The Dodan Nallah Arch Bridge is located near Dharamsala in Himachal
Pradesh.Given the picturesque splendour of the surroundings, it became critically
important to ensure that bridge aesthetics received the utmost attention, so that the
structure would blend harmoniously with its scenic habitat.
The elimination of expansion joints and bearings from the design
and the decision to make all the structural elements monolithic" constituted an
engineering challenge. The solution crystallised as aesthetic arch of the "open spandrel"
type, that reflects economy and durability of materials, and a maintenance-free service life.
The paper describes, the design and construction features of the bridge,
the inputs of Architectural Engineering and some global information regarding Arch Bridges.
