Students Complete Ethiopia Bridge Project

Last month, a team of 11 students, faculty mentor David Lovell and two professional engineers traveled to Addis Alem, Ethiopia, to implement a pedestrian bridge design. This project, the second completed in the community by the Clark School chapter of Engineers Without Borders, was the culmination of 12 months of student design work and consultation with professionals.

The pedestrian bridge, constructed using reinforced concrete, serves as a sustainable means for humans and livestock to cross a stream that passes the through the community. The bridge is a substitute for previously constructed bridges that were consistently damaged by yearly flooding. Students worked alongside community members during the construction process, which involved extensive material procurement, construction of masonry foundations and falsework to support the structure as it cured.

The team received financial and labor contributions from the municipality of Addis Alem, and has begun conversations about the next phase of the program.

Published February 8, 2012