How bridges are built around the world. The most beautiful pedestrian bridges in the world. Akashi Bridge in Japan

A modern bridge is not only an easy and quick way to get to the other side of a river, bay or sea, but also a real masterpiece of engineering and construction art. Here are the most famous, beautiful and longest bridges in the world.

If Arab sheikhs compete in building super-skyscrapers, then for China such “toys” are bridges. In any case, seven out of the ten most long bridges in the world were built in China.

But first, not about records, but about the most famous and beautiful bridges in the world.

Let's start the “tour”, perhaps, with a real legend.

1. Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, USA)

There is probably no person on earth who has not seen this bridge at least once in some movie - the Golden Gate in San Francisco, which was the largest suspension bridge in the world from 1937 to 1964. The length of the bridge is 1970 m. Its construction began on January 5, 1933 and took more than 4 years.

On May 27, 1937, at 6 a.m., the Golden Gate Bridge was opened, but only to pedestrians. For 12 hours the grandiose structure belonged only to them. And only the next day, at a signal from President Roosevelt, the first cars drove across the bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge is undoubtedly the most recognizable bridge in the world, but it also holds the sad record of having the highest number of suicides. Almost every month someone throws himself down towards his tragic choice.

2. Tower Bridge (London, UK)

The no less famous Tower Bridge is one of the main symbols of London. It was opened in 1894.

Its unique feature is that the bridge's draw mechanisms open the thousand-ton structure in just 1 minute to allow ships to pass through. In addition, thanks to special galleries, pedestrians can walk across the bridge even when it is open.

Today, Tower Bridge is only pedestrian and is also used as a museum.

3. Vasco da Gama Bridge (Lisbon, Portugal)

This is the longest bridge in Europe. It is usually compared to the Chinese “Hangzhou”, but “Vasco da Gama” looks more organic and elegant, although it is inferior in length.

Its length is 7.2 km. It was opened on March 29, 1998, just 18 months after construction began, before Expo 98. The same year marked the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama's discovery. sea ​​route from Europe to India. Therefore, the bridge was named after the great traveler.

Despite the short construction period and the speed of work, during its construction all conceivable and inconceivable nuances were taken into account. Thanks to this meticulousness and care, today the Vasco da Gama Bridge can withstand winds of up to 250 km/h and earthquakes 4 and a half times stronger than the famous 8.7 magnitude Lisbon earthquake of 1755.

4. “Bosphorus Bridge” (Istanbul, Türkiye)

This bridge is famous for connecting Europe and Asia. It has become one of the symbols of modern Istanbul. The image of the bridge adorned the 1000 Turkish lira banknote. It is also a symbol of the unification of two continents.

For example, in 2007, the famous tennis match between American Venus Williams and Turkish tennis leader Ipek Shinolu took place right here. Since it was the first match between athletes from two continents, the Bosphorus Bridge was chosen as the meeting place. After the match ended, the tennis ball was thrown from the bridge into the Bosphorus.

Currently it is the 13th tallest in the world. Every day, the bridge carries about 200,000 units of various types of transport from continent to continent, and pedestrian traffic on this bridge is prohibited due to its frequent use as a place to commit suicide.

5. Banpo Fountain Bridge (Seoul, South Korea)

The Banpo Fountain Bridge in Seoul became the only one of its kind and even entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest fountain on a bridge.

The total length of the fountain with the romantic name “Moonlight Rainbow” is 1140 m. Thanks to the play of light rays, the fountain seems to “dance” and shimmer.

You can admire this miracle not only from the shore, but also from the first tier of the bridge, from where an equally wonderful view opens up and you get the feeling that you are inside a rainbow waterfall.

6. “Brooklyn Bridge” (New York, USA)

Another recognizable and legendary bridge, a landmark of New York, is the Brooklyn Bridge. This is the first bridge in the world to be suspended on steel cables.

Its length is 1825 meters. It carries both vehicular and pedestrian traffic - along it it is divided into 3 parts. The side lanes are for cars, and the middle lane, at a fairly significant elevation, is for pedestrians and cyclists.

In 1964, the Brooklyn Bridge was included in the list of National Historic Landmarks of the United States. Today, this one of the symbols of New York remains one of the popular holiday destinations and cycling for city residents.

7. Millennium Bridge (UK)

The amazing “Millennium Bridge”, or “Gateshead Millennium” - a bridge over the River Tyne connecting the cities of Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne (Northern England); The world's first tilting bridge.

Thanks to its hydraulics, the bridge tilts to allow ships to pass under it. It took more than two years to build, but after installation its dimensions corresponded to the plan with fantastic accuracy up to 2 mm.

It is the only swing bridge in the world. That is, when ships pass, it turns 40 degrees. From the side, this movement of the bridge resembles the blinking of a large eye.

The turning process is extremely impressive and only takes no more than 4 minutes. Over the course of a year, the bridge “blinks” about 200 times.

8. Oliveira Bridge (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

The Oliveira Bridge is the only bridge in the world with a support in the shape of the letter X. It has become one of the main symbols of Sao Paulo thanks to the special shape of the masts, a height of 138 meters, 144 powerful steel cables and chic LED lighting.

His full name is “Octavio Frias de Oliveira.” Two crooked masts, bound in concrete in an X shape, make up its support mast. It was inaugurated on May 10, 2008, and the bridge was named after the publisher of the newspaper Fola de Sao Paulo, who died in 2007 at the age of 94. Octavio Frias de Oliveira was one of the most influential people in Brazil.

At the end of December 2008, special light diodes were installed on the cables and masts of the bridge, creating various lighting effects reminiscent of a New Year tree.

9. Ponte Vecchio Bridge (Florence, Italy)

Ponte Vecchio is one of the oldest and most famous bridges in Italy, a symbol of Florence. This is the only bridge that has retained its original appearance for dozens of centuries. It is located on the same place where three previous bridges were built: first - the bridge of the era Ancient Rome, then a bridge that collapsed in 1117, and finally a bridge that was demolished during a flood in 1333. And since then, the Ponte Vecchio has never been destroyed. Even the German troops, retreating from Florence in 1944 and blowing up many buildings in the city and all the bridges, spared the Ponte Vecchio. They say that they were also captivated by the beauty of this unique bridge.

There are only 2 such three-arch stone bridges in the world. “Vecchio” consists of 3 arches, the main one is 30 m apart, two on the sides are 27 m long.

The Florentine Bridge is also interesting because on its sides there are houses that have housed trading shops since the Middle Ages. But in 1593, by order of Cosimo de' Medici, Duke of Tuscany, meat sellers were expelled from the bridge, and jewelers took their place. Since then, “Ponte Vecchio” has had another name – “Golden Bridge”. A corridor was built right above the bridge back in 1565, which is still preserved.

10. Khaju Bridge (Isfahan, Iran)

This bridge is a unique example of Iranian architecture and is located in Isfahan. Travelers enjoyed it back in the 17th century, and today it is one of the most famous bridges in the East and one of the most beautiful bridges on Earth.

“Khaja” was built in Isfahan for a reason. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Isfahan was located on the famous Silk Road and was then one of the largest cities in the world.

In addition to aesthetics, the Khaju Bridge has many other useful features, such as a water dam that carries water to all the gardens of Isfahan. In addition, during the intense summer heat, “Khaju” allows you to hide from the sun in its shady corners. The lower level of the bridge is for pedestrians, while the upper level is accessible to horses and carriages.

And now - finally, record holders.

11. Harbor Bridge (Sydney, Australia)

It is Sydney's largest bridge and one of the largest steel arch bridges in the world. It is one of Sydney's main attractions. Because of its remarkable shape, the bridge received the comic name “Hanger” from Sydney residents. The bridge was opened on March 19, 1932. The model for the bridge was New York's Hell Gate Bridge.

The bridge carries road, bicycle, pedestrian and rail traffic. The Harbor Bridge connects the downtown area with the North Shore and spans Port Jackson Bay.

The arched span of the bridge is 503 meters long. This is just a little less than the 518-meter span of the longest steel arch bridge, the Fayetteville Bridge, across the gorge along which the New River flows, near Fayetteville (West Virginia, USA). Since nowadays, if it is necessary to build a bridge with a long span, they choose the design of a suspension or cable-stayed bridge (they are much lighter and cheaper than a rigid arch bridge), the Harbor Bridge will remain on the list of the largest arch bridges in the world for a long time.

The steel arch of the "Hanger" weighs 39,000 tons. It rises 139 meters above sea level and at the same time has a clearance of 49 meters above the water surface of the bay, which ensures the passage of any sea vessels under the bridge. Interestingly, the height of the arch can increase by about 18 cm on hot days due to the fact that the metal expands when heated.

The total length of the entire bridge is 1,149 meters. The width of the bridge is 49 meters. The total weight of the bridge is 52,800 tons. The steel structural elements of the bridge are connected by rivets, the total number of which exceeds six million.

Since October 1, 1998, regular excursions have been held on the bridge for people over 10 years old - climbing along the side arch of the bridge to its top, from where a breathtaking panorama of the city opens. To climb, you only need shoes with rubber soles and a special suit with insurance, which is issued on the spot,

12. Run Young Bridge - the longest bridge across the river

The Run Yang Bridge was built in China in 2007, has a length of 35.66 kilometers and spans the widest point of the Yangtze River.

Its construction cost the country a total of $700 million. The supporting towers of this bridge reach a height of 210 meters.

13. Hangzhou Bay Bridge (China) - the longest transoceanic bridge in the world

Great Transoceanic Bridge over Hangzhou Bay - cable-stayed bridge in Hangzhou Bay east coast China. Connects the cities of Shanghai and Ningbo (Zhejiang Province).

It opened to traffic on May 1, 2008, although it was assumed that the bridge would not be completed until Expo 2010. Construction of the bridge began on June 8, 2003 and continued until 2007, after which closed testing of the bridge was carried out for several months.

The length of the bridge is about 36 km, traffic is carried out on three lanes in each direction. This is the third longest bridge across water spaces. The design speed of the bridge is 100 km/h, service life is more than 100 years.

14. Dam bridge over Lake Pontchartrain (USA)

The sixth longest bridge (in total) in the world and the second longest bridge across bodies of water is located in Louisiana, USA. The bridge consists of two parallel roads, the longest of which is 38.42 km (23.87 mi) long.

The bridge connects the towns of Metairie and Mandeville, located on opposite shores of Lake Pontchartrain. The bridge is supported by more than 9,000 concrete piles. 13 km (8 miles) south of the northern coast, bridges have lift spans.

Due to the frequent fog that surrounded the bridge from time to time, barges crashed into it several times.

15. The Qiazhou Bay Bridge (China) is the longest bridge over the water surface.

Just a few years ago, the longest bridge in the world located above the water surface was put into operation in China - the Qiazhou Bay Bridge. The length of this structure is 42.5 kilometers.

It is immediately necessary to clarify why clarification is necessary - the longest bridge over the water surface, and not just the longest in the world. The fact is that for some reason the car viaduct in Thailand and railway viaducts in China are considered to be the longest bridges in the world. More about them a little later. These are overhead bridge-type structures for cars and railway transport. Of course, this is quite controversial. After all, if the structure stands over flat land, then it is, as it were, not quite a bridge. If we proceed from the fact that a bridge is something that helps to overcome any water obstacle: a river, a gorge, or, as in the case of the Qiazhou Bridge, a sea bay, then the Qiazhou Bay Bridge should be given the status of “the longest in the world". But, since it is so customary, we will consider it “the longest above the sea surface.”

The bridge is T-shaped and the interchange in the center of the bay allows for easy turning in any direction.

Construction of the Qiazhou Bay Bridge began in 2007 and lasted 4 years. During this time, 5,200 columns were installed on the seabed.

16. Bang Na Highway (Thailand)

This bridge, located in Thailand, is not actually a bridge, it is just a long elevated highway.

The Bang Na Expressway is an elevated bridge-type structure in the city of Bangkok. The total length is 54 kilometers. Its width, with three lanes in each direction, is 27.2 meters.

The total cost of the project, whose construction lasted five years from 1995 to 2000, amounted to more than $1 billion. This structure was built to combat traffic jams at the entrance to the city and travel across this bridge is paid, while the existing free ground alternative is available.

17. Tianjin Viaduct (China) - the second longest bridge in the world

It was built as part of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway and the Beijing-Tianjin intercity railway. Construction began in 2008 and upon completion in 2010, its length was 113,700 meters. The opening of the bridge took place in June 2011.

The viaduct begins a little southeast of Beijing South railway station, then crosses two districts (Anqi and Guangyang) of Langfang urban district and ends in the north of the central part of Tianjin.

18. Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct (China) - the longest bridge in the world

It is the one that is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest bridge in the world. It was built as part of the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed ​​Railway. Construction began in 2008 and its length was 164,800 meters; the opening of the bridge took place on June 30, 2011.

It is located in Eastern China in Jiangsu province, between the cities of Shanghai and Nanjing. Approximately 9 km of the bridge is laid over the water surface; the largest body of water that crosses the Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct is Lake Yangcheng.

19. Akashi Bridge (Japan) - the longest suspension bridge

It is famous for its largest central span of a suspension bridge in the world - its length is 1991 meters.

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is located in Japan and connects the cities of Kobe and Awaji on the islands of Honshu and Awaji, respectively. At the time of the commissioning of this bridge (April 5, 1998), it set three world records: the longest suspension bridge, the most expensive bridge and the highest bridge. The first two records still belong to the Akashi-Kaikyo, but the title of the highest bridge went to the Millot (or Millau) viaduct in France.

So, on to the numbers. The height of the pylons (the foundations on which the entire bridge structure rests) is 298 meters, which is approximately the height of a 90-story building. The distance between the pylons is 1991 meters.

The length of a suspension bridge is considered to be precisely the distance between the pylons, that is, the central span (in fact, this distance was supposed to be 1990 meters, but during the construction of the bridge a lot happened strong earthquake, due to which a fracture of the earth’s crust occurred between the two bases, thereby moving these bases apart by another 1 meter). If we add to this length the distance from the pylons to the shore, we get a total length of 3911 meters! The length of all the cables of this structure is such that if you tie them all in one line, it will be possible to encircle the globe 7 times!

20. Bridge to Russky Island (Vladivostok, Russia) - the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world

Two years ago, the bridge to Russky Island was opened. The bridge to which the right to be called the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world was transferred. And, of course, what makes me especially proud is that it was built not somewhere in China or the USA, but in Russia, in Vladivostok.

We remind you that the length of cable-stayed and suspension bridges is calculated by the central span, and not by the total length of the bridge. That is why the bridge to Russky Island has every right to be called the longest. The distance between its pylons is 1104 meters. The previous record, 1088 meters, belonged to the Chinese Sutong Bridge. But in terms of total length, the bridge to Russky Island is inferior to many cable-stayed bridges; its figure here is 3,100 meters. For example, the same “Sutun” has a total length of more than 8 kilometers. But this is no longer so important, the record is “ours”!

The technical opening of the structure took place on July 2, 2012. On July 28, a bike ride was organized across the bridge. And on August 1, 2012, traffic was opened for all transport.

And, in conclusion, another photo of the cable-stayed bridge in Vladivostok, also opened in August 2012. For some reason, it is often confused with the bridge to Russky Island, although it is very easy to distinguish them - by the shape of the pylons; this one has them in the form of spread “horns”. This structure is called a bridge across the Golden Horn Bay.

Photo: wikipedia.org, flickriver.com, famouswonders.com, mypostalcards.files.wordpress.com, whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com, forensicgenealogy.info, filfranck.com, jackiejouret.com, archicentral.com, cntraveler.com, architecture. about.co, badfon.ruforums.vwvortex.com, architypereview.com, wonderfull-tourism.blogspot.com, people.cs.nctu.edu.tw, studyblue.com, inkedinblack.wordpress.com.

"Construction Rules", No. 57, December 2017

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Master's degree graduate of the Moscow Architectural Institute, regular participant in workshops and educational programs. In her graduate work, Zhanna explored bridges across the Moscow River, as well as the process of interaction between two professions - architect and engineer. According to her, Moscow, one of the most rapidly developing capitals in the world, needs new pedestrian and transport arteries that would connect parts of the city and cope with its congestion. We talked with Zhanna about the features of the capital's landscape and what new architectural solutions could be useful to the city.

- Tell us about the topic of your thesis and its relevance (in particular, about the collaboration between an engineer and an architect in the design of bridges across the river).

Bridges in Moscow arose almost with the birth of the city. The peculiarities of the capital's geography - hilly terrain and many rivers - made it necessary to build bridges. Historically, when crossing to the other side, the city entered a new phase of territorial and economic development. Today Moscow occupies a leading position among the most actively developing megacities (according to the Pricewaterhouse Coopers rating). In 2014, a competition was held to reorganize the embankments of the Moscow River. One important aspect of the new strategy was strengthening connections across the river and building new bridges. Bridge- a complex engineering structure, but it, like a building, is a means of spatial organization of the environment. Automotive and pedestrian bridges across rivers have changed due to the use of more advanced designs, materials and new functional organization. The location in the city structure was also excellent. The goal of my diploma was to study historical and modern types of bridges, understand what changes have taken place, and propose new architectural solutions for Moscow. I really wanted to show how important the process of interaction between two professions is - an architect and an engineer.

- Creative componentvsPractical rationality.

For an architect, the image of a “bridge” is not so much in the designs, it is more used as a plot, as part of the shape of the object. For example, the philosophical concept of M. Heidegger is interesting: “The bridge rises “lightly and powerfully” over the river... It does not just connect the already existing banks. Actually, the bridge crossing exposes the shores as shores for the first time. Thanks to the bridge, they find themselves lying opposite each other.... A bridge is initially and essentially just a bridge, and in addition to this and on special occasions, as is commonly thought, it can express something else.” (Haĭ Degger M., Cacciari M.: two views on habitat. Sitar S. editor of the “theory” section//P magazinei20).

The content of the artistic image of the bridge is revealed in specific architectural forms. The language of these forms and aesthetic expressiveness depend on the properties of the building materials and structures used. The architect is intuitively responsible for tectonic truthfulness, the “play of forces” in designs, uses rhythm, scale, texture and color, techniques of nuance and contrast, connection with the context and thereby evokes certain emotions and semantic associations.

An engineer has a completely different type of thinking. Severe rationality is important to him. For an engineer, the shape of the bridge is utilitarian and is revealed in strict accordance with the nature of the existing loads and on the basis of technical and economic indicators.

In my graduation project, I managed to find a compromise between the creative component and practical rationality. For myself, I distinguish two types of designers - those who deny any ideas that go beyond the standard, and those who say “no, it’s impossible, damn it, but I’ll try to come up with something!” I was very lucky, I worked together with a young engineer from St. Petersburg, Alena Ivanova. Alena works at a large bridge-building company, JSC Transmost, in the software development sector. An amazing person who, in addition to high professionalism, is ready for incredible dedication to an innovative idea. At the concept stage, I drew sketches of what the new bridge could be like, generated ideas and artistic images, and Alena corrected and advised how this or that design would work better. When I was experimenting with new design schemes on conditional prototypes, Alena built virtual physically correct models and calculated them in a computer program with real loads. Of course, we were not always able to understand each other the first time, but mutual enthusiasm led us to positive results.

Modern technologies: how they influence the thinking of architects and the work of engineers. In particular, with regard to the materials used and design features.

In my pre-project research, I interviewed German engineer Mike Schlaich, head of the Schlaich Bergermann bureau. According to him, bridges should be elegant, lightweight and reflect the development of technology and materials. With students, they conduct experiments with composite materials - for example, they are designing a pedestrian bridge made of carbon fiber - very thin and durable. Mike Schleich told the story of how he was approached by an artist who had painted a multi-colored spring bridge. Everyone played this when they were kids, right? The engineer's task was to take this artistic idea as a basis, find a suitable type of design and implement it. It's amazing how a simple idea for a children's toy grew into a supporting structure.

The engineering direction in bridge construction is distinguished precisely by experiments with a beam thrown over an obstacle, personifying the idea of ​​a span. Overcoming a distance is seen as a challenge - “further, higher, easier.” At the present stage, interest is shown in suspension bridges- the longest and lightest. For example, the Sky Park bridge in Sochi. The archetype of suspension bridges are vines and ropes suspended above the river and naturally, under the influence of their own weight, forming a reverse arch. The 520 Bridge in Seattle, which opened in 2016, uses innovative air-supported structures consisting of reinforced concrete hollow block supports and vertical support columns. Hollow support blocks are divided into cells and filled with water to stabilize the level of the road surface.

Currently, developments are underway in the field of prefabricated structures - inflatable ( « tensairity» - approx. auto.). Engineers use them mainly for military purposes, but the architect uses them completely differently. For example, a trampoline bridge over the Seine River in Paris ( So far this is still just a concept - approx. auto.).

Pedestrian bridges built from recycled materials - plastic, paper, polystyrene foam - are also interesting. And these are just a few examples!

Moscow landscape. Features and specificity. Advantages and disadvantages. And also - does Moscow really need additional bridges?

The most striking event in Moscow bridge construction was the master plan program of 1935. New blocks of residential and public buildings grew across the river. The flow of urban transport along the Garden Ring and other highways connecting the city center with its areas beyond the river increased. “The new Moscow needed new bridges: high and spacious passages over the river, technically advanced structures connecting the wide highways of the capital.” A special concrete plant was equipped for the construction of new and reconstruction of old bridges. Bridges were moved to new locations. In terms of its scale, construction over the river is included in the history of the reconstruction of Moscow along with such majestic constructions as the Moscow-Volga canal and the Moscow metro. Architectural competitions were organized for the construction of bridges. Each new bridge had its own independent artistic appearance.

The Moscow master plan program of 1971 continued an integrated approach to the problems and tasks of the city's development. Car-pedestrian bridges became an integral part of the new transport network of highways in the periphery. The bridges and embankments of this period were subject to weak architectural and spatial organization requirements. The activity of the architect was practically excluded, to the detriment of aesthetics. In the 2000s, bridge architecture was already commercial. The structures were given an additional function; covered bridges-galleries appeared - for trade or exhibition. Today there are not enough bridges in the city, both pedestrian and automobile. In total, the city has 49 bridges along 83 km of the Moscow River, which does not provide sufficient connectivity of the territories. The crossings are unevenly located: on the south-eastern section of the Moscow River for 14 km there is no possibility of crossing the river. Of all the bridges, only 24 are accessible to pedestrians. Not only quantitative changes must occur, but also qualitative ones.

- Features of the landscape of the Moscow River basin. What are the main things you need to know when designing a bridge?

The territories near the Moscow River are divided into urban, industrial and natural park. Depending on the designed context, the most environmentally friendly materials, efficient designs and types of road-embankment interface are used. The basis of any bridge project is its structural design: the ratio of span sizes. It is impossible to design a bridge without knowledge of the basic structural systems: beam, arch, frame-cantilever, suspension, etc. Bridges have a cross-sectional and longitudinal architecture. It's like the exterior and interior of a building. The plan geometry of the roadway is not necessarily a straight line. Pedestrian and bicycle bridges are curvilinear, undulating, and have observation platforms and places for rest.

It is important to understand both how we get to the bridge and how it fits into the urban environment. For example, bridges with a pronounced load-bearing structure (cable-stayed) in a historical environment will be stylistically discordant, but among skyscrapers - vice versa.

When designing, engineers take into account the hydrological regime (periods of ice drift and freeze-up), the highest and lowest water levels (high water and low water), the depth and condition of the fairway, the width of the river, the slope angle, and the class of navigation in this area. But you can find out more about this in the relevant regulatory documents.

- What should be the “ideal” modern bridge, and what kind of bridge does Moscow need?

The modern architectural trend is to rethink the bridge as a type of structure and make it part of urban life. It’s like a certain plot: there are embankments, parks, squares, and then there are bridges. They are all different and amazingly beautiful. And this is not only a transit road. It would be good to consider the Moscow River not as an obstacle, but, on the contrary, as a basis for the design of new bridges. The main waterway of the city is quite polluted, and the construction of new bridges using existing technologies will only worsen the condition. But if you set a healthy ecosystem as a task, you immediately want to find innovative solutions. Maybe combine it with wastewater treatment plants or cover the water surface with one span, find an alternative to pile foundations for supports. The same is true of the lack of new public spaces near the river - the return of the traditions of bridgeheads would intensify new social activities. And there are also potentially effective spaces under the bridge.

I really want the union between the architect and the engineer to be renewed. Unconventional ideas and challenges motivate the engineering brain to search for alternative materials, innovative designs and technologies - breaking the mold in a good way.

- Favorite bridges of Moscow: assessment from an aesthetic and practical point of view.

In my research, I collected data and made a book about all the bridges across the Moscow River. The bridges are all different, each structure has its own peculiarity, history, and some details. It is important, I think, to preserve this as much as possible. And all new ideas are waiting for their implementation in new projects.

Aqueducts are designed to transport water through channels raised on supports above valleys, rivers, highways, railways and other obstacles. But there are also so-called water bridges, along which even small ships can move. People learned to use aqueducts back in ancient times, delivering water through them from a distant source to the city, but water canals are a much later invention.
Water canals are much heavier and larger than aqueducts, because not just a modest stream of water should flow through them, but quite a lot of water should float through them. big ship. Only in the 17th century did people decide to use water bridges to pass ships. Gradually in different countries The most grandiose water bridges in the world began to appear. In 1896, the French built a similar canal on the Loire, which remained the world's longest navigable bridge for the next century, until it was surpassed by the structure in Magdeburg.

1. Magdeburg Water Bridge

This structure, connecting the Mitteland and Elbe-Havel canals and passing over the Elbe River bed, was launched in October 2003. The length of this longest water bridge in the world is 918 meters. In the past, both mentioned canals near Magdeburg abutted on the opposite banks of the Elbe, the level of which was much lower than in the canals. To cross from one canal to another, ships had to make a 12-kilometer loop, then take an hour by water elevator to the level of the Elbe, and then repeat the same steps in reverse to rise to the level of the opposite canal. In addition, the Elbe was often too shallow for the passage of loaded barges, in which case it was necessary to spend a lot of time on their intermediate unloading and loading.
After the reunification of Germany, the main internal routes were developed, in light of which the construction of a water bridge in Magdeburg became a priority for the German government. Construction began in 1997 and cost the treasury 500 million euros. With the help of this water bridge, the network of internal German canals is connected by ports located on the Rhine.

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2. Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

In Wales, near Wrexham, the Pontcysyllte aqueduct was built between 1795 and 1805. With his help, the Ellesmere Canal was able to cross the Dee valley. Here, during the Industrial Revolution, the aim was to link the canal system with the coal mines of Denbighshire. For its time, the construction of this water bridge was a huge technical achievement. Since then, for more than two centuries, this aqueduct remains the highest and longest aqueduct in Great Britain, and UNESCO included it in its World Heritage List. The aqueduct has a length of 307 m, a depth of 1.6 m and a width of 3.4 m, it is part of an 18-kilometer aqueduct. It is made of cast iron, and the bolted gutter is supported by curved steel strength ribs. The aqueduct passes over the Dee River at an altitude of 38 m.
The water bridge is supported by 19 high pylons made of stone. Thanks to the use of iron structures in the construction of the arches, the latter turned out to look light and elegant, although they have a large margin of safety. The appearance of the aqueduct had a huge impact on the economic development of the region, especially at the beginning of the 19th century. The extraction of ore, coal, limestone, as well as the production of lime, increased sharply. Oil production from shale quarries increased and agriculture flourished.
Nowadays, barges with minerals no longer move along the Pontkysyllte Aqueduct; it has become entirely a tourist attraction, being a technological attraction.

3. Barton Swing Aqueduct

In Greater Manchester, England, in the area of ​​Barton, there is a movable water bridge, Barton Swing, with which the Bridgewater Canal crosses the Manchester Canal. Small ships can navigate both intersecting canals at the same time, but when a large ship moves along the Manchester Canal, the Barton Swing and the neighboring exactly the same, but land swing bridge simultaneously rotate 90 degrees, freeing up space above the large canal and allowing the ship to bypass this water crossroads This is the only movable aqueduct in the world and is the most important civil engineering achievement of the reign of Queen Victoria.
This miracle of engineering was built in 1894 and still works properly. Previously, on the site of the swing bridge there was an ordinary stone aqueduct, due to which big ships could not pass along the River Irwell. Only such a technical solution could solve this transport interchange problem.

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4. Minden Water Bridge

Near German city Minden built another water bridge, along which the Central German Canal continues. This structure consists of two parts: the old bridge built in 1914 and the new one that appeared in 1998. The new bridge was built because the size of the old aqueduct channel did not allow modern barges to enter it. Therefore, only small ships and private boats continue to use the old bridge. The canal rises 10 m above the land and 12 m above the Weser River.
The Minden Aqueduct is the second longest in Europe, second only to its relative from Magdeburg. Construction of the first bridge lasted 2 years 9 months.
During World War II, it was bombed more than once by aircraft, but it was lucky to survive; only a few weeks in 1944 it was forced to undergo repairs. On April 4, 1945, the retreating Wehrmacht troops blew up the bridge, or rather, the two main spans over the Weser River. As a result, their debris blocked the flow, causing the water to rise by 1.5 meters. Reconstruction of the bridge began in 1947, and in 1949 it started working again. But the requirements of modern inland navigation gradually grew, and the bridge no longer met them, so in 1993 the Germans decided to build another bridge across the Weser nearby. It is located north of the old one, only 50 m from it. The spans of both bridges are completely identical, so that ships passing on the Weser do not encounter additional obstacles.

5. Briare Canal Bridge

The Briare aqueduct is one of the oldest in France. Many modern canals were built according to its analogy. This hydraulic structure connected the Seine and Loire rivers. The Briard Canal Bridge has a very respectable length - 56 km with a depth of 1.8 m. Its construction began back in 1604, and was completed in 1642. The canal became part of the system connecting to the Rhone basin after the Central and lateral Loire canals were built. The idea of ​​​​building a canal belonged to the Duke of Sully, and Henry IV supported him. The main objective of the channel at that time was the desire to intensify trade in grains in order to ease the problem of bread shortages in the region. The construction of the canal involved the labor of 6-12 thousand people.
Technological progress in the world forced the construction of another magnificent water bridge across the Loire, assembled from steel structures, in 1890-1896. For a long time it was the longest on the continent - 662 meters with a width of 11.5 m. The aqueduct rests on powerful stone supports.
On both sides of the water bridge there is an obelisk with pilasters depicting the most important French cities. They are decorated with beautiful lanterns on top, and the bow of the ship is visible below. The same cast iron lanterns are distributed along the entire length of the channel. When someone floats along this canal in a boat, he gets the feeling that he is in the bed of a large river.

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6. Avon Aqueduct

The highest and longest navigable aqueduct in Scotland is the Avon. It carries the Union Canal near Linlithgow and West Lothian. The bridge is 250 m long and 26 m high. In terms of length in the UK, it is second only to the Welsh Pontcysyllta Aqueduct. The architect of this water bridge was Thomas Telford. The bridge has 12 arches, and water flows over it through a cast-iron gutter. There is a narrow pedestrian path along one of its sides.

7. Haverud Aqueduct

This water bridge, built in Sweden, was particularly difficult to navigate. Due to unsuitable soil, the builders could not use a traditional lock to complete the Dasland Canal, so they decided to build a 30-meter steel bridge over the waterfall. They had to show the full power of their technical genius to cope with such a difficult task. At the waterfall, one river flowed into another. In 1860, a long aqueduct was built here, with the help of which water was delivered to a nearby village.
Nowadays, the Haverud Aqueduct has turned into a tourist attraction and a unique attraction that involves the river, the water bridge and Railway. Particularly popular among travelers are trips on small boats along the Dasland Canal.

8. Ringvaart Haarlemmermeer Aqueduct

In the western part of the Netherlands, near the town of Roelofarendsveen, the Ringvaart Canal is laid, which intersects with the A4 highway through an aqueduct. This is the oldest aqueduct in Holland, despite the fact that it was only built in 1961. In 2006, it underwent expansion; a couple more roads were laid under it, one of which was railway. Currently, the length of the aqueduct has increased to 1800 m.

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9. Pont du Sarthe Aqueduct

This water bridge in Belgium is a continuation of the Central Canal; near the city of Houdeng-Goegnis, it crosses from above the road junction of roads No. 535 and No. 55. The concrete aqueduct has a length of 498 m and a significant width of 46 m. ​​The weight of the structure is 65,000 tons, it is supported by 28 pylons with a diameter of 3 m.

10. Veluvemeer Aqueduct

This water bridge is located in the east of Holland. Using this unique design, the Dutch connected two artificial reservoirs. At first, the authorities intended to build an ordinary road bridge here, but this project turned out to be structurally inconvenient and more expensive. Therefore, over the channel connecting the reservoirs, instead of a classic bridge, a universal bridge appeared, capable of passing both cars and small ships. Large ships will not be able to fit into the geometry of its channel. Located under the bridge underground tunnel About 30,000 cars pass per day.
The level of reservoirs near Veluwemeer is regulated by a system of reservoirs and dams, but even in this case, sometimes the road tunnel is flooded with water - after all, do not forget that the Netherlands is located below sea level. This water overpass is 25 m wide and 19 m long. This aqueduct runs along the border dividing the Dutch mainland from the world's largest made-up island, Flevoland. There are walking paths along the nearby Route 302, from which it is convenient to view the local landscapes.

Bridges are an integral attribute of almost every river; they help overcome obstacles, thanks to them distances become shorter, and getting from point “A” to point “B” turns out to be more comfortable and faster. With the advent of new materials and technologies, complex crossing designs are becoming a reality.

What is a bridge

Bridges are the continuation of a road over an obstacle. Most often they are laid through a water barrier, but they can also connect the edges of a ravine or canal. In connection with the development of transport infrastructure, bridges are being built in megacities for movement over roads, forming large interchanges. The main details of their design are spans and supports.

Classification of bridge structures

Types of bridges can be classified according to several criteria:

• according to the main purpose of use;
• constructive solution;
• building materials;
• depending on length;
• by service life;
• depending on the operating principle.

Since a man threw a tree from one bank of the river to get to the other, a lot of time has passed and a lot of effort has been put into construction engineering structures. As a result, different types of bridge designs emerged. Let's take a closer look at them.

Beam

The materials for their construction are steel, its alloys, reinforced concrete, and the first material was wood. The main elements of load-bearing structures of this type are beams and trusses, which transfer the load to the supports of the bridge base.

Beams and trusses form part of a separate structure called a span. The spans can be split, cantilevered or continuous, depending on the connection scheme with the supports. The first of them have two supports on each edge, continuous ones can have a larger number of supports, depending on the need, and in a cantilever bridge the spans extend beyond the support points, where they are connected to subsequent spans.

Arched

For their manufacture, steel, cast iron, reinforced concrete casting or blocks are used. The first materials for the construction of this type of bridges were stones, cobblestones or monolithic blocks made from them.

The basis of the structure is the arch (vault). The connection of several arches by a road or railway track is an arch bridge. The roadbed can have two locations: above the structure or below it.

One of the varieties is a hybrid - an arched-cantilever bridge, where two semi-arches are connected at the top and resemble the letter “T”. An arched structure can consist of one span, and then the main load falls on the outer supports. If the bridge consists of several connected structures, then the load is distributed across all intermediate and outer supports.

Suspension bridges

The main materials for construction in this case are steel and reinforced concrete. Structures are erected in places where it is impossible to install intermediate supports. The load-bearing element is pylons connected by cables. To keep the bridge in a stable condition, the pylons are mounted on opposite banks, and a cable connection is pulled between them to the ground, where it is securely fixed. Vertical ones are attached to the stretched horizontal cables, also attaching chains that will support the bridge deck. Beams and trusses give rigidity to the canvas.

Cable-stayed bridges

Construction materials - steel, reinforced concrete. Like their suspended counterparts, their design involves pylons and cables. The difference is that the cable-stayed connection is the only one that connects the structure of the entire bridge, that is, the cables are not attached to horizontally tensioned carriers, but directly to the final supports, which makes the structure more rigid.

Pontoon

“Floating” crossings do not have a rigid frame and no connection with the shore. Their design is assembled from separate sections with a movable joint. A variation of this type of bridges are floating crossings. Most often, they are temporary structures that are used until ice is established on water barriers. They are dangerous during periods of strong roughness on the water, they make navigation difficult, and movement on them has restrictions for multi-ton trucks.

Metal bridges

Most modern bridges involve the use of metal in the load-bearing parts of the structures. For quite a long time, a metal bridge was considered the most durable type of structure. Today, this material is an important, but not the only component of bridge connections.

Types of metal bridges:

• Arched structures.
• Viaducts with spans.
• Hanging, cable-stayed.
• Overpasses with supports made of reinforced concrete, where the spans are assembled from metal connections.

Metal structures have the advantage of being easy to assemble, which is why almost all types of railway bridges are built from this material. The metal parts are industrially manufactured in a factory and the size can be adjusted. Depending on the load-carrying capacity of the mechanisms with which the installation will be carried out, factory blanks for the future one-piece connection are formed.

The structure can be welded from parts directly at the final installation site. And if previously it was necessary to connect many parts of one span, now a crane with a lifting capacity of 3600 tons can easily carry and hoist an all-metal span onto supports.

Advantages of metal structures

Iron is rarely used as a material for bridge construction due to its poor corrosion resistance. High-strength steel and its compounds have become a popular material. Its excellent performance qualities can be assessed on projects such as cable-stayed bridges with huge spans. An example is the Moscow Bridge across the Dnieper in Kyiv or the Obukhovsky Bridge in St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg legends

There are an abundance of different types of bridges in St. Petersburg, there are also ancient ones that have become symbols of a bygone era, but their purpose has not changed, although they have acquired a flair of stories and romance. Thus, the Kiss Bridge across the bridge attracts tourists with its name, but it comes from the name of the merchant Potseluev, whose drinking house “Kiss” was located next to the crossing, and the name has nothing to do with romantic impulses.

The Liteiny Bridge has become overgrown with interesting legends, and the dramatic plot arose immediately upon its foundation. It is believed that one of the foundation stones of the supports was the Atakan sacrificial stone. Now he makes passers-by sad and provokes suicides. To appease the “bloody” boulder, some townspeople throw coins from the bridge into the Neva and pour red wine. Also, many claim that you can meet the ghost of Lenin at Liteiny.

Five longest bridges in Russia

Until the bridge across the Kerch Strait is built, the five large-scale crossings look like this:

• in Vladivostok. The length of the structure is 3100 m, the opening took place in 2012. The need for it was first thought about in 1939, but was implemented at the present stage.
• Bridge in Khabarovsk. Its length is 3891 m. It has two tiers. The lower one is open to rail traffic, and the upper one is open to road traffic. His image adorns the five thousand dollar bill.
• Bridge on the Yuribey River. It is located beyond the Arctic Circle in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The length of the structure is 2893 m.
• The bridge across the Amur Bay has a length of 5331 m. It was opened in 2012. It is interesting for its lighting system, which helps save up to 50% of electricity.
• across the Volga to Ulyanovsk. Its length is 5825 m. Construction took place over 23 years.