do you have a favorite kind of bridge?
I really enjoy old style steel ironwork bridges. Built when materials where becoming more advanced, designs where getting fancy. They have a vibe that makes me wonder the detailed planning that went into designing them with just paper and a brilliant mind. The old style "well the best way for these train tracks to go is a bridge right here" bridges placed boldly but in function with the spaces it in are the best.
Compared to what we have now where software can, given a rather small set of parameters generate designs best suited for different design constraints ( cost, material, built time, impact to the environment, impact to surrounding users). For modern bridges (last 50 years) I feel particular to the cable stay type bridges. They merit the statement "feats of engineering" but they are at odds with the world around them.
