Christian Menn

Sunniberg Bridge northwest view

Sunniberg Bridge south view

Ganter Bridge

Rhine bridge Tamins

Cresta forest bridge

Mesocco bridges

Christian Menn (born March 3, 1927 in Meiringen, Canton of Bern) is a bridge designer from Switzerland. He owned his own Engineering Company in Chur, Switzerland from 1957-1971. From 1971 until his retirement in 1992 he became a professor of Structural Engineering at ETH Zurich specializing in Bridge design. In his retirement years, he continues to be a consulting engineer in private practice.

Bridge design

Menn’s bridges had to be designed for the times. "Structural Analysis found itself at the time in the transition from descriptive graphical analysis to abstract analytical statics." (Menn, 2002) Menn worked very closely with Professor Pierre Lardy during the beginning of his career. Together, Menn and Lardy emphasized the design of structures based on aesthetics and economy. Menn believed that economy, serviceability and safety of the bridge would revolve around aesthetics. Menn stated that an engineer achieves safety and serviceability by understanding the underlying scientific principles. Also, that economy and elegance are achieved through nonscientific ideas. Meaning the engineer depends entirely on his creativity. Menn described his bridges with abstract designs. This allowed Menn the ability to analyze the bridges and find stresses and distribution forces within the bridge. This was the basis for his design work. By this method, Menn was able to put schematic calculations on the bridges, which could eventually be used in computer applications.

Education and practical training

Professional organizations

Christian Menn is a member of the Swiss Society of Civil Engineers (SIA), the Swiss Trade Group for Bridge and Building Engineering, International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), Swiss Code-Committee for Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Structures, and the ETH research committee.

Awards

Christian Menn has been awarded with the 2009 IABSE International Award of Merit. The Sunniberg Bridge has won the 2001 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award.

Swiss tourism

The important role that tourism plays on the country’s economy has an impact on the types of bridges that are to be constructed. When choosing a bridge design, Swiss leaders place the aesthetic characteristics of a bridge higher than a country that is less tourism driven. This need for visually appealing bridges afforded bridge designer Christian Menn with a great opportunity. Christian Menn’s bridges are very visually pleasing. His use of pre-stressed concrete and the implementation of cable-stayed bridge decks give his designs great aesthetic appeal.

References

• Billingtion, David P. "The Art of Structural Design a Swiss Legacy", 1st ed. Vol. 1. Princeton New Jersey: Princeton University Art Museum, 2003. 164-201.
• Fynn, Larry. (1997). "An Engineer and His Bridges" Roads & Bridges, Vol. 35, Issue 11, p41
• Bernstein, Fred. (2001). "Designer Quashes A Boston Bridge Party", New York Times. Aug 9, 2001. F5.
• Menn, Christan. (1990). Prestressed Concrete Bridges. Birkhauser Verlag, Basel, Switzerland.

External links

• Christian Menn, Consulting Engineer, CH-7000 Chur
• Christian Menn information at Structurae
• Sunniberg Bridge at Structurae
• Ganter Bridge at Structurae

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Name	Menn, Christian
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Date of birth	March 3, 1927
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