TYLin Bridge Expert: Chongqing’s Terrain Makes It Ideal for Cutting-Edge Engineering

Chongqing - Recently, in an exclusive interview with Bridging News, Marwan Nader, Technical Director at U.S.-based TYLin International's Bridge Practice, said Chongqing's steep, river-cut terrain makes it an ideal laboratory for the next generation of bridges. 

In his view, the city's topography offers opportunities to experiment with new ways to cross rivers and valleys and to test innovative designs.

Nader explained that Chongqing is located in a medium-to-low seismic hazard zone, where magnitude-4 to 5 earthquakes typically do not govern structural design. Even so, global engineering practice increasingly favors enhanced seismic detailing to ensure that structures remain elastic under extreme loads.

For Chongqing, he noted, the more significant risks stem from slope stability and landslides—hazards amplified by the city’s steep terrain and dense urban layout. He pointed to San Francisco’s leaning Millennium Tower as a cautionary example of how uneven settlement and groundwater shifts can affect clusters of high-rise buildings, challenges that are relevant to megacities built on constrained terrain.

According to the Chongqing Digital Urban Management Center, nearly 100 sensors installed on each structure collect real-time data on stress, deflection, temperature, and displacement, amounting to more than 100,000 data points per bridge per day. When anomalies arise, the system issues alerts, enabling engineers to analyze structural behavior, forecast long-term performance, and plan maintenance with greater precision.

Beyond structural engineering, Nader emphasized the broader urban-planning tools that shape how residents navigate a dense metropolis. As in many European and U.S. cities, he argued, strengthening public transit and reducing car dependence in congested districts will be essential. He suggested that Chongqing consider limited car-free zones and adopt AI-driven simulations to model pedestrian and traffic flows, helping refine planning decisions and optimize existing infrastructure.

He spoke shortly after addressing the 8th International Forum of Sustainable Landscape City Development in Chongqing on November 21, where Chinese and international experts discussed urban renewal, resilient cities, and how a mountainous metropolis can manage complex risks while sustaining growth.

TYLin is an internationally renowned designer of transportation infrastructure. The company established its China branch in Chongqing in 1994 and has since designed numerous bridges in Chongqing and across the country.