Characterization

Abstract

Looking at the history of bridgebuilding as part of architectural history, we see that today’s comparatively distinct and unquestioned differentiation between footbridges and other types of bridge came about slowly at first, and by no means constantly. The history of footbridges is linked to that of bridgebuilding in general — sometimes more so, sometimes less — and this is one of the aspects that make it so interesting to study the footbridge on its own, as a type of bridge in its own right. In order to define the characteristics of the footbridge, which of course has a longer history than the road bridge, we need to look at when its typology began to differ from that of large-scale bridges. This occurred towards the end of the 18th century, when Enlightenment thought, science, early industrialization and the increasing importance of the economy stimulated rapid technological and social change, together with a growth in mobility and traffic. In the 19th century, advances in transport technology began to exert a fundamental influence on bridgebuilding, with ever-higher standards required for road and rail. These new, high-performance modes of transport made fresh demands on bridge construction, in response to which a specially qualified expert in bridgebuilding appeared on the scene — the structural engineer — whose profession quickly acquired a coherent profile.