Opening The Windows Of Curiosity Sponsored by Types of bridges Spec Ad-NIE World Of Wonder 2019 SupportingTotal Ed length: Top 6,016 ft. (1, 834 m) There are seven basic types Exploring the realms of history, science, nature and technology Height: 272 ft. (83 m) of bridges: girder, truss, arch, Width: 85 ft. (26 m) cantilever, suspension, cable- Span: 1596 ft. (486 m) stayed and movable. Girder bridges are made of beams that rest on abutments or piers. BRIDGESThe first bridges were probably made of vines or logs that spanned small streams or rivers. Today, bridges are modern marvels that merge form, function, engineering, architecture and design. Truss bridges use a network Looking back of support frames. This type of The first bridges were formed bridge is often built over can- by natural events such as a Originally known as the yons and rivers. tree falling over a river. Humans New York and Brooklyn Bridge or the East River Bridge, it was officially quickly learned to fell trees and renamed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915. place them over short spans. Simple constructions of cut wooden logs or planks laid over a simple support of stones were The Brooklyn Bridge (1883) spans the East River in New York. It was designed by The arch bridge is one of the then developed. John A. Roebling of Trenton, New Jersey, and was the largest suspension bridge in oldest types and was popular in ancient Rome. A revolution in bridge construc- the world until 1931, when the George Washington Bridge was built. tion came with the ancient Ro- mans, who introduced the arch and used cement (made from volcanic rock and lime) to build bridges and aqueducts. The Inca civilization of the 16th Cantilever bridges have two century built rope suspension beams that reach from either bridges. Alcántara Bridge, A.D. 104-106, Spain Chapel Bridge side of an embankment, joined Many European bridges built be- Spanning the Tagus River, the Alcán- 1333, Lucerne, Switzerland in the middle by a girder or tween the 12th and 16th centuries truss. also had houses built on them. tara Bridge is a masterpiece of ancient This covered bridge burned in 1993 and Rome. Total length: 596 ft. (181.6 m) was rebuilt. Total length: 670 ft. (204 m) The first iron bridge opened in 1779. It crosses the River Severn in Shropshire, England. Parts of a bridge Suspension bridges hang the Abutment roadway from steel cables sup- The main support at either end ported by towers. These bridges of a bridge, and the sides that can span great distances, some support an arch, are called Pont Neuf, 1578-1606, Paris, France Rialto Bridge, 1591, Venice, Italy more than 4,000 feet (210 m). abutments. Pont Neuf translates as New Bridge. This pontoon bridge crosses the Grand Arch It spans the River Seine and is the Canal and replaced older wooden An arch is a curved structure oldest bridge in Paris. bridges at this location. that spans an open space. Total length: 761 ft. (232 m) Longest span : 104.3 ft. (31.80 m) Bent A bent is a crosswise structural Cable-stayed bridges are simi- element used to construct a lar to the suspension bridge. trestle, a key support element They both hang the roadway in many bridges. from cables and towers, but the Coffer dam cable-stayed bridge attaches A coffer dam is a boxlike tem- the cables directly to the towers. porary dam used to create foundations under water. John A. Roebling Suspension Tower Bridge, 1894, London, England Deck Bridge, 1866, Cincinnati, Ohio This combination bascule and sus- The deck is the bridge's surface. Originally called the Cincinnati- pension drawbridge crosses the River Foundation Covington Bridge, it spans the Ohio Thames and is a popular tourist attrac- Movable bridges allow the The foundation connects the River. Main Span: 1,057 ft. (322 m) tion. Total length : 801 ft. (244 m) roadway to be moved entirely or structure to the ground. partially in order to allow boats Girder and ships to pass through. A girder is the main horizontal There are three kinds of move- support beam on a bridge. able bridge: bascule, vertical lift and swing. The bascule bridge Piers tilts upward to open. The verti- The piers support the bridge cal bridge raises the roadway from underneath. between two towers. The swing Piles Sydney Harbor Bridge, 1932, Australia Howrah Bridge, 1943, Calcutta, India bridge moves on an axle and Piles are shafts extending deep This bridge took eight years to build and This is one of the busiest cantilever pivots sideways. into the ground around the piers is the world’s largest (but not longest) bridges in the world. It spans the Hooghly to increase stability. steel arch bridge. Total length: 3,770 ft. River. Longest span: 1,500 ft. (457.2 m) Span (1,149 m) A span is a section of bridge SOURCES: World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc.; The World Almanac for Kids; http://www.bridgesdb.com; http://www.historyofbridges.com; between two piers. https://www.americanbridge.net; https://www.popularmechanics.com Chat with the author and like us on Facebook — www.facebook.com/worldofwonder2014 © 2020 Triefeldt Studios, Inc. 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