ABSTRACT
The section of Glais Bridge shows an example of non-participating bracing referred to in Choice 8 above. The configuration of the bracing and the cut-away shapes of the stiffeners allow the very skew deck to flex transversely without inducing unacceptable fatigue stresses in the connections*
COMMENTARY
With all this choice designers are now free to explore a very wide range
of solutions in their search for efficient and economic configurations. Most designers write the code requirements into a computer to help with the many trials required to evaluate each choice. However, with such a large number of choices and because of the interaction between the various trials it is not possible to explore more than a few of the options within the time and money allocated to a particular design commission. Individual designers will require a succession of similar commissions if they are to realise the full potential of the code. There is at present
an active market in alternative designs in the UK and designs which fall short of this goal are often discarded at the tender stage. In the short term engineers will need to specialise if they are to be competitive in the design of steel bridges. In the longer term it is to be hoped that interested organisations will publish guides which can bass on the collective experience gained from the use of the code. At present the profession is in a learning phase while the many avenues are being explored.
