Integral footbridge over the Foron river: a solution in weathering steel to minimize maintenance in a natural environment

This paper describes the conceptual design process by a team of architects and engineers leading to the design of a pedestrian bridge over the Foron River on the Swiss-French border. The project is part of a restoration plan developed by the Office Cantonal de l'Eau of the Geneva Canton and the Syndicat Mixte d'Aménagement de l'Arve et de ses Affluents. At the project site, recent floods have highlighted the precariousness of the spaces surrounding the river near its confluence with the Arve. In response to this problem, the restoration project aims to widen the riverbed and raise the level of the paths on both banks. This case study is presented as an example of integrating considerations of the surrounding landscape, critical site conditions and structural performance to design a footbridge that is well integrated and efficiently responds to the need for a pedestrian connection between the two banks of the new park in a natural environment.