ABSTRACT
The network arch bridge is a material efficient bridge design developed in Norway that typically halves the steel use of a standard bridge arch. The environmental benefits of such a design are obvious, but with some design tweaking and smarter material choices, it should be possible to reduce emissions further. A network arch bridge design using glulam is an example of a bridge that applies sustainable wood-based products as a replacement for some of the high polluting steel. This study develops a glulam network arch design and compares the design with a steel arch to determine the environmental benefits by using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The basis for this study is the 120 m long motorway bridge, the Oppstadåa Bridge, located in Norway. Results of the study show that a glulam arch is a possible solution from structural point of view and in addition it has the potential to reduce CO2-emissions by 20% compared to a standard network arch bridge even if the cross-sections are relevantly larger compared to the conventional steel solution.
