Completed in 1850 Brittania Bridge was the brainchild of Robert Stephenson and at the time was at the cutting edge of civil engineering, with all aspects of construction being on an unprecedented scale. Construction began in 1846 and was completed by 1850, it was intended that the bridge carry the Chester and Holyhead railway across the Menai Strait. Brittania Bridge had to be a tubular bridge to meet the criteria set by the board of admiralty, that the span of the bridge should be at least 100ft above the Menai Straits at all points. This was the first of many issues met and overcome during the conception and construction of the bridge.
The proposed route for the railway line was originally surveyed in 1838 by George Stephenson, however it was intended that the route use the existing Menai Suspension bridge to cross the Menai Strait (Robbins, 1981). The rail carriages would be pulled across the bridge by horses; Robert Stephenson didn’t feel this was adequate and proposed that a new bridge should be built instead. It is now widely accepted that under the increased loading on the Menai suspension bridge would have collapsed (Beckett, 1984). In 1845 Robert Stephenson managed to convince parliament that the project was feasible, although at this point no in-depth analysis had been conducted. This analysis fell to William Fairbairn; he expressed the opinion that the tubular structure could be constructed in such a way that they could not only support their own weight but also a uniformly distributed load of 20,000 kn. This high load capacity was due to the revolutionary design, with cellular flanges on the top and bottom of the tubes, resisting compressional failure (Beckett, 1984). Fairbairn also proposed that a catenary form of c...
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... been preserved on the Caernarvon side of the bridge, the lasting legacy of such a magnificent feat of Victorian engineering.
Works Cited
BECKETT, D. 1984. Stephensons' Britain, Newton Abbot, Devon ; North Pomfret, Vt, David & Charles.
BREESE, G. 2001. The bridges of Wales, Llanrwst, Wales, Gwasg Carrech Gwalch.
ROBBINS, M. 1981. George & Robert Stephenson, London, H.M.S.O.
Patrick Robertson, Menai Heritage Experience — History of the Britannia Bridge. Available at: http://www.prosiectmenai.co.uk/bbhistory.php [Accessed October 28, 2011].
Warren Kovach, Menai Strait Bridges. Menai Strait Bridges. Available at: http://www.anglesey-history.co.uk/places/bridges/ [Accessed October 25, 2011].
Patrick Robertson, Menai Heritage Experience — History of the Britannia Bridge. Available at: http://www.prosiectmenai.co.uk/bbhistory.php [Accessed October 28, 2011].
...ncyclopedia of Archaeology, Ed. Deborah M. Pearsall. Vol. 3. Oxford, United Kingdom: Academic Press, 2008. p1896-1905. New Britain: Elsevier, Inc.
In a moment of self reflexivity Ondaatje reveals part of his own experience with history through Patrick. “The articles and Illustrations he found in the Riverdale Library depicted every detail about the soil, the wood, the weight of the concrete, everything but information on those who actually built the bridge.” (Ondaatje 145) This statement is strikingly similar to comments made by Michael Ondaatje in an interview regarding his novel. “…I can tell you exactly how many buckets of sand were used, because this is Toronto history, but the people who actually built the goddamn bridge were unspoken of. They’re unhistorical!”(qtd. In Sarris 186) Powerful scenes thr...
Bering Land Bridge- during it’s time of existence the bridge was a major factor in migration from Asia to North America; made travel easier because it was on land instead of having to travel by boat
The concept for the Holland Tunnel was developed in 1906.1 In 1906, a coalition of the New York State and New Jersey Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commission began studies for a bridge connecting lower Manhattan to Jersey City, New Jersey.2 By the end of World War I (1918), the number of cars and trucks on U.S. roads had skyrocketed. This trend did not differ in the streets of New York City.3 At this time the Hudson River ferries were carrying about 30 million vehicles each year (24,000 vehicles a day3) from New York to New Jersey. This had become a major problem for commuters and a solution was needed.2
According to Suspension bridges: Concepts and various innovative techniques of structural evaluation, “During the past 200 years, suspension bridges have been at the forefront in all aspects of structural engineering” (“Suspension”). This statement shows that suspension bridges have been used for over 200 years, and that people are still using them today because they are structurally better bridges. This paper shows four arguments on the advantages of suspension bridges, and why you should use one when building a bridge. When deciding on building a suspension bridge, it has many advantages such as; its lightness, ability to span over a long distance, easy construction, cost effective, easy to maintain, less risk
"Queen Elizabeth I and Richmond." Richmond.gov.uk. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, 3 Aug. 2009. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
Though there was over 350 miles of railway laid throughout England in 1801, there was no commercially viable railway implemented before the 1830's. Some rails were still made of wood, others iron and the first trains traveled at the pace of 3.5 miles per hour, significantly slower than the horse drawn coach which traveled at a speed of 9-10 miles per hour. According to Jack Simmons in his book, The Railway in England and Wales, 1840-1914, the Manchester-Liverpool line is notable to mention because it did three things no other railway to date had: 1) all traction was mechanical for the first time; 2) the Company carried both passengers and freight; and 3) the linkage of two commercial towns was exceptional. The concept that a man could leave his town to conduct business in another town and be back in his own home the same day was unheard of. People found this aspect of the railway very enticing. Simmons writes, "There was no doubt at the time about the...
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is perhaps the most notorious failure in the world of engineering. It collapsed on November 7, 1940 just months after its opening on July 1, 1940. It was designed by Leon Moisseiff and at its time it was the third largest suspension bridge in the world with a center span of over half a mile long. The bridge was very narrow and sleek giving it a look of grace, but this design made it very flexible in the wind. Nicknamed the "Galloping Gertie," because of its undulating behavior, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge drew the attention of motorists seeking a cheap thrill. Drivers felt that they were driving on a roller coaster, as they would disappear from sight in the trough of the wave. On the last day of the bridge's existence it gave fair warning that its destruction was eminent. Not only did it oscillate up and down, but twisted side to side in a cork screw motion. After hours of this violent motion with wind speeds reaching forty and fifty miles per hour, the bridge collapsed. With such a catastrophic failure, many people ask why such an apparently well thought out plan could have failed so badly?(This rhetorical question clearly sets up a position of inquiry-which iniates all research.) The reason for the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is still controversial, but three theories reveal the basis of an engineering explanation. (Jason then directly asserts what he found to be a possible answer to his question.)
The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, or ‘Pearl Bridge’, is built across the Akashi Strait in west-central Japan. This massive structure connects the city of Kōbe- situated on the main island of Honshu- to Iwaya on Awaji Island. The project began in May, 1988, and was opened to the public in April, 1998- almost a decade following the beginning of construction.
The Central Artery Tunnel Project, more commonly known as the Big Dig, is said to be the largest, most complex and technologically challenging highway project in American history. It is the culmination of decades of planning and forethought and is hoped to alleviate the traffic congestion that has plagued the Boston area since the invention of the automobile. The project incorporates a major underground highway system, a revolutionary cable-stayed bridge, and a series of impressive tunnel crossings, each a considerable feat on their own, all constructed in the midst of a bustling city.
...P, “The Ulster Museum: An Appreciation”, Perspective, Vol. 16, Issue no. 4, July/Aug 2007, pg.30
Summerson, John. The Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood; a short account of its history and architecture. London: English Heritage, Iveah Bequest, Kenwood. 1951.
In 1910, the bridge underwent its first major overhaul, with the design of a pedestrian walkway, atop the main road. Following this major modification, the years after, were filled with stories and new articles of incidents and special feats on the Tower Bridge. In 1912, Frank Maclean flew a plane through the center of the bascules. 1952 saw a pedestrian bus jump over the bascules during a rising of the bridge. In 1977, the bridge went through a large refurbishment, being repainted in an array of colors. 1982 found Tower Bridge being a tourist destination for many, with the opening of its exhibition center, and in 2007, the bridge celebrated with its Silver Jubilee. And perhaps, the most famous of all, Tower Bridge became a landmark, during Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and a symbol of London during the 2012 Summer
Have you ever thought about how many bridges are there in the world? I did and I researched everything about the bridges. Let’s get this question first of all. There are six hundred thousand bridges in the United States if we consider all bridges small or big. This number is valid for only United States that means there are so many bridges we can’t even count. However even we have counted them they are built new ones and destroyed old ones day by day so the number will change eventually. It was researched the information about some of famous bridges which are known most by people.
In her essay,”Importance of the Golden Gate Bridge,” Stephanie Stiavetti suggest that “It maintained this point of pride for nearly 25 years until the Verrazano- Narrows Bridge was built in New York in 1964. Today, this historic San Francisco landmark holds its place as the second largest suspension bridge in the country, behind Verrazano Narrows.” Back then, experts thought that it would be impossible to build a bridge across the tides and currents in that area because strong currents and tides would make construction extremely difficult and dangerous. The water is over 500 feet deep in the center of the channel, and along with the area's strong winds and thick fog, the idea of building a bridge there seemed nearly impossible. Despite all of the problems of building a bridge across the Golden Gate, Joseph Strauss was named as lead engineer for the project. Construction began January 5, 1933, and in the end cost more than $35 million to