Interesting Bridges for the Engineer in All of Us

Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 7:56 PM
    Kintaikyo,  Iwakuni,  Japan

      

The original  Kintai Bridge was built in 1673 but  collapsed due to flooding.  The rebuilt bridge survived for more than 200 years until a typhoon  destroyed it in 1950.  The bridge that stands now over the Nishiki River has five wooden arches  displaying an incredible amount of detail and craftsmanship.  Interesting fact: no nails or bolts have been used to build the arches, only clamps  and wires.
   
 

        Juscelino  Kubitschek Bridge , Brasilia,  Brazil
     
T
he JK Bridge in Brasilia is a lesson in elegant bridge design.  The three huge diagonal arches over the deck of the bridge give the structure an amazing visual fluidity.
 
 

    
      Rolling Bridge, London, UK
       
    Thomas Heatherwick's award-winning rolling bridge is an ingenious addition to the grand union canal system in London and is unique.  Unlike  regular movable canal bridges, the rolling bridge curls up to form an octagon by way of hydraulic jacks to let ships pass.
 
 

    
      Beipanjiang  River Railroad Bridge, Guizhou, China
     

      Beipanjiang River Railroad Bridge in Guizhou is an enormous railway bridge that was built as part of the 'Guizhou-Shuibai Railway Project'.  Connecting two mountains over a deep ravine, at its highest point the bridge's deck sits 918 feet above the  ground.  The bridge connects two of the country's poorest areas.

    
      Henderson Waves, Southern Ridges, Singapore 
      
    'Henderson Waves' is Singapore's highest pedestrian bridge and is at the 'Southern Ridges,' a beautiful 9 km (six  miles) stretch of gardens and parks.  The deck of  the bridge is made from thousands of Balau wood slats,  perfectly cut and arranged, and along the length of the deck a snaking, undulating shell forms sheltered seating areas on every upward curve..
 

 
Pont Gustave Flaubert, Rouen, France
    
This incredible vertical lift bridge is in Rouen, France, whose spans weigh 1,200 tons each but can be hoisted 180 ft vertically in an impressive 12 minutes.   The angular lift structures at the top of each tower weigh 450 tons each.  The huge vertical lift allows even the largest cruise liners to sail through.
 
 

    
      Hegigio Gorge Pipeline Bridge, Southern Highlands Province,  Papua New Guinea
    
 
    This bridge supports two pipelines; one gas, the other oil, across the extremely deep gap in 

   Papua New Guinea.  If this were to be officially recognized as a vehicular or pedestrian bridge it 
   
would rocket to the top of the 'world's highest bridge-span' with the pipelines at an impressive 
   
height of 1,290 ft above the bottom of the gorge.  By comparison, the current highest  bridge span  
   
belongs to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, hanging a mere 1,053 ft  above ground level. 
 

Posted via email from How Heather Sees it

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