Tuesday, February 11, 2025
12:10pm-1:30pm
Speaker: Paul Gauvreau
Professor, Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, University of Toronto
Location: GB220 (Galbraith Building, 35 St George St, room 220)
Title: Understanding Bridge Aesthetics: A Collaborative Approach
Abstract:
Bridges are built to perform a practical function: they provide a fixed means for vehicles and pedestrians to cross obstacles. They also, however, have a significant aesthetic dimension. Like any visible object, bridges bring forth an emotional response in people who look at them: they like the way a given bridge looks or they do not. The aesthetic quality of bridges is particularly important as a result of both their prominence and their permanence within the visible environment. This presentation describes a study that was undertaken to identify factors that determine the aesthetic appeal of bridges. This work was performed by a unique collaboration of psychologists and bridge engineers. The presentation begins with a brief summary of current perspectives on bridge aesthetics in both theory and practice. This is followed by a more detailed description of the objectives of the current study and the rationale for the collaborative approach. The empirical methodology employed in the work is then described in detail. Study participants were asked to give their opinion on the aesthetic quality of bridges from a database of images compiled for this study. Each of the images was annotated with specific design features such as type of structural system and primary material. The responses were then analyzed to determine relations between aesthetic quality and both the annotated design features as well as underlying geometric features. The presentation describes the most significant of these relations. The presentation concludes with a brief description of the future directions of this project as well as reflections on the interdisciplinary collaboration.
Biography:
Paul Gauvreau, Dr.sc.techn., P.Eng., joined the University of Toronto in 2002 following a twenty-year career in bridge engineering practice. During this period, he designed complex post-tensioned concrete bridges, seismic retrofits of historical bridges, and projects to restore structural integrity and durability to deficient bridges. From 1977 to 2002, he was principal and shareholder of a major international bridge design firm and in this capacity he was responsible for all technical and business activities of the firm’s New York City office. At the University of Toronto, Professor Gauvreau’s research program is focused on how to design better bridges. It encompasses the the following three main areas of activity: (1) improved structural systems for bridges that incorporate new materials or new combinations of materials, (2) strategies for enabling a more effective bridge design process, and (3) bridge aesthetics. Professor Gauvreau maintains an active independent consulting practice, providing bridge engineering services to clients such as major engineering firms, provincial highway authorities, and law firms.
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