Japanese Manual for the Aesthetic Design of Bridges

The Japan Society of Civil Engineers first published Manual for the Aesthetic Design of Bridges in 1982, and Volume 2 was published some 11 years later, in 1993. The primary intention of this paper is to introduce this second volume. More specifically, the background and events leading to its publication (and that of the preceding Volume 1) are discussed, as well as the manual’s approach to introducing the aesthetic aspects of bridge design to those involved in their construction. A range of keywords was sought in an attempt to establish conventions in bridge form. Further, the concept of continuity, the main theme of the manual, is introduced, together with a discussion of the advantages and limitations of this single-theme approach. It is shown how this one theme captures the essential elements of “good form,” “organized form,” and “unified form” and how it can be applied to both physical continuity and conceptual continuity. Continuity is also presented as embodying three aspects: connection, continuity, and recurrence. In conclusion, it is proposed that the achievement of continuity is a fundamental concept in aesthetic bridge design.