Structural design The optimal shape of the bridge depends on several factors, including the maximum stress and maximum deformation. However practical parameters also have an influence, like the accessibility of the bridge. The intention of the project is that people should be able to walk over the bridge, therefore the slope of the bridge cannot be too large. Due to the building method of spraying layers of pykrete, the construction phase should also be taken into account, as not all shapes can be build. The balloon sets the boundary conditions for the bridge, and while the balloon is tailor-made, this mould has its boundaries. With the chosen building method, it is also necessary to check the model for eccentricities, it is almost impossible to prevent an asymmetric shape. Therefore, it is necessary to select a range for which the model will still have enough load bearing capacity. Because of the large amount of unknown properties, several safety factors are applied, also for the fi nal shape there will be a large range for which the model needs to be suffi cient. 30
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