As one looks across a gap in between two land masses, a thought of how one could cross comes to mind. When one thinks of this, a bridge comes to mind. Although they might now know what kind, a suspension bridge is the first idea. They picture something like the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most recognizable structures in all of the world. Although suspension bridges now span over miles, they had very humble beginnings. The evolution and expansion of suspension bridges is a topic worthy of this very essay. Before understanding the evolution of suspension bridges, one must understand what a suspension bridge is. Suspension bridges are structures that span across a body of water or a ravine. A walkway or road that runs the full …show more content…
Some say the first suspension bridges were built during the Inca Empire, but others say they were built in Tibet. Both bridges were very crude and unstable. According to historians, a Tibetan Monk, Thangtong Gyalpo, built suspension bridges all throughout Tibet in the 15th century. He used iron chains as the main cables and strands of yak fur for the vertical cables. Only small amounts of weight could be on at once and it was greatly unstable during high winds. Although they were made of rudimentary materials and littered with design flaws, one of his bridges survived up until; 2004. This goes to show how solid suspension bridges are through the …show more content…
The Brooklyn Bridge, which connects Manhattan to Brooklyn, was completed in 1883. It unified the two boroughs and New York. The design of the bridge and materials used were revolutionary. The steel cables were the first ones ever to be used, This allowed the bridge to hold more weight, add to the distance, and to be cheaper. The large granite towers stand out amongst the river and help share the load with the anchors. This Brooklyn Bridge, which still stands today and carries millions of New Yorkers, became the example for suspensions around America and the
It perceives the crossing of the Brazos River. [In 2008, the first pieces of the “Branding the Brazos” sculptors made their debut Next to the bridge. The towering Chisholm Trail sculptures, crafted by Robert Summers, include An oversized, bronze trail boss driving longhorns on their way to crossing the Brazos.] (waco-texas.com) Use to when livestock had to be taken to market they had to rely on the ferry which was Dangerous and it took a lot of time to get the livestock across. But they built a suspension bridge. This bridge was open to the public in 1870. And it is older than the Brooklyn Bridge. [The Waco Suspension Bridge is a 475-foot structure that crosses the Brazos River in downtown Waco. At the time that it was built it was one of the longest single-span suspension bridges in the World. The bridge served vehicle traffic until 1971, at which time it became reserved for pedestrians and special events. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970
In the small town of Waco, Texas who would have thought it was once well known for the structure of a bridge, the Waco Suspension Bridge to be exact. Up until 1870, the Brazos River was just a simple river that had no special meaning to it. The land around it was empty, occasionally you would find cattlemen pushing their cattle across stream, but that was only because you could not find one bridge that spanned the eight hundred miles of river flowing through Central Texas. This caused a serious transportation issue for merchants and travelers. It became clear that a better means of crossing the river was necessary.
In the middle of nowhere, in that vast expanse of trees, lies The Bridge. Nobody knows it as any other name. It stretches across the Dead River, just sitting there waiting for someone new to find it. At one time it was driven over constantly, a way of travel for the inhabitants who are crazy enough to live out there. But now it is just there, a giant chunk of metal, rusting away into nothing. Occasionally it is used for things like fishing, or as a
Suspension bridges usually experience torsional forces during very windy conditions where there are high wind speeds, this can create a twisting force causing the deck to rotate resulting in the bridge experiencing shear stress. (Bagga
Initially, suspension bridges before 1940 were made of piers, towers, wires, anchorages, and roadways. Piers were the main foundation for the suspension bridges. There usually were two of them, which were made out of cement and were entrenched in ground underneath the body of water that the bridge was spanned across. Towers were built on top of the piers to provide a means of connection for the roadways and wires. Wires were connected to the towers, roadways, and anchorages to provide tension support for the weight of the bridge. The anchorages were large cement platforms that were planted into the ground on either side of the land so that the wires could be connected to it. Lastly, the roadways were the main point of the suspension bridge. They usually were wide enough to provide four lanes of traffic and stretched from one side of the bridge to the other. This was the basic design of the suspension bridges
Exactly what DUI Law firm in addition to Exactly what Does He or she Carry out?
The final primary component of a suspension bridge is the deck, or the roadway upon which cars drive and pedestrians walk. The deck is built from massive pieces of steel-reinforced concrete hoisted into the air and laid into place upon the bridge. Deck pieces are connected with bolts and rivets, then suspension cables connect each section of deck to the main
The Clifton Suspension Bridge is located in Bristol England, and spans the beautiful Avon gorge. This bridge has become the symbol of Bristol much like the Eiffel tower has of Paris, and the Opera house has of Sydney. The story of the Clifton Suspension Bridge began in 1754 with the dream of a Bristol wine merchant who donated his life savings to build a bridge over the gorge. To decide on a suitable design for the bridge a competition was held. Thomas Telford, the leading civil architect of the time was the judge. Mr. Telford attempted to submit his own design; however the decision to declare himself the winner was overruled and a second competition was held. This time, contrary to the recommendation of
After the discovery centre the next stop was the Brilliant Suspension Bridge in Castlegar. The bridge is located just upstream of the merge of columbia and kootenay river. After exploring the bridge, Mentor. Jonny Colehill gave some history on the bridge, when it was built, why it was built and some geography of the area.
However, there is a great deal of history involved in this bridge that most people do not realize include those who have lived in this city their whole lives. This iconic bridge has been open for over 125 years providing “a safe and scenic passage to millions of commuters and tourists” over the East River in New York City (History.com). Building this bridge took a great amount of effort and money. The construction of this magnificent landmark “took about 14 years, involved 600 workers (at least two dozen of whom lost their lives during the process), and cost $15 million dollars” at the time (History.com). When completed the Brooklyn Bridge became known as not only the “longest suspension bridge in the world spanning 1,600 feet from tower to tower,” but also “tallest structure in the Western hemisphere” (History.com).
It is shaped in a way to transfer weight to the towers and anchors with its tension (O'Connor, 1971, p. 372). Cables are made of high strength wires spirally bound to form a rope (O'Connor, 1971, p. 372). Vertical cable suspenders that are fastened to the main cables hang the actual roadway. Stiffening girders and trusses are along the side of the bridge to distribute concentrated loads and help to keep the motion of the bridge at a minimum (Troitsky, 1994, p115).
Bridges also contributed to the expansion of many cities. The link between Brooklyn and Manhattan was possible because of the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. It was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time. All of this technology in
Building a bridge over water is difficult, but building a bridge made of water is nearly impossible. Just over a century ago, a massive water way was constructed in the country that is now called Panama. This canal dramatically reduced shipping time and helped America’s Navy ships move swiftly from sea to sea. The Panama Canal is a spectacular feat in engineering that connects two oceans through fifty miles of land boosting worldwide economy, especially in the shipping industry.
A bridge has always had a leading role at this point. A bridge with contradictory personality. Bridges are made to connect two pieces of land, while the bridge in our history, was separating as boundary two
A bridge is a structure providing path over an obstacle. When constructing a bridge, obstacle can be a river, railway track or a valley and the path provided by bridge can be for a road, pedestrians, a railway, pipelines, viaducts to carry water from rich areas to dry cities, or for commercial purpose to host commercial buildings such as restaurants and shops. A bridge can also be laid to reduce the distance of travel which in turn reduces the time to reach the destination.