Finnish Fins: a novel approach to short-span bridges by the use of stiffening fins

Using wood as building material has long tradition in many countries, and it is deeply rooted in Finnish culture. The city of Kouvola (Finland) is about to realize a high quality, recreational route for pedestrians and cyclists. In order to improve the functional connections and the recreational activities on the Kymi riverfront approximately a dozen of wooden bridges in a variety of spans in the range of 6 to 10 m, but with the aim to create a "family" of bridges sharing common design aspects. This paper presents an approach for one of the above-mentioned, bridges, where fin-like stiffeners are utilized for stiffening the deck, as form-defining elements for the planar or elastically bent and therefore arched deck, or for other functions destinated to pedestrians as railings, seats, etc. Numerical investigations have been carried out in order to analyze the influence of different parameter on the structural behavior of the bridge, in order to obtain alternatives, different from a classic simple supported deck, that combines aesthetics, sustainability and ease of construction.