Talk:Bridge/Archive 1

Art list

Perhaps one could add a list at the end of the article, containing references on works of art (songs, literature, paintings) featuring bridges or using a bridge metaphor. --Korpo 04:07, May 26, 2003

Okay, I put my item at the end, as a start for such a list. - Patrick 12:31 26 May 2003 (UTC)

Note that there is already a bridges in art article. - Leonard G. 01:02, 31 July 2005 (UTC)

Viaducts

There are many viaducts which do have have anything remotely like an arch. "Viaduct" is simply engineering techspeak for an elevated roadway. 18.24.0.120 04:20, 4 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Plate Girder Bridge

Is it possible to get a better explanation of a "plate girder bridge"? I can't really figure out what it means. --Golbez 02:46, Oct 16, 2004 (UTC)

There are two pictures of plate girder bridges in the article - one of a railway overpass with roadbed atop, and a large, long tresle, using the plate girder segments. I extensively added to the text, please review and comment. Thanks, Leonard G. 03:27, 27 Oct 2004 (UTC)

World's Widest Bridge

It says the longest, but what's the widest? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Irishrichy (talk • contribs) 05:19, July 27, 2005

Once widest in the world and still widest in North America, the Main Street Bridge in Lockport, above the Niagara Escarpment Locks on the Erie Canal. Google Map —Preceding unsigned comment added by Leonard G. (talk • contribs) 08:57, July 30, 2005

The article on the Sydney Harbour Bridge cites it as the widest long-span bridge in the world. IntrigueBlue 10:43, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

Further bridge types to include??

Retractable bridge

Ultunabron in Uppsala, Sweden, is a retractable bridge over a river. It slides/rolls back when opening for boats. Should such type not be included on the Bridge (type) page? -- Klaus with K 17:37, 2 August 2005 (UTC)

Absolutely. This should have an image, of course, but feel free to write an article using the appropriate missing image icon (I made some variants for the index and the taxobox, see zig-zag bridge. This will need a thumbnail alpha sorted into the index, and a taxobox (use the template BridgeTypePix). Ancestor would probably be cantilever bridge, sibling swing bridge. Add also to the movable bridge article (this is just an index). BTW, I have used your contributed image in Masonry (it is a nice example of dry-set stonework), and I also think that it makes a perfect introductory image for this bridge article - it is simple, foundational, and obvious. (Opinions may differ, but I have seen no complaints so far.) - Leonard G. 19:30, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

Usual problem-lack of time...but I found time to upload two photos of Ultunabron and written a stub for retractable bridge. Is there a reason to have both Mov(e)able bridge? I have just suggested to merge these two pages as it looks like duplication to me (both spellings are correct).

The moveable bridge is a directory to the various types of bridges that move to give clearance to traffic. Note that this does not include the bailey bridge which is a transportable bridge. I redirected movable bridge to moveable bridge

Regarding the masonry use, I could go back to the original photo, crop it and only then resize it. How much more useful would that be? -- Klaus with K 19:48, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

A nice image of the dry set stonework would be appreciated. Thanks, Leonard G. 20:05, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

like this? -- Klaus with K 20:56, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

Now in the masonry article - Leonard

Submersible bridge

Here I do not mean a bridge disappearing underwater when the water level rises. Such do exist. I rather think of the opposite of a lift bridge, with the bridge beam actively lowered into the water to give way to ships. Two such submersible or submerging bridges exist across the Channel of Korinth (Corinth Canal), one at each end, in Isthmia and Korinth. -- Klaus with K 17:32, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

Could you write this up too? See note above. Question: Is this a floating (pontoon) bridge when in use, does it have some kind of underwater support system that is collapsed, or is it actually as described, a variation of the lift bridge? Leonard G. 19:50, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

I found [[1]], click on the two small images at the bottom of the page, you can see one with the bridge up, one down. Leonard G. 20:21, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

Googling for "submerging bridge" finding http://www.flickr.com/photos/aspasia/page2/ photos are better, he writes they are public, but I am not sure that this means he has them released into Public Domain. "submersible bridge" mostly finds rigid structures -- Klaus with K 20:36, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

I sent this flikr member a message requesting the images and clarification of the license. I've got some other (non WP) things to do and will check back this evening (6 to 8 hrs from now). Leonard G. 20:48, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

Photographer is agreeable, I will prepare and upload from images that will be sent to me. Leonard G. 00:01, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

Now in submersible bridge, images need only minor additional work (licence<-license), (credit<-attribution} which I will prepare from my photoshop version. Can we find any other examples for a list in the article? User:Leonard G. 19:27, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

Natural Bridge

Just wondering: Image:Natural bridge aruba.jpeg •Zhatt• 23:27, August 4, 2005 (UTC)

I don't think so IMHO, but it would be appropriate for a wiki link from the article. (It would mess up the taxonomy as it would have to go at the top, of course having preceded all others, but would not fit in proper structural relation to the human-made bridges.) Leonard G. 00:04, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

History

arch article has different history:

"Arches were used by the Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek and Assyrian civilizations for underground structures such as drains and vaults, but the ancient Romans were the first to use them widely above ground."

— Omegatron 14:24, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

I suppose there is a matter of interpretation here. A tunnel can be hollowed out and "accidentally" end up arch-shaped. That is, it is made highest in the center for the heads of the people walking down the tunnel, and flat on the bottom, and their shoulders must fit through, but beyond this a general rounded shape would be the easiest to carve out. Whether they realized that this arch shape could support more weight is debatable. If they did, why wouldn't they have used the same structure above ground ? StuRat 15:33, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Request for bridge type identification

Can someone tell me - what sort of bridge is the Tasman Bridge? Concrete arch? More pics here. -- Chuq 10:18, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

I am going to guess that the middle section is a steel haunched cantilever girder. A closer photo is needed. Meggar 05:18, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Well, I found a site with pictures during construction, if that's any help? [2] -- Chuq 07:09, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

It looks like a multiple span cantilever bridge to me, as well. StuRat 16:46, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Causeway

My understanding is a causeway is generally NOT considered a bridge. Indeed, the only reference to bridge in the causeway article is some stuff in the US and the only reference to causeway in this article is about one of those causeways mentioned in the causeway article. If I am correct, them IMHO this clarification needs to be made in both articles. We also need to remove conflicting info. For example, we need to ascertain if the Lake whatever causeway is a causeway or a bridge. It looks to me like a causeway. If so and I'm correct about causeway =/ bridge, by definition it CANNOT be the longest bridge and should be removed from here (well unless you think Mount Everest is the highest building in the world). If I'm correct about causeway =/ bridge but the Lake whatever causeway is in fact a bridge it should be removed from the causeway article. Nil Einne 04:28, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

A quick search suggests the Lake whatever causeway is in fact a bridge (and if I'm correct, not a causeway) Nil Einne 04:34, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Wikiproject Bridges

Wikiproject Bridges has made a return. Right now there is not much to it, it could use more members. Please stop by and lend a hand. Thanks, Cacophony 08:49, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

External links

The page this "Bridge Building — Art and Science" originally pointed to is missing. I repointed it, but the new link is a bit of a collection of links and not content. this link is not terribly illustrative: How the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge will be built. Anyone want to keep it..--Paul E. Ester 15:13, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

Removed --Paul E. Ester 18:39, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Useful Image

An image I uploaded a while ago, might be useful to the article, Also I can retake with different perspectives, focus on certain details just drop a note. Gnangarra 06:54, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

This looks like a trestle. A set of structural details and overviews could enhace that article. Thanks, Leonard G. 03:33, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Lattice girders

Re: the image for the link to a related topic, lattice girders, that's ([3]) a picture of what I'd call a 'laced strut' rather than a lattice girder - it's a member acting primarily to carry axial load (i.e. a strut, or a tie), not bending (i.e. a beam, or a girder). To me, a lattice girder is the sort of thing shown in the foreground of [4]. Perhaps this is an issue of pedantic terminology, I'll consult a reference standard when I get a moment during the week. -- Kvetner 21:28, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

I've now updated the lattice girder article with corrections. -- Kvetner 13:49, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Novelty bridge

File:Alkaff Bridge 2, Nov 05.jpg

What type of bridge structure is this?

Regarding the image on the right (Alkaff Bridge) it would seem to be a very unusual self-anchored suspension bridge. The deck near midspan sits on crossbeams which in turn rest on the downward curved members - these members are the suspension cables in essence. In a normal self-anchored suspension bridge, the cables pass over towers and then back down to deck level, with the tension force in the cables balanced by a compression force in the deck. Here, the compression force is instead carried by the upper of the tubular members. The verticals seem to serve several functions - they make the main members act as a Vierendeel truss, which will improve overall stiffness and robustness; they brace the tension members by helping to hold them in their inclined plane (along with crossbeams); and they help to prevent the upper compression member from buckling. Any other opinions? -- Kvetner 21:46, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

The Verendell part sounds right and it has a resemblance to a distorted Brunel truss, but I think of a self anchored suspension span as using cables and a central anchorage. I was hoping someone could come up with a formal type and reference. Even excluding the paint job it still appears as a novel or novelty bridge, such as the Milleneum Thames River Bridge and the Curling Bridge- Leonard G. 18:27, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps we should have an article dedicated to types of novelty bridges - one-of-a-kind designs like The Rolling Bridge and so on - with a small subsection devoted to each design and links to the bridge's specific article. Rare types like transporter bridges could be detailed too. —INTRIGUEBLUE (talk|contribs) 08:56, 22 December 2006 (UTC)