Building Bridges
Bridges are structures used by people and vehicles to make crossing areas easier in travel. Engineers build bridges over rivers, lakes, ravines, canyons, railroads, and highways. Bridges must be built strong enough to safely support their own weight as well as the weight of the people and vehicles that pass over it. The bridge must also withstand natural occurrences that include weathering, earthquakes, strong winds, and freezing and thawing.
Technology allows us to build better bridges all the time. We can use the best materials and designs to ensure a quality bridge while making it look like good scenery as well. Computers help architects to determine the types of bridges to built, the materials to use, and what limits a particular bridge can handle. However, architects will tell you it is one thing to design a bridge, but a whole other issue to actually build it.
Planning and executing the building of a bridge is very detailed. It is often the most difficult part of the entire building process. Issues including how to reroute traffic during the construction process need to be taken into consideration. Tests need to be conducted before any building can begin.
These include checking the condition of the ground, recording wind speeds and direction, and recording water levels in the area of the past 50 years. You don’t want your bridge to flood in the event of heavy rains. Mechanical tests are done to ensure the bridge will not collapse. Computers are very beneficial in the area of mechanical tests as a variety of items can be tested. Investigations and surveys are conducted to make sure there will not be negative effects on people or animals in the area.
Once building does begin, tests have to be conducted every step of the way. Stressors have to be able to sustain the predicted weight that will be on the bridge at any given time. Safety of the workers and the community have to be on the frontline all the time. Excavation of the ground can be difficult. If there is water in the area, you have to keep the water out of the holes for the beams or they may not hold well.
Communication is a huge factor in the success of building a bridge. Workers need to be knowledgeable and quality control needs to be enforced every step of the way. If not, serious injury or death can occur during construction. High winds and extremely cold weather can halt bridge building for the safety of the workers.
