From model to reality - a case study on the timber bridge of Baden (CH)

Abstract

In 1810, a bridge over the river Limmat was built in the Swiss town of baden by Blasius Balteschwiler, one of the most successful bridge builders of the period. It replaces a bridge dating from 1650, which had been one of the widest spanning bridges of the time. The original appearance of both bridges is known through contemporary models and drawings. Not only do the models themselves represent an important evidence for construction history, but show the early use of a "rod polygon" structure in a bridge. A drawing of the bridge of Baden can also be found in the collection of Swiss bridges in John Soane's Museum. Here, however, there are some inconsistencies that need to be investigated.