The most incredible bridges Trift Suspension Bridge, Switzerland. Prices and contacts

We welcome you again on the pages of our site "I and the World"! Bridges stretch over water, over land, over an abyss. Today we will tell you which is the most long bridge in the world.

Going on a trip around the world, take a look at the top 10 longest structures, take a closer look at the photos, find out where they are and what they are called. And then walk through them.

1st place Danyang-Kunshan viaduct - 164,800 m

The Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct connects two cities in Eastern China. This railroad bridge on which several trains can pass at once. Almost 9 km passes over the surface of the water, the rest of the distance the trains travel on land. The construction lasted quite a short time, only four years and 10,000 people worked here. China spent $8.5 billion on the project and it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest in the world.

2nd place is taken by Great Tianjin - 113,700 m


This facility continues the high-speed iron branch between the cities of Beijing and Shanghai, and also built in China.

3rd place - Bridge over the Wei - 79,700 m


Another Chinese railway bridge. It connects the banks of the Wei River and crosses it twice. Trains have been running on it since 2010, although it was built in 2008.

4th place - Bang Na Highway - 54,000 m

This is a six-lane highway, but many consider this road a bridge, because it passes above the ground. The automotive giant is located in Thailand and has been building it for 5 years. Serious traffic jams convinced the authorities to build this highway and invest more than a billion dollars in it. And although the highway is paid, many motorists and tourists try to drive along it, bypassing traffic jams and admiring the surrounding views.

Middle of the rating - Qingdao - 42,500 m


The largest automotive project through body of water. All 42.5 km Qingdao bridge goes over the bay. They built it for 4 years, and during this time it took 10 billion dollars. Every day, up to 30,000 cars pass on the road, saving only half an hour of time. Some are surprised: why was it necessary to spend such money from the budget for 30 minutes of savings?

6th place - Pontchartrain Dam Bridge - 38,420 m


Also goes through the water of Lake Pontchartrain USA. Located in the state of Louisiana and is paid. Now you can drive between the two shores of the lake in just 50 minutes. Very resistant to various elements, but apparently built so low above the water that barges periodically crash into it.

7th place is given to the Hangzhou Bay Bridge - 35,673 m


One of the most beautiful in the world is located in China. Surface, passing through the Pacific Gulf. The structure is built in the shape of the letter S. Passing through the structure, motorists reduce the distance by 120 km. On six lanes of the road you can drive at a speed of 100 km / h. The shelf life is set at around 100 years and then the building will be reconstructed.

8th place Shanghai maglev - 30,500 m


This is the most expensive Chinese railway project. It is made on a magnetic suspension. The project cost about 1.6 billion dollars. The road is laid mainly through wetlands, and every 25 km it was necessary to make concrete pillows for supports, and they are expensive. The most high speed trains on such a bridge are about 430 km / h, but only a minute and a half - after all, there is almost nowhere to accelerate.

9th place is given to the Bridge-tunnel that passes through the Chesapeake Bay - 28,140 m


A very interesting structure that becomes an underwater tunnel. Great idea to ride underwater. The building took 35 years to build. The toll on the bridge is $12 per toll. Cars drive for a while on the surface, and then “leave” down into the tunnel under water so that the ships can freely sail through the structure.

And completes the list - King Fahd Bridge - 26,000 m


It consists of several dams and big bridges, which connect Saudi Arabia and the state of Bahrain, located on the islands. The name is given in honor of the king of Arabia, who laid the foundation for the construction. One of the parts is quite remarkable, because it rises high above the water, like a hill. I want to talk about others unique bridges not included in the top ten

The longest arch was built in Shanghai, more than 3.5 km long and about 45 m high


The longest hinged glass tower again in China is 488m long and 2m wide

The structure connects two rocks, and its weight has reached 70 tons. When tourists approach the center, it sways slightly. How cool, but also scary! 500 people can step on it at the same time.

The longest pedestrian suspension runs over the Akhshtyr Gorge in Sochi. Length - 439 m and it stretches at a height of 207 m


The length of the longest in Europe - 17 km - Vasco da Gama


The structure is quite beautiful and passes over a very clear waters. It was built in only a year and a half, and by the 500th anniversary of the opening of the route from Europe to India, it was ready.

In Russia, a long cable-stayed building was built in Vladivostok 3100 m


It is about 29 meters wide and weighs 23,000 tons. High pylons rise up to 324 m. Another large cable-stayed pylon is located in St. Petersburg across the Neva River. It is fixed and has a length of 2884 m.

An unusual "dancing bridge" is laid across the Volga and stretches for 2.5 km


At the end of 2011, it was strengthened with the participation of specialists from Germany.

And here is the current project - the Crimean bridge


It will be one of the largest in Russia. For 19 km, there will be an automobile and railway from Taman Peninsula to the Crimean coast through sea ​​strait. Opening Crimean bridge: .

We shared information about the longest and unusual bridges peace passing through the sea, land, o hanging and rail. Share information with friends in in social networks and see you on the pages of our site!

If you are not a particularly risky person, you are afraid of heights and dangerous turns, then, probably, you will never real life you will not find yourself in the places that we want to tell you about. For now we will talk about the most scary roads and bridges on earth. Some of these designs seem to break all the laws of physics. And about individual roads, one can only throw up their hands, unable to understand how they were originally created. Over raging oceans, vast chasms, in the distant mountainous areas and the jungle, they carry the power of human thought and courage, remaining a mystery how once a simple person who did not have specific equipment, computer technology and drones could create something like this. We invite you to an amazing journey along the "dizzying" roads, only the sight of which takes your breath away.

The Atlantic Road is an 8.3 km road that connects several islands in Norway. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, this route was proposed as a railway line, however, it was abandoned rather quickly. Complete planning and construction began on August 1, 1983, ended on July 7, 1989. At the same time, during the construction of the road, its area suffered from 12 severe ocean storms.

Extravagant videos about cars are often filmed here, and the road itself is called the most beautiful in the world.

Those who suffer from panic attacks at the sight of great heights should stay away from the Millau Viaduct in Southern France. It is the second tallest in the world transport bridge hanging over the abyss at a height of 472 meters.

One of its pillars is higher than the Eiffel Tower - 341 meters, another one is a little short of the height of the famous Empire State Building skyscraper. The roadbed of the bridge weighs 36,000 tons, and the road itself is under a slight slope and has a specific curvature. This was done on purpose so that drivers traveling on the bridge would have best review for safe driving.

The construction of the viaduct was completed at the end of 2004. When it was created, 60-ton sections were assembled directly on the spot. First, the columns were mounted, then parts of the roadway were advanced through the supports using hydraulic jacks, which were controlled from the satellite.

Interestingly, this viaduct is part of a concession road, which is currently managed by a private company.

We present to your attention the most difficult road in the world. This is the section of the road that goes through Mountain pass Christ the Savior, it connects Chile and Argentina.

It has 29 such sharp turns that you never dreamed of. At the same time, the road is quite busy, because it leaves the Chilean capital - Santiago. However, this liveliness is very relative, because the cars on the road move at the speed of a turtle, being afraid and not having time to pick up speed from turn to turn.

They say that the feeling of driving on it is akin to an extreme roller coaster. The first 20 turns are only 4 km away and the altitude (if you go up the road) will range from 2275 to 2550 meters. After that, on the next 9 turns you will rise to a height of 2,800 meters. Thus, the total drop of the road is 525 meters. As you can see, in order to drive through it, you need to have not only excellent extreme driving skills, but also simply not be afraid to look at the gorge, which goes further and further down from you.

suspension bridges

One of the scariest suspension structures in the world is the Hussaini Suspension Bridge in Pakistan in the Karokorum Mountains over the fast-flowing Hunza River, which is made of many ropes and thin wooden planks.

It was built by the locals, and mostly only they walk on it. Since looking at its unsteady structure, not a single tourist will dare to overcome it.

But, this is not the only bridge that can scare even the most hardened tourists. Perhaps the most famous and dangerous handmade suspension structures were the Inca wicker bridges. Woven from vines, they were very strong, but intimidating in appearance. To date, only one such bridge has survived - in the mountains of the Peruvian Andes.

Every year, local residents repair it themselves by patching and fastening the ropes. In the village, which is located near the bridge, there are special people who are only engaged in its repair and are exempt from any other activity.

In order to pass on this bridge, local residents charge tourists not a very large fee, it is this money that goes to pay the labor of repair workers.

The Stelvio Pass Road is a 24 km stretch of road that connects Switzerland to Italy. This road is so winding that not every motorist can overcome it. They say that when a person first gets on it, after a short time he begins to feel real bouts of dizziness from so many loops, bends and turns.

In addition, it descends steeply from the mountain and can cause panic among those tourists who are afraid of heights. She is saved only by the fact that the roadbed of the road itself is almost ideal.

Previously, few people in the world knew and heard about this route. But after the host of the famous Top Gear show once drove over it, calling it automotive perfection, many people appeared on the pass who wanted to test their driving skills. Now the locals do not know how to cope with this flow, and are thinking of making it paid.

Many Ukrainians who have not yet visited the annexed Crimea managed to visit Mount Ai-Petri, located near Yalta. But, in order to enjoy the panoramic views from its peak, you will have to walk along the wooden bridge located at an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level. The height of its placement above the ground is 70 meters, and the length is 40 meters.

These bridges are strong, they are equipped with thick steel cables with the ability to withstand 10 times the load. But, all the same, you will be able to pass through them only using climbing equipment and insurance, otherwise they will not let you in.

Funny moment: with the advent of Russian authorities in Crimea, in early 2014, all suspension bridges on Ai-Petri were declared dangerous and closed. But already in the spring of 2015, they again became available for tourists to visit, while structurally they did not change anything.

Swiss footbridges

No less scary seems to be the world's longest suspension footbridge Trift in Switzerland.

It was erected in 2004 at an altitude of about 100 meters above Trift Lake, by a company that needed to stretch electrical cables across the abyss to a tourist point - the so-called Trift Glacier. In 2009, it was modernized with the strengthening of the cable rope system. The work took only six weeks, and by mid-summer the bridge was again open to the public. About 20,000 tourists pass through it every year.

A bit similar to this design is the bridge called Titlis Cliff Walk, also located in Switzerland, in the ski resort of Engelberg. This real miracle of engineering hangs over the abyss at an altitude of 3020 meters above sea level and 500 meters above ground level.

It got its name in honor of the mountain peak Titlis, on which, back in 1913, one of the first cable cars in the world was opened. And a hundred years later, in 2013, this steel bridge was also built. Travelers say that walking along it brings a sea of ​​​​fear and pleasure. It sways noticeably in the wind, but underneath it opens incredible panoramas of blinding eyes of snow-covered glaciers. Its length is 100 meters, and the width is only a meter, so two people on it will miss each other with difficulty.

In order to decide to follow the trails on Mount Huashan, you must be a desperate daredevil, not be afraid of heights and have nerves of steel. These bridges, which are called the Path of Death, will turn your stomach inside out, because they are simply attached to sheer cliffs, have no fences and railings, and the wildest abyss opens up under you. The first such path was built by the locals in the 3rd-4th century, carving it into the rocks by hand. Newer trails have already been built in our days, but also using only manual labor.

In some places on the Huashan bridge there are even no wooden boards, and you can only put your feet on hollowed-out stone ledges. At the same time, you will have to travel along it with your back to the abyss, looking back in horror. The only consolation is the insurance that will keep you going. However, it is also attached exclusively to steel cables, stretching along the same sheer cliffs.

By the way, the steel chains that you see in the photo were attached quite recently - for Western tourists. Previously, travelers on the Death Trail did without them.

Rumor has it that even those desperate brave men who seemed to initially feel the strength to walk along the Huashan bridge, often stepping on it, do not dare to take the second step after the first step. Rumor has it that up to 100 people manage to fall off the trail a year, but it is quite possible that this is just idle talk.

Langkawi sky bridge is a curved pedestrian cable-stayed bridge in Malaysia, which was built in 2004 at an altitude of 357 meters above sea level. It passes through the peak of Mount Gunung Mat Chinchang and the island of Pulau in the Kedah archipelago. At the same time, up to 200 people can fit on it, giving the opportunity to enjoy the views of magnificent nature.

The 125-meter long bridge has a specially curved design in order to provide tourists with the best visualization of the viewed landscapes. It is made of steel and reinforced concrete panels, mounted on top of an inverted triangular truss, and is also suspended from 8 strong steel cables.

It was built by bringing to the area separate prefabricated ready-made blocks, for which helicopters were used to lift them to a height. The construction of this structure took only 12 months, and since August 2004, the bridge has been open to the public.

Those crazy photo loops are nothing but expensive.

An absolutely incredible 11-kilometer section of the road is located in the Tianmen Mountains in China. It has 99 sharp turns, so before you hit the road on this highway, make sure that your car is in good condition so that the brakes do not fail at the most unnecessary moment. The Tianmen route, perhaps, can be called one of the most dangerous in the world, it is clearly not for the faint of heart. But if you're willing to take the risk, stock up on motion sickness pills.

Well, we will end our journey in British Columbia Canada, deep in the woods on a suspension bridge called Capilano.

The bridge was, for a second, built back in 1889 by George Grant McKay, a Vancouver Scottish engineer. It was originally made from hemp fibers and cedar boards, but in 1903 the grassy fibers were replaced with a cable-stayed system. Its complete restructuring took place only in 1956. It is now privately owned, and about 800,000 people cross the bridge every year.

This attraction consists of seven footbridges, between which several incredibly old and huge trees, mainly firs, are “switched on”.

And the bridges themselves are located at an altitude of about 30 meters above the green sea of ​​the forest.

At night, it is beautifully illuminated, hung with garlands of multi-colored lights.

And for those who want to experience an adrenaline rush, they will even provide viewing transparent platforms where you can look at the ancient Canadian forest from a bird's eye view.

They look like they're deadly. They creak and stagger in the wind, connect the tops of the rocks, hang over the rivers, teeming with crocodiles, and run through the impenetrable jungle. We have recently considered . I think this list should continue.

1. Midday Peak Bridge (Pont de l "Aiguille du Midi),
The mountain peak Aiguille du Midi is located in the western part of the Mont Blanc massif. To get to the bridge connecting the two rocks, you need to climb cable car to a 2 km height. The bridge itself is very short, but for those who suffer from acrophobia, it may seem endless.




2. Royal Bridge Gorge, Colorado, USA
Built in 1929, this bridge sits on the Arkansas River. The bridge is 384 m long and 5.5 m wide. This place is considered a popular tourist attraction.




3. Suspension bridge Hussaini, Pakistan
The first bridge across the Guntsy River could not withstand the gusts of icy winter wind from the Karakoram mountains, so the inhabitants built a second, no less shaky one next to it. The structure is very old and narrow, and most of the wooden boards held together with rope are missing. This new bridge is on this moment the most dangerous suspension bridge in the world.




4. suspension bridge trift,
One of the longest and highest pedestrian suspension bridges in the Alps, Trift was built not so long ago - in 2004, but the modern
the design doesn't make the bridge any less scary. In 2009, the bridge was redesigned with new stabilizing steel cables and taller handrails. Now the bridge, 100 meters high and 170 long, no longer sways so much in the wind, but is still included in the list of the most terrible bridges in the world.




5. rope bridge Carrick-a-Rede, Northern Ireland
In the entire history of the bridge, no one has yet fallen off it, but many travelers who managed to cross the bridge once simply cannot decide to return along it. In the past, however, the famous bridge was even scarier - built by local fishermen who went to the island to fish for salmon, it originally provided for a railing on only one side. Carrick-a-Rede, reaching 20 meters in length, is very popular with thrill-seeking tourists.




6. Capilano suspension bridge,
Built way back in 1889, this simple suspension footbridge is surrounded by evergreen forests. It represents a very high
, a narrow, shaky and unreliable structure - cedar planks, connected by steel ropes, shake with every step along the bridge. The structure reaches 137 meters in length and is located at a height of 70 meters.




7. Mackinac Bridge, Michigan, USA
Some drivers are so afraid to cross this 8-kilometer bridge that they simply refuse to drive over it. This happens so often that local employees are forced to transport cars and motorcycles across the bridge for free at the request of their owners. The most terrible characteristic of the bridge, hanging at a height of 60 meters above the water level, is the wind, the speed of which reaches almost 50 kilometers per hour in this place.




8. Bridge Puente de Ojuela, Mexico
Although this bridge leads to a ghost town, what makes it especially scary is not its location at all, but its shaky construction - thin wooden planks that creak with every step. Fortunately, the steel ropes fixed between the two towers make the structure completely safe for pedestrians. The bridge reaches 318 meters in length and half a meter in width. The height of the building is 109 meters.




9. William Preston Lane Memorial Bridge, Jr., Maryland,
Car owners are wary of traveling over this bridge, as severe storms often occur in this place. IN bad weather visibility drops to almost zero: having crossed half of the 8-kilometer bridge, it is almost impossible to see the ground from its middle. In the high point the winding structure reaches a height of 57 meters.




10 Monkey Bridges, Vietnam
The name of this type of bridge comes from the posture in which passers-by are forced to overcome such structures. Hunched over like a monkey, they step carefully over the bamboo supports so as not to fall into the river flowing under the bridge. Bridges are built by hand by local residents. The newest monkey bridges are built of concrete.




11. Bridge over the Sidu River,
The bridge, which opened to the public in November 2009 at a height of 457 meters, has for a long time occupied the position of the highest
in the bridge world. The bridge is so high that the famous shanghai tower Oriental Pearl Tower. The 1222 meter long bridge was designed by CCSHCC Second Highway Consultants Company Ltd and has been under construction for about 3 years since 2006




12. Seven Mile Bridge, Florida
Aside from its 11-kilometer length, this bridge seems unremarkable - however, due to its location, the bridge is very often affected by hurricanes, a common phenomenon in Florida. In fact, the bridge that exists today is already the second structure, since the original structure was destroyed by another storm. Despite Newest technologies, used in the construction of the bridge, to be on it in a storm means to put your life at great risk.

The recent construction of a suspension bridge in Switzerland from Glacier-3000 to Scex Rouge is yet another example of how these structures are increasingly being developed not just to overcome difficult obstacles, but also to provide thrills.

Take a closer look at Swiss innovation and see others amazing structures scattered across different corners land, this article will help.

Walk on the slopes of the Titlis mountains (Switzerland, Bernese Oberland)

The world's first pedestrian suspension bridge connected two Mountain peaks mountains Titlis with a height of 3000 meters in Switzerland in the town of Berner Oberland. From the observation deck of the 107-meter miracle you can admire the views of Montbalan, Metterhorn, Eiger, Monk and Jungfrau.

SkyBridge (Russia, Sochi)

The longest pedestrian bridge in the world has become a new attraction in the city of Sochi. It has platforms for fans of bungee jumping (jumping from a height on a cable), giant swing and a 700-meter cable car. Here you can not only do extreme sports but also enjoy breathtaking views of the Black Sea.

Pic du Midi (France, Mont Blanc)

The bridge connects the northern and southern peaks of the Pca du Midi french alps. The road to suspended perfection includes the highest vertical lift in the world on a cable car. Visitors can see from the bridge mountain ranges three countries: France, Switzerland and Italy.

Bamboo Suspension Bridge (Philippines, Bohol)

Its structure is not at all as fragile as it might seem. In fact, it is made of metal, and only the top layer of cables was decorated with bamboo to give the building a historical look. On the bank of the river, above which the building rises, there is a stall where they sell hats, like the famous Indiana Jones. Transforming into a hero, you can feel like a real treasure hunter.

Bridge at Taman Negara (Malaysia)

The longest (530 meters) and narrowest bridge in Malaysia is located in the Taman Negara National Park and passes over the tops of the trees. For the peace of mind of visitors, this delicate structure is checked for strength every morning.

Capilano (Canada, Vancouver)

This wonderful suspended structure is called Capilano and stretches for 137 meters above the river. It was designed by a Scottish engineer named George Grant MacKay in 1889, but was completely redesigned 67 years later. The adrenaline ride is very popular among local residents and tourists, annually it collects 700 thousand guests.

Suspension Bridge of Gasa (Nepal)

The air structure is actively in demand not only among people, but also among domestic animals: donkeys, cows and goats. Actually, it was built for the movement of cattle, so that they do not interfere with the narrow roads of Nepal.

Thrift Bridge (Switzerland, Gadman)

The Swiss walking wonder floats in the air above the lake of the same name and allows tourists to see the glacier. The length of the structure is 170 meters, and the structure takes its foundations from traditional Nepalese rope bridges.

Royal Trail (Spain)

El Caminito del Rey stretches over the El Choro Gorge. Perhaps a walk along such a "bridge" will be the most extreme pastime. The path is only a meter wide and rises more than 100 meters above the river. Despite the danger, the trail won the hearts of many travelers, and the overhaul brought new wave who want a fantastic experience.

Bridge of Mary (Germany, Bavaria)

This hanging marvel of the Marienbrücke is just a few meters from beautiful castle Neuschwanstein in Bavaria over the Pellat Gorge. The suspended structure was named after Mary, wife of King Maximilian II and mother of King Louis II, who built the fortress.
Louis II wanted the castle and the bridge to fit together better, so he went ahead and replaced the wooden railings with iron ones.

Carrick-a-Rede (Northern Ireland, County Antrim)

The original purpose of the overpass was to help fishermen cross the gorge unhindered in order to check their catch in the nets. But soon the bridge became one of the main attractions of Northern Ireland. Daredevils like to perform tricks on it. For example, do a handstand.

Kokonoe Bridge (Japan, Oita)

The ancient ruins of Ehrenberg Castle and Fort Claudia in the city of Reutte are connected by the 403-meter highline bridge 179. Official opening will allow it to become the world's longest pedestrian suspended structure.

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Suspension bridges in which the stiffening beam is supported by a freely sagging rope (cable, chain) have been known for a very long time. But in its modern form, this design first appeared in America.

In 1801, in the state of Pennsylvania, Justice of the Peace James Finley (James Finley) built the first bridge suspended on iron chains, with a span of 21 m, in 1808 he received a patent for his system, and in 1810 he published the work "Description of the Chain Bridge Patent" . Before his death in 1828, Finlay designed about 13 more bridges, most of which collapsed. His second bridge in 1807 was a bridge with a span of 39 m. Further, the construction of suspension bridges went very quickly, especially in America.

The first suspension bridges in Europe were built in Russia in St. Petersburg. The French engineer P.P. Bazin in 1823 built a pedestrian bridge with a span of 15.25 m in the Ekateringof park. Engineer Colonel G.M. Tretter together with major engineer V.A. Khristianovich built 2 chain bridges across the Fontanka. In 1824, the Panteleymonovsky bridge was built with a span of 43 m and a width of 10.7 m. Chain boom = 1/10 of the span.

In the cross section on the Panteleymonovsky bridge, five planes of chains were placed - two at the edges and one in the center. The bridge was demolished in 1907.

The cost of the bridge was 161,260 rubles. In 1826, the Egyptian Bridge was built with a span of 54.8 m and a width of 11.7 m, and with an arrow of chains = 1/10 of the span. Three planes of chains were placed in the cross section. The structures of both bridges were manufactured at the Byrd plant in St. Petersburg.

The Egyptian bridge collapsed in 1905 on a frosty day under the weight of a cavalry squadron and 11 sledges, believed to have been caused by a broken chain link. English engineers in the middle of the 19th century built outstanding bridges in Europe. So, in 1849, the famous suspension bridge in Budapest was built by the English engineer Clark with a span of 209 m.

Bridges for horse-drawn transport across big rivers almost no construction was done at that time. But in 1853, the construction of a large chain bridge across the Dnieper in Kyiv was completed. The bridge was 777 m long with spans of 139 m and a separate draw span. Construction lasted 5 years. The cost was 2.35 million rubles.

The width of the bridge is 16 m, the width of the passage is 10 m. All steel structures of 1600 tons were manufactured in Birmingham in England, delivered to the port of Odessa on 16 steamers, and then transported to Kiev by oxen. The bridge was designed for a load of 520 kg/m 2 . A fee was charged for crossing the bridge: 6 kopecks for a cow, 9 for a horse and 15 for a car. In 1912, a tram line was laid across the bridge.

The bridge was designed by the English engineer Charles Vignol. In 1854, a silver model of the bridge was exhibited in London, and researchers believe that this model served as the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

In 1920, Hetman Piłsudski's troops blew up the end span, but after the chain broke, the entire bridge collapsed. The bridge in 1925 was restored according to the project of E. O. Paton and was named the bridge named after. Eugene Bosch. The bridge existed until 1941.

Suspension (suspension) bridge Tower Bridge, London

To increase rigidity suspension bridge and to reduce local deflections, a system was used in which the bridge cables were formed from rigid flat trusses. The Tower Bridge in London across the Thames was designed by engineer John Wolfe-Barry and architect Sir Horace Jones.

Hanging side spans of 82.3 m are supported by flat trusses, and the central draw span of the bridge is 79 m.

Suspension bridge cables were formed from trusses, steel strips, chains and, finally, rope elements. Stiffening trusses could have a complex configuration.

Suspension (suspension) bridge Williamsburg Bridge

The figure shows a cross-sectional engraving of the double-deck truss of the Williamsburg Bridge in New York in its original form in 1903. Mine modern look and the design of suspension bridges acquired in the 20th century:

  • suspension bridge cable began to consist of wires;
  • rope elements became suspensions;
  • pylons began to have low bending rigidity;
  • the stiffening beam began to have significant bending and torsional rigidity.

The largest suspension (suspension) bridge Veretsano-Nerovz (Verrazano-Narrows Bridge) built in North America. The main span is 1298 m long. The bridge was opened to traffic in 1964. The bridge was laid in New York Harbor, and its 214-meter spans are as high as a seventy-story building.

Four cables, each three feet in diameter, cost more than the entire Golden Gate Bridge. For its construction, about 240 thousand km of wire were needed, enough to circle the Earth almost eight times. The typical cross section of the bridge is a double-deck slab that provides 12 lanes.

The bridge is named after the first European to reach New York Bay and the Hudson River. The construction of the bridge began in August 1959 and 5 years later, in November 1964, traffic was launched on the upper level of the bridge. The movement along the lower level was launched only 10 years later in 1969.

The construction cost was $320 million.
The bridge is two-level, each level has six traffic lanes, three in each direction. Movement freight transport only allowed at the top level

Travel across the bridge towards Staten Island is paid - $ 13, back to Brooklyn travel is free. In 2008, about 190,000 cars passed over the bridge every day.
The height of the bridge above the sea is 69.5 meters and this value is one of the limitations in the design and construction of modern cruise ships.

Hanging (suspension) bridge Humber (Humber Bridge)

Suspension bridge Humber over the river. Severn in England, completed in 1981. It has a main span of 1411 m and was until 1998 the longest suspension bridge in the world. This bridge is more delicate than Veretsano-Nerovs and has four traffic lanes.

The atypical deck, which uses hexagonal box beams instead of conventional truss girders, and slant hangers reduce both weight and cost of the bridge.

Cross section of Humber Bridge

Pylons with a height of 162.5 m and 41.275 m above the water level are offset from the parallel by 34.925 m and take into account the curvature of the earth.
Together with the side spans of the cities, it stretches for 2.2 km

Hanging (suspension) bridge of Tsingma (Tsing Ma bridge)

Suspension bridge with the longest span for joint rail traffic. The Tsing Ma Bridge was built in Hong Kong from 1992-1997.

It was opened to traffic in April 1997, months before Hong Kong was returned to China. The bridge was built on the road to new airport Chek Lap

It has a central span of 1377 m, a side span of 359 m (also of a hanging system) and a 300-meter part - a three-span continuous beam

Suspension bridge (Tsing Ma bridge)

The central span is supported by two cables with a diameter of 1100 mm. The stiffening beam in cross section has dimensions of 41.0 × 7.3 m. It is combined in design and combines a truss with a solid box-shaped beam.

Foundation and support structure of a suspension (suspension) bridge

One pillar is built on the side of Qing Yi Island, and the other is 120 meters from the coast. artificial island Mavan. The pylons are 206 meters above sea level. Pylons (supports) are racks interconnected by crossbars. Supports (pylons) are designed from high-strength concrete using continuous concreting technology using mobile formwork.

Anchoring a suspension bridge

The tension forces in the cables are balanced by large support structures located at both ends of the bridge. These are massive concrete structures buried deep in the ground on the coast of Qing Yi and Ma Wan Islands. The total weight of concrete used to create the two pylons is approximately 300,000 tons.

Suspension bridge main cables

The cables were formed by the hanging method. The broaching process was carried out by feeding the wire with constant tension and pulling from one support to another. 70,000 wires, each with a diameter of 5.38 mm, were combined into a main cable with a diameter of 1.1 meters, passing through a 500-ton cast-iron sled at the top of each support tower of the bridge .

Suspension bridge span

The metal superstructure was made in Great Britain and Japan. After delivery, they were enlarged into assembly blocks in Dongguan, China. A total of 96 mounting elements were prepared, each 18 meters long and weighing 480 tons.

The mounting blocks were delivered to the installation site by barges made specifically for this purpose and were installed by two jib cranes, which moved as the span blocks were enlarged.

Suspension (suspension) bridge Tacoma Narrows Bridge

The torsional vibration frequencies should be greater than the bending ones. The latter requirement has become a determining factor in the design of large bridges, especially after the analysis of the collapse of the Tacoma Bridge.

The bridge was built in July 1940 by Leon Moisseiff in Washington state. The length of the suspension span is 853 m. The initial width and height of the beam were 11.9 and 2.4 m, respectively.

In other words, the beam was very thin and had low bending stiffness and, most importantly, low torsional stiffness. As it turned out later, the frequency of torsional vibrations of the beam was less than the frequency of bending vibrations, which led to the appearance of a bending-torsional flutter (see the chapter "Dynamic calculations").

The destruction of the bridge occurred only four months after its opening under the influence of a crosswind with a speed of 20 m/s as a result of oscillations with large amplitude and low frequency (galloping). After this collapse, aerodynamic testing of bridges with similar center spans became mandatory.

The bridge was restored with a significant change in the parameters of the beam only ten years later (Fig. 2.31). The new width and height of the beam were 18.3 and 10 m, i.e. the height of the beam was increased four times.

Suspension bridge Tacoma Narrows Bridge 1950

Suspension (suspension) Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

Golden Gate in San Francisco in the USA. The bridge became religious building for USA and Hollywood. The author of the bridge is Charles Ellis, who developed the principal solutions, although the design was led by Joseph Strauss, who had previously put forward the idea of ​​​​closing the bay using a cantilever-suspension system.

The famous suspension bridge Golden Gate ("Golden Gate"), built in 1937, had a 1281-meter main span and two extreme spans of 343.1 m each, the total length of the suspension structure was 1967 m.

The pylons reached a height of 227.5 m and the supports of which were sunk to a depth of 30.5 meters. To eliminate possible damage to the bridge from an earthquake, its foundations were sunk into the rock by 7.6 m.

The total width of the bridge deck is 24.7m and consists of an 18.3m wide carriageway and two sidewalk widths of 3.2m. above sea level

Suspension Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

The construction of the bridge began in January 1933 and four and a half years later, on May 27, 1937, the bridge was opened to traffic.

Suspension bridge parameters

  • central span = 1280 m;
  • the height of the pylons is 227.4 m;
  • truss height = 7.6 m;
  • truss width = 27.4 m;
  • a cable with a diameter of 1 m consists of 27,000 wires;
  • weight of each cable 7 125 t.

After 75 years, next to the first Fortsky Bridge, a second, but already hanging, system was built. The works were started in 1958 and completed in 1964. The road bridge was built according to the scheme 408 + 1006 + 408 m. The height of the stiffening truss is 8.4 m, and the width is 23.8 m.

Suspension Bridge The Forth Road Bridge 1964

Over the past century, more than a dozen suspension bridges have been built with spans of more than a kilometer. Many of them incorporated new and interesting ideas. Very interesting building is a bridge in Denmark across the Great Belt with a span of 1624 m, built in 1998.

Suspension (suspension) bridge Akashi-Kaikyo (akashi kaikyo)

But the record holder is a suspension bridge built in 1998 in Japan. This is the Akashi Bridge with a central span of 1990.8 m.

Akashi Kaikyo Suspension Bridge

connects western part the city of Kobe and the Awaji Islands, and lies on one of the three routes connecting the islands of Honshu and Shikoku. Construction work on the construction of the foundations of the bridge began in 1988.

The bridge is so huge that the usual elements at other scales become very complex. This bridge shows how quantity turns into quality.

Hanging (suspension) bridge Messinskiy (project stage)

Plans to build a bridge combined for rail transport and road traffic, which should connect Sicily with continental Italy and cross the Strait of Messina, have been around for a long time. A bridge is really needed in this place, since the expected traffic intensity should be 50,000 cars and 120 trains per day.

But the cost of such a bridge would be enormous. Therefore, the economic feasibility of its construction, even under the condition toll remains in question, since the payback will not come soon. Previously, the very idea of ​​​​implementing such a project looked fantastic, since the bridge seemed unrealizable for the following reasons:

  • the width of the water table in the alignment of the bridge is 3660 m, the depth is more than 100 m.
  • the bridge is located in an active seismic zone, with accelerations equal to 6 m/s 2
  • (measured during the catastrophic earthquake of 1908)
  • calculated wind speed is 216 km/h (1 time in 2000 years)

The figure shows the main engineering solutions from the design of a suspension bridge combined for rail transport and road traffic, with a central span of 3300 m.

The bridge covers almost the entire water area Strait of Messina and provides a guaranteed navigable underbridge clearance of 65 m. The stiffening beam is supported by two pairs of cables with a diameter of 1.2 m and a length of 5300 m. The weight of each of the four cables is 41.6 thousand tons. The cable consists of 44352 parallel wires with a diameter of 5.38 mm. Linear weight of one cable 7.85 t/m.

The force in each of the four cables from the action of the cable's own weight is 68,000 tons, and the force in each cable from the full constant load is 118,000 tons. That is, the cable carries itself by 58%, and the stiffening beam only by 42%.

The length of paired hangers running every 30 m from the cable to the beam ranges from 5 to 300 m. The distance between the pairs of cables across the bridge is 52 m. The cables are supported by pylon saddles located at a height of 376 m above the water.

Structural beam design

Unlike standard solutions (truss or beam with an aerodynamic profile), the design of the stiffening beam in this project is very original and is subject to the aerodynamic stability of the structure.

The passage slab is supported by three independent beams: two road beams and one beam for rail transport, the profile of which is subject to the aerodynamic stability of the span structure. These separately running beams are connected by cross beams 52 m wide, running at 30 m intervals.

Suspension Messinian bridge cross section

Behind the transverse beams, the stiffening beam is suspended to the cable by a pair of hangers. The pavement of the passage on the orthotropic slabs of the road beams is made with a thickness of 38 mm on a bitumen base. Emergency passage between the beams is carried out on a steel lattice plate.

Such an unusual design of the superstructure stiffening beam allowed the designers to solve two problems:

  1. It was possible to create a wide, transversely rigid and relatively light beam. The constant linear load is only 23 t/m, and includes 2.85 t/m - the weight of the beam for rail transport, 0.98 t/m - the weight of the superstructure of the track, 6.37 t/m - the weight of each of the beams of the roadway, 1.99 t/m is the weight of the cover and 4.91 t/m is the weight of the cross beams.
  2. It was possible to create an aerodynamically stable beam of the superstructure, which makes it possible to ensure the stability of the structure at a wind speed of 270 km/h. This is ensured by the configuration of the beams, free air circulation through the plate between the beams, special fairings, etc. The transverse deviation of the middle of the span at a wind speed of 80 km/h is only 2.5 m, which is less than 1/1320 of the span, and the turn is no more than 3%.

Important in this project is the fact that engineers are now able to create a structure of such grandiose dimensions without using revolutionary new materials for cables.

Undoubtedly, the most interesting element of this structure is the light and aerodynamically stable stiffening beam. The concept underlying its design deserves further study and development.