JAPANESE ARCH BRIDGE DESIGN

The Paper reviews the historical and modern development of arch bridge design in Japan. Arches came into wide use with the introduction of steel into Japanese construction in the early 20th century. Following the study of advanced arch forms by leading engineers in the 1920s, various designs seeking to improve efficiency were introduced. Deck-stiffened arches were used widely after World War Two, particularly in the low-deck configuration. More recently, network arches have become popular, which normally have inwardly inclined rib planes for improved stability.