Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3Plan of Bridge

Donald MacDonald Architects provided design services for the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (east span). Working with the acclaimed New York bridge engineering firm of Weidlinger Associates, the team designed and conceptualized various modifications on a self-anchoring suspension bridge concept, originally selected by an Engineering Design Advisory Panel. The MacDonald/Weidlinger team also worked with the joint venture of T.Y. Lin Associates International /Moffat and Nichol to create a signature bridge for the San Francisco Bay.

The MacDonald/Weidlinger team won a limited design competition against the team of H₂L₂ Architects and T.Y. Lin's Seattle office. The H₂L₂ / T.Y. Lin team had designed a cable-stay bridge for the East Bay crossing. An Engineering Design Advisory Panel was selected by the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission to review and judge the competition through different stages of development.

After four presentations, the panel selected the MacDonald/Weidlinger self-anchoring suspension system. The selection was favored because this suspension system worked well with the family of the existing San Francisco Bay bridges. The aesthetics were superior and the seismic performance was excellent.

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The MacDonald/Weidlinger design team developed ten self-anchoring suspension conceptual bridge designs, different tower structures, cabling systems and deck profiles. These concepts were tested for structural integrity and aesthetics. Models, architectural renderings done by hand and computers, and structural analysis all played a part in the final winning design.

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Conceptual physical models are used to convey to the public, client and government agencies the bridge concepts and their relationship to the environment in which they will be placed. Many other features, such as renderings, material samples, montages and lighting effects, are also studied in the overall composition to create signature structures.