News & Insights

Kimley-Horn Structural Experts Explore Wind Load Criteria

Gavin Good and Aaron Gordon Examine the Code Requirements for Pedestrian Bridges

Pedestrians walking across the UCSD pedestrian bridge leading to UCSD campus
Gavin Good, PE

Gavin Good, PE

Structural Engineer

Aaron Gordon, PE

Aaron Gordon, PE

Structural Engineer

As public and private developers invest in alternative modes of transportation, pedestrian and multi-use bridges are becoming increasingly popular. While pedestrian bridges share some features with bridges designed for vehicles, these structures require special attention to vibration, lateral load capacity, and other design components.

In an article published in STRUCTURE magazine, Gavin Good, PE, and Aaron Gordon, PE, detail the challenges engineers face when establishing wind load requirements for a pedestrian bridge. Particular challenges include cross-referencing a variety of specifications and analysis methods to generate loads on the structure. This can result in overly conservative approaches to wind loading, yielding much higher construction costs for pedestrian and multi-use bridges.

About the Experts

Gavin Good, PE

Gavin Good, PE

Gavin is an experienced structural engineer who is driven by his passion for planning and designing bridge projects. He has delivered numerous bridge projects throughout the country and has experience with various bridge types including stream crossings, pedestrian/multiuse trails, interchange reconstruction, and freight rail. Gavin is well-versed in design practices and policies and has been involved in multiple aspects of a project including concept development, constructability and interdisciplinary review, and hydraulic coordination.

Aaron Gordon, PE

Aaron Gordon, PE

Aaron is a professional engineer focusing on the design and construction of public infrastructure projects. His past projects include a wide array of pedestrian bridges and rails-to-trails projects in addition to vehicular bridges, transit projects, and water/wastewater systems. He has experience working with a variety of clients including local municipalities, water districts, DOTs, public authorities, and non-profit organizations across the country.

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