Zwijnaardebrug
Zwijnaardebrug
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Architectural firm ZJA saw my Sweco model depicting two of their brainchildren: the bicycle bridge in Tessenderlo and the Zwijnaarde Bridge in Ghent. This prompted the question: could I create a more accurate model that the ZJA team could build themselves? What a fantastic challenge!
Length: 1.92 m
Pieces: 6,278
Note: LEGO itself only released six models with more pieces at the time the bridge was completed. The final model is one and a half times larger than LEGO's largest set!
Certainly one of the more challenging structures I've ever designed. The size, the structure, and above all, the curve made this a fantastic challenge. The computer also struggled, as you can see at the bottom of this page with the rails, which remain rigidly straight on screen.
The goal was to create a model in line with the models architectural firms are used to. Here you see the ZJA scale model of the bicycle bridge in Tessenderlo, as also shown in the Sweco build, but here the challenge was the other bridge: the Zwijnaarde Bridge in Ghent.
The bridge is curved in a subtle way that LEGO doesn't seem to be intended for. The central question was how to properly display the curve on a minifig-scale bridge. Several prototypes were created on screen using the computer program Stud.IO before the first building tests with real LEGO followed.
The bridge consists largely of nodes and beams. The beams on the outside of the bridge are slightly longer than the inside, creating the subtle curvature. Six beams meet at each node. Ultimately, physics also works in LEGO: if you pick up the model with one hand at the center, the entire bridge remains rigid thanks to its triangular structure.
A dark red balcony hangs along the long side, with a bike path on it. The bike path, therefore, has a larger radius than the outer edge of the bridge. It's easy to imagine that the square-based LEGO is difficult to bend. Each suspension structure for the bike path is therefore different from the last.
The top is under construction, and the bottom is finished as an interim version.
Note: this project could only be a success with the considerable effort of Egon, who tested the model for sturdiness and the instructions for clarity. Along the way, we discovered that the model needed numerous modifications to be successful.
The construction of the bridge
To ensure the bridge remains mobile, it is built on a sturdy wooden board with integrated anchor points.
Blockboard, cut to size and fitted with four recesses on one side to secure mounting plates, and rubber studs on the other side to prevent scratches.
Then the plates are secured in exactly the right place with screws and glue, so that the bridge can be built on the plank according to the building instructions.
In reality, the bridge stands on triangular concrete piers with a leg pointing upward at each corner. The geometry itself is a challenge—see the prototype shown here; the final version is based on flextube with 15,712 tile clips—but these piers also have to bear a weight. Fortunately, they don't do this alone, as a significant portion of the forces rest on the concrete piers (see below). The two piers also serve as the locations for the display signs with model information (supplied by Brick-Print). One side provides information about the real bridge, and the other side provides information about the LEGO model.
The bridge ends rest on sturdy concrete abutments on both sides. These immovable piers, just like in real life, keep the bridge in place and balanced. The slope at the top aligns with the slanted support beams of the bike path/balcony. The concrete bridge ends are also fixed to the plank.
All parts, sorted by type and color-coded by phase, are stored in a beautiful box. Along with an anonymous outer box and the board, protected from scratches in its plastic wrap, the package is ready for delivery!
Renders of the bridge
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