Michel Virlogeux: strength, utility, beauty
In order to ensure safety issues, various tests are performed, e.g. in a wind tunnel, or analyses, e.g. earthquake analyses. It should be mentioned here that wind can be more crucial in these matters for very long spans than earthquakes. It is important to note that the longer the span, the more flexible the bridge. When designing a safe bridge, every detail matters, because even the smallest one can cause a disaster.
You cooperate with the Polish bridge community and the Wrocław University of Technology as a consultant. What do you think about Polish bridges?
Michel Virlogeux: For Polish bridges – as everywhere – everything depends on who has designed them. Some are very good, others not quite. I have in mind mainly their elegance. Nowadays, we have to create modern and simple things. You cannot go overboard with the number of components, since they generate costs. There is a certain constant in the evolution of steel bridges since [...]
