The
Pont du Gard was built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (63 – 12 BC), the
son-in-law of Caesar Augustus. The bridge’s stones, some of which weigh
up to 6 tons, were cut perfectly to fit together without any mortar. 
The
Iron Bridge, spanning the Severn river in Shropshire, England, isn’t a
particularly large or ornate bridge, but it does have something that
made it unique: it’s the first bridge made completely out of cast iron.



In
1916, the idea of a bridge to cross the Golden Gate, a narrow strait
that separated San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Headlands, was
conceived. Though it was almost immediately dismissed as the cost was
estimated to be $100 million (astronomical for the time), a veteran
bridge builder named Joseph Strauss lobbied for more than two decades
to have it built.On 9/25/11, viji sullan <vijis...@gmail.com> wrote:
> TOP 10 BEAUTIFUL BRIDGES IN THE WORLD
>
>
> 10. Khaju Bridge
>
> Photo: twocentsworth
> <http://flickr.com/photos/seeingthings/547590765/>[Flickr]
>
> Khaju Bridge at night. Photo:
> Jovika<http://www.flickr.com/photos/jovika/1212523493/>[Flickr]
> The Khaju Bridge (*Pol-e-Khajoo*) in Isfahan, Iran, was built in the 17th
> century by Shah Abbas II. The bridge also serves as a dam, with sluice gates
> under the archways. When the gates are closed, the water level behind the
> bridge is raised to irrigate gardens alongside the Zayandeh River.
> The Khoju Bridge has two stories of arcades, marked by the distinctive
> intersecting arches decorated with richly colored tiles. At the center of
> the bridge, there are two large pavilions, called the Prince Parlors, that
> were originally reserved for the Shah.
> 9. Pont du Gard
>
> Pont du Gard. Photo: zak mc
> <http://flickr.com/photos/zakmc/1566294527/>[Flickr]
> Pont du Gard, an aqueduct spanning the Gard River in southern France, is a
> masterpiece of Roman engineering. It wasn’t built to transport people
> (though there is a pedestrian footbridge on it) – instead, it was part of a
> complex aqueduct system that carried water over 30 miles (about 50 km) to
> the ancient Roman city of Nemausus (now Nîmes).
> The Pont du Gard was built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (63 – 12 BC), the
> son-in-law of Caesar Augustus. The bridge’s stones, some of which weigh up
> to 6 tons, were cut perfectly to fit together without any mortar.
> The wedge-shaped stones, known as voussoirs, were arranged in three levels,
> the top-most being the water conduit. So precise was the engineering that
> the entire system descends only 56 ft. (17 m) vertically – over 30 miles! –
> to deliver 5 million gallons (20,00 m3) of water to the city.
> 8. Bridge of Sighs
>
> The Bridge of Sighs. Photo: Eugenia y
> Julian<http://flickr.com/photos/eugeniayjulian/21317722/>[Flickr]
> In the 19th century, Lord Byron named a Venetian limestone bridge across the
> Rio di Palazzo connecting the Doge’s prison to the interrogation room in the
> main palace, the Bridge of Sighs (*Ponte dei Sospiri*). Supposedly, the
> prisoners would sigh when they look out the window – with stone bars no less
> – to see their last view of beautiful Venice before their imprisonment,
> torture or execution.
> In reality, Doge’s prison held mostly small-time criminals. Also, the bridge
> was built in 1600 by Antonio Contino, after the days of the inquisitions and
> summary executions. Legend has it that if lovers kissed on a gondola
> underneath the Bridge of Sighs at sunset, their love would last for
> eternity.
> 7. Iron Bridge
>
> Iron Bridge. Photo: johnmuk
> <http://flickr.com/photos/jm999uk/53357537/>[Flickr]
>
> Iron bridge at night. Notice how the bridge and its reflection make a
> perfect circle.
> Photo: Mark
> Haythorne<http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_haythorne/2182835064/>[Flickr]
> The Iron Bridge, spanning the Severn river in Shropshire, England, isn’t a
> particularly large or ornate bridge, but it does have something that made it
> unique: it’s the first bridge made completely out of cast iron.
> In the 18th century, Shropshire was rich in iron and coal – indeed, there
> were more iron factories within two-mile radius of the town than any other
> city in the world. It was also there that iron was first smelt with coke. So
> it was only natural that the bridge would be made out of iron, a stronger
> alternative to wood. (Photo of the railing:
> zorro<http://www.flickr.com/photos/cactus23/2252863037/>[Flickr])
> Architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard proposed a single arch bridge that would
> let boats pass underneath, but he died before the bridge was built. The
> construction of the Iron Bridge was carried out by a local master ironworker
> named Abraham Darby III. About 400 tons (363 tonnes) of cast iron was used,
> with about 800 separate castings. The Iron Bridge has 5 arch ribs, each cast
> in two halves. It only took three months to put the parts together (which
> they did using screws instead of bolts!).
> The ease and speed of the Iron Bridge’s construction helped convince
> engineers of the versatility and strength of iron, and helped usher in the
> Industrial Revolution era. Darby, however, didn’t fare so well: he severely
> underestimated the cost to build the bridge, and remained in debt for the
> rest of his life.
> (Source<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/iron.html>
> )
> 6. Covered Bridges
>
> The West Montrose Covered Bridge on the Grand River, Ontario, Canada. It’s
> known locally as the Kissing Bridge. Photo:
> gojumeister<http://flickr.com/photos/steve-n-leona/191334088/>[Flickr]
>
> Pisgah Covered Bridge in southern Randolph County, North Carolina. It was
> washed away by a flood in 2003, but rebuilt with 90% of the original wood.
> It’s now one of two historic covered bridges left in the state. Photo:
> jimmywayne22 <http://flickr.com/photos/auvet/2244790535/> [Flickr]
>
> Thomas Malone Covered Bridge in Beaver Creek State Park, Ohio.
> Photo: c0reyann <http://flickr.com/photos/coreyann/469318899/> [Flickr]
> Covered bridges are simply that: bridges that have enclosed sides and roof.
> Though technically the Bridge of Sigh, Ponte Vecchio, and the Wind and Rain
> Bridges in this list are covered bridges, this term usually means simple,
> single-lane bridges in rural settings.
> Before they are made famous by the 1995 Clint Eastwood film *The Bridges of
> Madison County*, "kissing bridges" or "tunnels of love" have been the pride
> and joy of many small towns across Europe and especially Northern America
> where more than ten thousands of such bridges were built.
> In the 19th century, timber was plentiful and cheap (or, in many cases,
> free). So it’s natural that these bridges were made of wood. But why were
> they covered? Well, lovers aside, the real reason was much more practical:
> the wooden beams of the bridge lasted longer when protected from the
> elements.
> Unfortunately, due to neglect, theft of lumber, vandalism, and fire, most
> covered bridges in the United States and Canada have disappeared.
> 5. Ponte Vecchio
>
> Ponte Vecchio. Photo:
> G|o®g|O<http://flickr.com/photos/di4b0liko/2083407609/>
>
> Ponte Vecchio at night. Photo:
> MrUllmi<http://flickr.com/photos/mrullmi/216300989/>[Flickr]
> The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval bridge over the Arno River. Actually, it’s
> much more than a bridge – it’s a street, a marketplace, and a landmark of
> Florence, Italy.
> The Ponte Vecchio that we know today was built in 1345 by Taddeo Gaddi after
> an older span was destroyed in a flood. To finance the bridge, lots along
> the roadway were rented out to merchants, especially butchers and tanners,
> to hawk their wares.
> In 1565, Duke Cosimo I de Medici ordered an architect named Giorgio Vasari
> to construct a roofed passageway. Soon after, jewelers, goldsmiths, and
> merchants of luxury goods pushed out the butchers out of Ponte Vecchio.
> Centuries of haphazard additions gave the bridge’s distinctive, irregular
> appearance today.
> During World War II, after having survived many floods, the bridge faced its
> gravest threat: German bombers were blowing up bridges in Florence. It was a
> direct order from Hitler that spared Ponte Vecchio from certain destruction.
> It is said that the word "bankruptcy" came from Ponte Vecchio. When a
> merchant failed to pay his debt, the table ("banco") he used to sell his
> wares was broken ("rotto") by soldiers. Not having a table anymore
> ("bancorotto"), meant the seller was bankrupt.
> 4. The Wind and Rain Bridge
>
> Chengyang Bridge. Photo: mazakii that
> genius<http://www.flickr.com/photos/83163517@N00/448953721/>[Flickr]
> The wind and rain bridges were a type of bridge built by the Dong people (a
> minority ethnic group) in China. Because they live in the lowlands and the
> valleys with many rivers, the Dong people are excellent bridge builders.
> They are called "wind and rain" bridges because the covered bridges not only
> let people cross the river, but also protect them from the elements.
> The Dong people don’t use nails or rivets to build these bridges – instead,
> they dovetail all of the wood. The largest and most magnificent is the
> Chenyang Bridge, spanning the Linxi River near the Dong village of Maan. The
> bridge is about 100 years old, and like all wind and rain bridges, it was
> built without a single nail.
> 3. Brooklyn Bridge
>
> Brooklyn Bridge. Photo: Dennis
> Gerbeckx<http://flickr.com/photos/breakdennis/2115634466/>[Flickr]
>
> Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise. Photo:
> LemonSunrise<http://flickr.com/photos/lemonsunrise/1557130170/>[Flickr]
> In 1855, engineer John Roebling started to design a bridge that at the time
> would be the longest suspension bridge in the world, with towers being the
> tallest structures in the Western Hemisphere: the Brooklyn Bridge in New
> York.
> Today, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the main crossings of the East River
> and one of the most heavily trafficked bridges in the world. But in the late
> 19th century, it took Roebling more than 14 years to convince the city to
> build the bridge.
> After he got approval, Roebling was surveying a site when his foot was
> crushed by a ferry. Three weeks before the scheduled groundbreaking, he died
> of tetanus. His son, an engineer named Washington Roebling took over the
> project.
> In 1872, while working on caissons to set the foundation for the towers,
> Washington fell ill with caisson disease (a decompression sickness commonly
> known as "the bends") that left him barely able to see, talk, or write. His
> wife, Emily Warren Roebling, rose to the occasion – she learned engineering
> on the fly and for nine years went to the job site to deliver her husband’s
> directions. Washington himself was said to watch the construction from his
> room through a binocular.
> When the Brooklyn Bridge was opened, Emily was honored with the first ride
> over the bridge. She held a rooster, a symbol of victory, in her lap.
> Washington himself rarely visited the bridge till his death in 1926.
> One interesting note about the Brooklyn Bridge: it stood fast while other
> bridges built around the same time had crumbled. Engineers credit Roebling
> for designing a bridge and truss system six times as strong as he thought it
> needed to be!
> 2. Tower Bridge
>
> Tower Bridge at twilight. Photo:
> Diliff<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tower_bridge_London_Twilight_-_November_2006.jpg>[wikipedia]
>
> Tower Bridge at night. Photo: Andreas
> L<http://flickr.com/photos/andreaslienig/219051117/>[Flickr]
> It’s funny to think about ancient traffic jams, but that was why the Tower
> Bridge in London, England was built. By the end of the 19th century, the
> development of the eastern part of London caused such a load on the London
> Bridge that the city decided to build a new bridge.
> Construction of the Tower Bridge started in 1886, led by architect Sir
> Horace Jones and engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry. The design was a bascule
> (draw) bridge with two towers built on piers, so the bridge wouldn’t
> interefere with the port facilities nearby.
> A year after construction was started, Jones died and his replacement,
> George D. Stevenson along with Barry decided to modify the design a little
> bit. Instead of the original brick facade design, the Tower Bridge had a
> more ornate Victorian Gothic style meant to harmonize it with the nearby
> Tower of London.
> When the bridge opened in 1894, the public was aghast. H. Heathcote Statham,
> Fellow of the Royal Insitute of British Architect, wrote the familiar
> sentiment as thus: "*The Tower Bridge … represents the vice of tawdriness
> and pretentiousness, and of falsification of the actual facts of the
> structure.*" (Source: Waddell, J., *Bridge Engineering*, Google
> Books<http://books.google.com/books?id=hiM5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1163&lpg=PA1163&dq=tower%2Bbridge%2Bstatham&source=web&ots=var1DYOtPn&sig=NYaozxFgZaUJ81mpb-HxMClWqro&hl=en>
> )
> But over time, people warmed up to the bridge. Indeed, the Tower Bridge grew
> to be one of London’s most recognizable landmarks. Even one of its loudest
> critics, architectural critic Eric de Maré conceded: the British people
> "*have
> grown fond of the old fraud … and we must admit that it has carried on its
> task with admirable regularity and efficiency.*" (Source: Dupré, J., *
> Bridges*; 1997 Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers)
> 1. Golden Gate Bridge
>
> Golden Gate Bridge in HDR as the first big storm of the season hits San
> Francisco.
> Photo: vgm8383 <http://flickr.com/photos/vgm8383/2176862243/> [Flickr]
>
> Golden Gate Bridge at sunset. Photo:
> mischiru<http://flickr.com/photos/mischiru/345214649/>[Flickr]
>
> Golden Gate Bridge at night. Photo:
> justinwyne<http://flickr.com/photos/justinwyne/2086568047/>[Flickr]
> The Golden Gate Bridge is such an iconic symbol of San Francisco (and of
> suspension bridge in general) that it’s hard to imagine a time when it
> didn’t exist. But before it was built, most people thought it was an
> impossible task.
> In 1916, the idea of a bridge to cross the Golden Gate, a narrow strait that
> separated San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Headlands, was conceived.
> Though it was almost immediately dismissed as the cost was estimated to be
> $100 million (astronomical for the time), a veteran bridge builder named
> Joseph Strauss lobbied for more than two decades to have it built.
> The Golden Gate Bridge faced tough opposition: the Department of War thought
> it would interfere with ship traffic and the Southern Pacific Railroad
> opposed it as competition to its ferry service. At first, even the public
> didn’t like the bridge … because Strauss’ original design was deemed too
> ugly! But Strauss finally won, and after 22-years of drumming up support,
> the bridge was built. (Photo: SF
> Museum<http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist9/mcgloin.html>
> )
> Strauss insisted that the project take worker’s safety seriously. It was the
> first major bridge project that used hard hats and a safety net. During the
> course of construction, 19 people were saved by the net to become members of
> the *Halfway to Hell Club*.
> (Source<http://goldengatebridge.org/research/facts.php#HalfwayHell>
> )
> The color of the Golden Gate Bridge is actually not red – it’s an orange
> vermillion called *International Orange*. The color was chosen specifically
> because it complements the bridge’s natural surrounding yet enhances its
> visibility in the fog.
> Construction took more than four years, at a cost of $27 million. The Golden
> Gate Bridge actually came in $1.3 million under budget (though 5 months
> late). For his work, Strauss got $1 million … and a lifetime bridge pass!
>
--
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