Evolution of Bridges and Bridge Design Practice in

Different Countries

Nirjhar Dhang Department of Civil Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur August, 2014

Gardon River Bridge, 13 BC, Aqueduct 49 m high

Pont du Diable (Ceret) Stone Arch Bridge Ceret, France, 1341

Suspension Bridge Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

4200 ft long main suspension span

Oresund Bridge

Oresund Bridge Between Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmo, Sweden

Oresund Bridge 2000

The high bridge has the longest cable-stayed main span in the world for both road and rail traffic. Longest span : 490 m Total length : 7845 m Width : 23.5 m Clearance below : 57 m

Millau Viaduct : World’s tallest bridge

The Millau Viaduct Paris - Barcelona

Under construction is the highest bridge in the world. This bridge will be part of the A75 to link Paris with Barcelona.

This suspension bridge has a total length of 2.5 km and crosses the Tarn

River. It is 343 meters high, a world record. The road, with two lanes on each

side, will cross the river at 270 meters above ground. At its highest point, the

viaduct is even higher than the Eiffel Tower. Conceived by Norman Foster, this

suspension bridge is supported by seven pylons, instead of the two that are

common for this kind of construction.

The total cost of the project is around 310 million euros (AUD $525 million).

Translated from Portuguese by Mark Harrison, Adelaide

It is formally inaugurated in December 2004, just 39 months after work began.

This is the only rotational boat transporter in the world. It has two arms and each arm forms a kind of huge tub filled with water. Boats enter the tub, then the tub locks up and the huge arm starts rotating .

lower canal

Entrance to lower canal

A Boat is approaching the “tub”

There are boats in both “tubs” upper and lower

35 m

Rotation is starting

Boats in both rotating arms

rotation

Otáčení...

Just before “landing”

Closing the gate , regulation of level of water and “tubs” rotation Takes 15 min. only.

One “tub” 78ft. Long with water and boat weights about 300 tons.

The “tubs” are filled according the Archimedes’ Law. So the weight of “tubs” are balanced. To open the upper and lower lock and turn the whole system by 180◦ they need an engine of 22.5 kW which only use 1.5 kWh

India

Jubilee Bridge Rail Bridge, West Bengal, India, 1887

Vivekanada Setu, Kolkata, 1932

Rabindra Setu, Howrah Bridge, Kolkata, 1943

Godavari Bridge, Kovur-Rajamundry, Road cum Rail Bridge, 1974

Vidyasagar Setu Second Hooghly Bridge

Total length of 823 m span, Kolkata, 1992

Nivedita Bridge, Kolkata, 2007

3D View

Acknowledgement Photographs are taken from different web sites/sources These are used for academic purpose only