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Bridge

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Engineering

   A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine.
   Enlarge
   A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine.

   A bridge is a structure built to span a gorge, valley, road, railroad
   track, river, body of water, or any other physical obstacle. Designs
   may be built higher than otherwise needed in order to allow other
   traffic (particularly ship traffic) beneath.

   The purpose of a bridge is to allow people or cargo easy passage over
   an obstacle by providing a route that would otherwise be uneven or
   impossible.

History

   The Roman Bridge of Sertã was actually built during the Philippine
   Dynasty (1580-1640).
   Enlarge
   The Roman Bridge of Sertã was actually built during the Philippine
   Dynasty (1580-1640).

   The first bridges were spans made of wooden logs or planks and
   eventually stones, using a simple support and crossbeam arrangement.

   The arch was first used by the Roman Empire for bridges and aqueducts,
   some of which still stand today. The Romans also used cement, which
   reduced the variation of strength found in natural stone. Brick and
   mortar bridges were built after the Roman era, as the technology for
   cement was lost then later rediscovered.

   Rope bridges, a simple type of suspension bridge, were used by the Inca
   civilization in the Andes mountains of South America, just prior to
   European colonization in the 1500s.

   During the 18th century there were many innovations in the design of
   timber bridges by Hans Ulrich, Johannes Grubenmann, and others. The
   first engineering book on building bridges was written by Hubert
   Gautier in 1716.

   With the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, truss systems of
   wrought iron were developed for larger bridges, but iron did not have
   the tensile strength to support large loads. With the advent of steel,
   which has a high tensile strength, much larger bridges were built, many
   using the ideas of Gustave Eiffel.

Etymology

   The Oxford English Dictionary traces the origin of the word bridge to
   an Old English word brycg, of the same meaning, derived from a
   hypothetical Proto-Germanic root brugjō. There are cognates in other
   Germanic languages (for instance Brücke in German, brug in Dutch or bro
   in Danish and Swedish).

   The word for the Pope, pontiff, comes from the Latin word pontifex
   meaning "bridge builder".

Types of bridges

   The Golden Gate Bridge, a suspension bridge, connects the city of San
   Francisco with the south-facing Marin County. The bridge carries 6
   lanes of traffic, pedestrians, and bicycles.
   Enlarge
   The Golden Gate Bridge, a suspension bridge, connects the city of San
   Francisco with the south-facing Marin County. The bridge carries 6
   lanes of traffic, pedestrians, and bicycles.

   There are four main types of bridges: beam bridges, cantilever bridges,
   arch bridges and suspension bridges.

By use

   A bridge is designed for trains, pedestrian or road traffic, a pipeline
   or waterway for water transport or barge traffic. In some cases there
   may be restrictions in use. For example, it may be a bridge carrying a
   highway and forbidden for pedestrians and bicycles, or a pedestrian
   bridge, possibly also for bicycles.

   An aqueduct is a bridge that carries water, resembling a viaduct, which
   is a bridge that connects points of equal height.

Decorative and ceremonial bridges

   To create a beautiful image, some bridges are built much taller than
   necessary. This type, often found in east-asian style gardens, is
   called a Moon bridge, evoking a rising full moon.

   Other garden bridges may cross only a dry bed of stream washed pebbles,
   intended only to convey an impression of a stream.

   Often in palaces a bridge will be built over an artificial waterway as
   symbolic of a passage to an important place or state of mind. A set of
   five bridges cross a sinuous waterway in an important courtyard of the
   Forbidden City in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. The central
   bridge was reserved exclusively for the use of the Emperor, Empress,
   and their attendants.

Index to types of bridges

                                 Arch bridge

                               Bascule bridge

                                 Beam bridge

   Brunnel Truss bridge or lenticular truss

                              Box girder bridge

                               Burr Arch Truss

                             Cable-stayed bridge

                              Cantilever bridge

                     Cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge

                               Clapper bridge

                   Compression arch suspended-deck bridge

                         Rolling, or curling bridge

                                 Drawbridge

                              Extradosed bridge

                               Floating bridge

                               Folding bridge

                                Girder bridge

                               Lattice bridge

                                 Lift bridge

                                 Log bridge

                             Plate girder bridge

                               Pontoon bridge

                             Retractable bridge
                               (Thrust bridge)

                              Segmental bridge

                       Self-anchored suspension bridge

                        Side-spar cable-stayed bridge

                          Simple suspension bridge

                              Step-stone bridge

                           Stressed ribbon bridge

                             Submersible bridge

                              Suspension bridge

                                Swing bridge

                                Table bridge

                              Tied arch bridge
                             (Bowstring bridge)

                                 Tilt bridge

                             Transporter bridge

                                   Trestle

                              Truss arch bridge

                                Truss bridge

                               Tubular bridge

                              Vierendeel bridge

                               Zig-zag bridge

Index to bridge related topics

                      Armoured vehicle-launched bridge

                                  Aqueduct

                                Bailey bridge

                    Balsa wood bridge breaking under load

                               Bridge of boats

                               Bridges in art

                                   Caisson

                               Covered bridge

                              Inca rope bridge

                                   Jetway

                            Medium Girder Bridge

                                 Moon bridge

                                 Toll bridge

                                Water bridge

                                Weigh bridge

                                   Viaduct

Bridge structural and evolutionary taxonomy

   A bridge taxonomy showing evolutionary relationships
   Enlarge
   A bridge taxonomy showing evolutionary relationships

   Bridges may be classified by how the four forces of tension,
   compression, bending and shear are distributed through their structure.
   Most bridges will employ all of the principle forces to some degree,
   but only a few will predominate. The separation of forces may be quite
   clear. In a suspension or cable-stayed span, the elements in tension
   are distinct in shape and placement. In other cases the forces may be
   distributed among a large number of members, as in a truss, or not
   clearly discernible to a casual observer as in a box beam. Bridges can
   also be classified by their lineage, which is shown as the vertical
   axis on the diagram to the right.

Efficiency

   Charles Bridge in Prague
   Enlarge
   Charles Bridge in Prague

   A bridge's structural efficiency may be considered to be the ratio of
   load carried to bridge weight, given a specific set of material types.
   In one common challenge students are divided into groups and given a
   quantity of wood sticks, a distance to span, and glue, and then asked
   to construct a bridge that will be tested to destruction by the
   progressive addition of load at the centre of the span. The bridge
   taking the greatest load is by this test the most structurally
   efficient. A more refined measure for this exercise is to weigh the
   completed bridge rather than measure against a fixed quantity of
   materials provided and determine the multiple of this weight that the
   bridge can carry, a test that emphasizes economy of materials and
   efficient glue joints (see balsa wood bridge).

   A bridge's economic efficiency will be site and traffic dependent, the
   ratio of savings by having a bridge (instead of, for example, a ferry,
   or a longer road route) compared to its cost. The lifetime cost is
   composed of materials, labor, machinery, engineering, cost of money,
   insurance, maintenance, refurbishment, and ultimately, demolition and
   associated disposal, recycling, and reuse. Bridges employing only
   compression are relatively inefficient structurally, but may be highly
   cost efficient where suitable materials are available near the site and
   the cost of labor is low. For medium spans, trusses or box beams are
   usually most economical, while in some cases, the appearance of the
   bridge may be more important than its cost efficiency. The longest
   spans usually require suspension bridges.

Notable bridges

     * Albert Edward Bridge - England, large single span cast iron railway
       bridge similar to Victoria Bridge
     * Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge - Japan, suspension bridge with the longest
       section span of 1.9 km.
     * Bosphorus Bridge - Turkey, connects Asia and Europe
     * Brooklyn Bridge - connecting the New York City boroughs of
       Manhattan and Brooklyn.
     * Charles Bridge - Czech Republic, famous 14th century bridge in
       Prague
     * Chicago Skyway - USA, a 7.8-mile toll bridge bypassing much of the
       southwest of Chicago
     * Confederation Bridge - Canada, world's longest bridge over waters
       that freeze.
     * Forth Railway Bridge - Scotland, one of the most famous cantilever
       bridges in the world.
     * Golden Gate Bridge - USA, one of the most famous suspension bridges
       in the world.
     * Great Belt Fixed Link, Eastern Bridge - Denmark, second longest
       section span of 1.6 km
     * Hangzhou Bay Bridge - under construction, scheduled to be completed
       in 2008. A cable-stayed bridge across Hangzhou Bay, China. It will
       be the second-longest bridge in the world and the longest
       trans-oceanic bridge
     * Hercilio Luz Bridge - Florianopolis, Brazil, longest Brazilian
       suspension bridge, one of the 100 largest suspension bridges of the
       world and one of the oldest hanging bridges in the world.
     * The Iron Bridge - England, the world's first iron bridge.
     * Jamuna Bridge- Bangladesh, longest rail-road bridge in south asia ,
       2nd longest in world.
     * Lake Pontchartrain Causeway - USA, spanning Lake Pontchartrain in
       south Louisiana, it is the longest bridge in the world at 23.87
       miles (38.41 km).
     * Lupu Bridge- the People's Republic of China, longest single steel
       arch.
     * Mackinac Bridge - USA, Opened to traffic in 1957, connecting the
       two peninsulas of Michigan; held the title of the world's longest
       two tower suspension bridge between anchorages until the 1990s.
     * Mahatma Gandhi Setu - India, the longest river bridge in the world.
     * Menai Suspension Bridge - Wales, first road suspension bridge in
       the world.
     * Millau Viaduct - France, the tallest vehicular bridge in the world.
     * Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge - USA, a rare example of a segmented
       precast concrete arch bridge, and the first to be built in the US.
     * Øresundbroen/Öresundsbron - Denmark - Sweden - Built year 2000.
       Connects Sweden with Denmark and Northern Europe with Europe
     * Overtoun Bridge, - Scotland, dogs have leaped to their deaths from
       this bridge, leading to urban legends.
     * Palace Bridge - St Petersburg, Russia, one of iconic images of the
       city
     * Penang Bridge - Malaysia, longest bridge in Southeast Asia.
     * Penobscot Narrows Bridge - USA, first bridge in the Western
       Hemisphere with an observatory,first bridge to use a nitrogen gas
       enclosed around each cable stay.
     * Québec Bridge - Canada, largest cantilever bridge in the world.
     * Rio-Antirio bridge - Greece, the longest cable-stayed bridge in the
       world.
     * Rio-Niterói Bridge - Brazil, highest central span in the world.
     * San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge - USA, especially for seismic
       retrofit and eastern span replacement.
     * Sundial Bridge - USA, a dramatic single cantilever spar cable
       stayed span for pedestrians.
     * Sunshine Skyway Bridge - USA, longest cable-stayed concrete bridge
       in the world. Replaced a cantilever truss structure which partially
       collapsed in 1980 as a result of collision by a freighter.
     * Sydney Harbour Bridge - Australia, arguably the best-known
       suspended-deck compression arch bridge, also the world's widest
       long span bridge (according to Guinness World Records).
     * Tacoma Narrows Bridge - USA, famous for its collapse due to
       aerodynamic effects.
     * Tatara Bridge - Japan, largest span cable-stayed bridge.
     * Tower Bridge - London, England, and a symbol of this city.
     * Trajan's bridge - Romania, ancient Roman bridge over the river
       Danube, only fragments visible.
     * Tsing Ma Bridge - Hong Kong, the world's longest rail & road
       suspension bridge
     * Tyne Bridge - England, one of Northern England's most iconic
       structures.
     * Vasco da Gama Bridge - Portugal, the longest bridge in Europe at
       17.2 km.
     * Verrazano-Narrows Bridge - USA - longest suspension bridge in USA.
     * Victoria Bridge - England large single span cast iron railway
       bridge similar to Albert Edward Bridge
     * Victoria Falls Bridge - linking Zimbabwe to Zambia, built in 1905
       as part of the projected Cape-Cairo railway.
     * Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge - USA, built during Boston's Big Dig, the
       widest cable-stayed bridge.

Special Installations

   Some bridges carry special installations such as the tower of Nový Most
   bridge in Bratislava which carries a restaurant. On other suspension
   bridge towers transmission antennas are installed.

   A bridge can carry overhead powerlines as the Storstrøm Bridge.

Catastrophic collapses

   Bridge Town Country Date Construction type, use of bridge Reason Number
   death/injuries Damage Remarks
   Stirling Bridge Stirling Scotland September 1297 Beam and trestle over
   the River Forth Overload by attackers during the Battle of Stirling
   Bridge Unknown, attacking forces defeated Bridge rendered unusable
   Collapse may have been assisted by defending forces.
   Bridge of Angers (France) Angers France April 16, 1850 Suspension
   bridge over Maine River Resonance of soldiers led to collapse 226/?
   Bridge total damage Marching columns now break step when crossing
   bridges.
   Yarmouth Bridge Great Yarmouth England May 2 1845 Suspension People had
   crowded onto the bridge to see a circus clown go down the river in a
   barrel pulled by geese. The weight of people shifted as the barrel
   passed underneath, the suspension chains on the south side snapped and
   the bridge deck tipped over. 79 people drowned, mainly children.
   Suspension chains snapped due to overload.
   Tay Rail Bridge Dundee Scotland December 28, 1879 Continuous girder
   bridge, steel framework on cast iron columns, railway bridge
   Insufficient consideration of the wind load, inadequate construction,
   collapsed because of the stresses caused by a storm 75/0 Bridge
   unusable, piers partly reused, train heavily damaged Locomotive was
   saved from the Tay and was still in use 19 years later known as "The
   Diver".
   Québec Bridge Quebec Canada August 29, 1907 Cantilever bridge, steel
   framework, railway bridge Collapsed during construction 74/11 Bridge
   completely destroyed
   Theodor-Heuss-Rhine River Bridge Ludwigshafen Germany March 1940 Bridge
   of concrete, Motorway bridge Collapsed during construction  ?/? Bridge
   totally destroyed Resulted in delay in completion of the motorway
   crossing of the Rhine until 1953
   Tacoma Narrows Bridge Tacoma, WA USA November 7, 1940 Road bridge,
   cable suspension with plate girder deck Aerodynamically poor form
   resulted in resonance No Bridge partially destroyed, one car lost, and
   one dog killed Became known as "Galloping Gertie", in the first 4
   months after opening up until its collapse under a previously unseen
   resonant mode. Since that time all new bridges have been modelled in
   wind tunnels.
   The bridge at Remagen Remagen Germany March 17, 1945 Truss railroad and
   pedestrian bridge Collapse due to previous battle damage incurred March
   7th, 1945 28 U.S. soldiers Total destruction Capture of intact bridge
   offered significant short term tactical advantage to Allied forces.
   Collapse was not strategically significant due to placement of parallel
   floating bridges during the previous week
   Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash Wealdstone England October 8, 1952
   Pedestrian footbridge Struck by train(s) during accident 112 dead 340
   injured Total destruction It is not recorded how many casualties were
   due to the bridge collapse
   Tangiwai railway bridge Tangiwai New Zealand December 24, 1953 Railway
   bridge Damaged by lahar minutes before passenger train passed over it.
   134/151 Bridge destroyed
   General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge Maracaibo Venezuela April 6, 1964 Road
   bridge Ship collision 7 2 section collapsed Currently in Operation
   Silver Bridge USA 15 December 1967 Road bridge, chain link suspension
   Material fault and Corrosion 46/9 Bridge and 37 vehicles destroyed
   West Gate Bridge Melbourne Australia October 15, 1970 Road Bridge
   Collapse during construction 35 112 metre span between piers 10 and 11
   collapsed Section sprung back and collapse during attempts to remove a
   buckle cause by a difference in camber of 4.5 inches
   South Bridge Koblenz Koblenz Germany 10 November 1971 Road bridge
   Bridge bent into Rhine 13/? Bridge completely destroyed
   Reichsbrücke Vienna Austria August 1, 1976 Road bridge with Tram Column
   fractured 1/0 Bridge, one bus and a lorry destroyed, ships damaged
   Concrete of the column had never been examined, was internally totally
   destroyed; " higher force"
   Tasman Bridge Hobart Tasmania, Australia January 5, 1975 Bridge of
   concrete, Motorway bridge Ore freighter Lake Illawarra collided with
   pylons. Section of bridge collapsed onto frieghter. Four cars fell into
   the river. 7 ship crewman and 5 motorists killed 2 pylons and three
   sections of bridge collapsed, ore freighter sank, 5 cars fell into
   river City of Hobart was split in two. Residents living in the east
   were forced to make a 50km trip to the CBD via the next bridge up
   north. Bridge was reconstructed and reopened on October 8, 1977
   Almö Bridge Stenungsund Sweden January 18, 1980 Bridge with bow built
   of concrete Ship collision 8/? Bridge and several cars destroyed
   Sunshine Skyway Bridge USA 1980 Steel Cantilever Bridge Ship collision
   35/? 1200 ft. of southbound span, several cars and a bus destroyed
   Demolished and replaced with cable-stayed bridge
   Aschaffenburg Main River Freeway Bridge Aschaffenburg Germany 1988
   Bridge of Motorway A 3 over River Main Error in construction 1/0 Bridge
   total damage Partial collapse at Repetitive sliding
   Bridge over railway line at Eschede Eschede Germany June 3, 1998 Road
   bridge Train disaster 101/105   Destruction by train crashing on
   pillar, killed and injured people were train passengers
   Loncomilla Bridge near San Javier Chile November 18, 2004 Concrete
   bridge for vehicle traffice over Maule River The structure was not
   build on rock, but rather on fluvial ground. 0/8 Partial collapse
   Bridge was later repaired
   Motorway bridge at Almuñecar, Province of Granada, Spain (search
   correct name of bridge) Almuñecar Spain November 7, 2005 Motorway
   bridge Construction, accident, reason unknown 6/3   A 60 metre long
   part fell 50 metre deep
   Viaducto No.1 Caracas - La Guaira motorway Tacagua, Venezuela Tacagua
   Venezuela January 8, 2006 Motorway bridge Various factors 0/0 Bridge
   rendered unusable Demolished, it will be replaced with a new one
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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