Boston – The American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) has named Arup as a winner of its 2020 Silver Engineering Excellence Award for work on Northeastern University’s new pedestrian bridge in Boston.
Arup provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and geotechnical engineering; and facade and lighting consulting to Payette for the design of this new pedestrian bridge.
Spanning five MBTA/Amtrak rail lines, Northeastern University’s new pedestrian bridge provides a link between two halves of campus, the interdisciplinary science and engineering complex, and the neighborhoods of Fenway and Roxbury.
The bridge’s curved, asymmetric form required careful engineering design and is realized through two parapet barriers that flank the structure. These barriers lean 10 degrees outwards and use overlapping panels of solid specialty steel plate, which mask railroad infrastructure and direct views outwards and upwards.
The specialty steel’s corrosion resistance means the bridge will not require repeated painting, resulting in lower operational expenses and few disruptions in rail service.
