Structural design and aesthetics of infrastructures in natural and artificial environments

Infrastructure projects are characterized by large territorial extension and can be really intrusive elements in both natural and man-made existing environment with a significant impact on several factors, ncluding landscape. With particular reference to linear infrastructures (roads and railways), physical and safety restraints lead to the presence of several overpassing structures, bridges and viaducts, for which the structural design is fundamental in the definition of the element aesthetics and cannot be studied separately. The interaction with the existing environment is analyzed according to Visual Impact approach not only for out-standing elements but also, and in particular, for the so-called “everyday” viaducts for which the visual quality if often neglected and substituted by mere building cost analysis. An attempt is made to identify some basic principles that could be taken into account in design in order to achieve a better integration between different disciplines and approaches for good quality projects.