The structure, weighing 7.5 tons, mainly consists of this architect's favorite material - cardboard tubes with a diameter of 11.5 cm, with a wall thickness of 1.19 cm. 281 of them were required for the bridge.
It will connect the river bank with an island in the middle of its channel, a favorite bathing place for locals and tourists. The bridge is located just half a kilometer from the famous Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard, which served as a source of inspiration for the architect. In its outlines, the cardboard structure resembles the arch of the lower tier of this antique monument.
The base for the bridge is wooden boxes filled with sand, and the steps are made of plastic and recycled paper. According to Ban, the choice of materials is due to their cheapness and widespread availability, as well as environmental friendliness.
The bridge was built by French and Japanese students. At the end of the work, they checked the strength of the structure using water cylinders with a total weight of 1.5 tons. As it was laid down in the project, the bridge can easily carry up to 20 people. It will stand in the open air until mid-September, when the rainy season begins in this region of France, but next year it is planned to re-install the "paper bridge" in the same place.
