Not many pedestrian footbridges provide access to island piers, and give serious plane-spotting opportunities to passengers while maintaining the operational status quo of an airport and its airlines. The new air bridge at London Gatwick Airport does all these things. Its large span, the dynamism and fluidity of its interior space and the subtle curves of the envelope are the trademarks of this unique air bridge.
This paper discusses the characteristics, the unique construction/efficiencies/ and the dynamic performance of this large span steel footbridge.
Stephanos Samaras, DEng, MSc, DIC, CEng, MIStructE
Arup
Neil Carstairs, MA, CEng, MICE, MIHT
Arup
Daniel Powell, MA, MSc, CEng, MIMechE
Arup