Incredibles bridges all around the world - Gallery

My previous thread about this subject was trashed due to excessive quote (Apologies BTW!), so I post it again here, in a shorter version.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The World's 18 Strangest Bridges


1- Rolling Bridge

Background:
UK-based design firm Heatherwick Studio created this 39-foot timber and steel bridge in 2004 to act as a walkway over a small section of London's Grand Union Canal.

Why It's Innovative:
A hydraulic system built into the bridge's handrail allows it to retract and curl into an octagon. The retractable design allows for boats to cruise through the canal unobstructed, and the bridge rolls up every Friday at noon.
Donald MacDonald, an architect with more than 40 years of experience who has worked on over a dozen bridges, tells PM that, "this bridge represents an experimental gesture, and it's really complicated for what it does."

2- The Neal Bridge

Background:
Habib J. Dagher and colleagues from the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composite Center completed this small road bridge in November 2008.

Why It's Innovative:
While at first glance this bridge appears to have a straightforward design, the Neal Bridge is unique because it is supported by a series of 23 arches made from fiber-reinforced plastics that are filled with concrete. "There's been really no new bridge material since high-strength steel and high-strength concrete came in, which was 40 or 50 years ago," MacDonald says. And though the price of composite materials is high, proponents argue that there are significant savings on shipping, construction and long-term maintenance that offset the initial investment.

The 16 other bridges can be seen here: source.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

My last post and personal contribution was about the "Pont du Gard" aqueduct bridge which was built in South France by the Romant, in the first century AD.



Credits: Bartmertens, Flickr's user

Why It was innovative:
The structure has a height of 49 m; it is composed of three superimposed rows of arches, becoming narrower with each. The first level is 6.3m wide, 21.8m high and 142m long; it consists of 6 big arches. The third level, 3m wide, links the two edges of the plateau over a length of 275 m. Its 35 arches support the water channel.
It was built largely without the use of mortar and clamps. It contains roughlyd 50000 tons of stone with a volume of some 20000 m³
The biggest stone blocks weigh close to 6 tons. They come from surrounding quarries of which some are still in activity .

The rolling bridge is really cool!
Wonder what would happen if someone would get caught while its rolling

reply to post by elevenaugust


This was earlier posted on ATS www.abovetopsecret.com... but now its 404