Constructing a shallow-arch, clear-span footbridge with natural materials in Banff National Park in Canada required finding solutions for a host of technical requirements, says Gerald Epp, president and chief engineer at British Columbia-based StructureCraft, the project contractor.
The Nancy Pauw Bridge crosses the Bow River in the Town of Banff, Alberta, now connecting the commercial district north of the river with pathways to the Cave and Basin National Historic Site and Banff Recreation Grounds south of the river, says Adrian Field, town director of engineering. Some 8,000 daily visitors can now cross the bridge in summer, and it potentially eliminates 3,000 vehicle crossings daily.