Bridges-Project

media type="youtube" key="kldzRM-7e2s" height="315" width="420" __Bridges __

Bridges are structures designed to link two places separated by a barrier, like body of water, valleys, roads, or any obstacle that could obstruct the free transit between two places. The purpose of any bridge is to provide a path over the obstacle and allow the transit despite of it.

__Types of bridges __


 * Beam bridges: are the simplest ones. The beam doesn't have to be any particular shape. The design is as simple horizontal beam supported by piers or abutments, therefore their structural name of “simply supported”. The first beam bridges, were simple fallen trees logs that casually links two sides of a terrain and the people started to use it as a pathway, then people realize how useful was that kind of links and, since it, people started to study and develop new ways to transit all over the world no matter the obstacles, and thanks to this is that it managed to reach the level of technology we have today.

Beam bridges usually do not exceed 76 meters long, but technology has come so far and can now be seen as really long beam bridges like Lake Pontchartrain causeway in southern Louisiana, United States, with its 38.35 km long, the longest one.


 * Arch Bridges, the most ancient arch bridges were made by the Greeks like the famous Arkadico Bridge. An arch bridge is basically a beam bridge curve with abutments on both sides that prevent it to get straightened as the key stone is pushed downward by the loads the bridge has to support and it is trust into the abutments at either sides. The longest arch bridges is planned to be finish on 2012, it will be locates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and it will have 1.6 kilometers length. This bridge will link the localities of Al Jaddaf and Bur Dubai.


 * Suspension Bridges: the first suspension bridges were built with ropes and vines with peaces of bamboo or any rigid organic material. The suspension bridge is the one that presents the road deck suspended in air by cables usually made of steel, with no support in the center of the span. In modern bridges, the cables that support the road are connected to towers that are attached to caissons or cofferdams, and these ones are implanted into the floor. The longest suspension bridge in the world is the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in japan with its 3, 911 kilometers.

I have chosen Alamillo Bridge, is an cable-stayed bridge(suspension technology) located in Sevilla, Spain. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava, an Spanish Architect born in Valencia that also has studies on Civil Engineering, he has made a great group of design and construction in spain and all around the world and he is famous because he is always inspiring from organic forms.

Alamillo Bridge was planned to be done in 1992 for the Expo ’92 Sevilla, and the purpose of this bridge is to span the Canal de Alfonso XIII, allowing access to La Cartuja an island between the canal and the Guadalquivir river

The design consists in a single pylon, counterbalancing a 200 m span with thirteen cables holding the road deck. The original intent was to build two symmetrical bridges on either side of the island, but in the end, the Alamillo's singular design has proved most striking.

This bridge is made almost totally of steel and it has 250 meters long crossing the Guadalquivir river. This bridge is not only an inspiring form, or an element that ornaments the city but an amazing effort on structures and engineering. There is some photos of this beautiful and rare bridge.