridge showcased with global deformation results in an RFEM 6 structural analysis model developed by Malika Urinova.

Timber Footbridge Global Deformations in RFEM 6

Wind Analysis

For the aerodynamic assessment of the wooden pedestrian and bicycle bridge, a simulation in the RWIND 3 program was used. The results show the wind speed distribution around the structure and the flow pattern behavior. The color map clearly indicates a significant acceleration of the flow above the structure and the formation of a vortex area behind it. The highest wind load concentrates on the windward edge of the arch.

The flow lines demonstrate that the airflow partially penetrates through the truss structure, confirming its favorable permeability. The shape of the arch contributes to smooth flow and minimizes the formation of turbulent vortices. The structure thus exhibits good aerodynamic properties and a uniform distribution of wind loads.