FACTOID # 84: 41% world's poor people live in India.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

SEARCH ALL

FACTS & STATISTICS    Advanced view

Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 

 

(* = Graphable)

 

 


Encyclopedia > Pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
Temporary military river crossing 1945
Ancestor None - this is a foundational type
Related None
Descendant None
Carries Pedestrian, automobile, truck
Span range Short to long
Material Various: steel, concrete, boats, barrels, plastic floats, appropriate decking material
Movable Generally no, but may have movable sections for watercraft passage
Design effort low
Falsework required No
Pontoon bridge across the James River at Richmond, Virginia, 1865.
The U.S. 9th Army crosses the Rhine on a steel treadway pontoon bridge, 1945.

A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water, supported by barge-or-boat-like pontoons to support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time. Permanent floating bridges are useful for sheltered water-crossings where it is not considered economically feasible to suspend a bridge from anchored piers. Such bridges can require a section that is elevated, or can be raised or removed, to allow ships to pass. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 771 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 1167 pixel, file size: 208 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Falseworks are temporary structures used in the building of bridges and other arched structures in order to hold the item in place until its building is sufficiently far advanced to support itself. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1425x1075, 306 KB)Pontoon bridge across the James River at Richmond, Virginia, 1865. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1425x1075, 306 KB)Pontoon bridge across the James River at Richmond, Virginia, 1865. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 771 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 1167 pixel, file size: 208 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 771 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 1167 pixel, file size: 208 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... This article is about the edifice (including an index to articles on specific bridge types). ... For the car body style, see Ponton (automobile). ... For the type of foundation, see Deep foundation. ... Italian Full rigged ship Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large watercraft capable of offshore navigation. ...


Submerged floating-tube bridges have been considered for use across ocean straits and even across entire oceans[citation needed]. It is estimated that a submerged floating tunnel would be two to three times more costly to build than a floating bridge, and the technology remains unproven. No submerged floating tunnel exists in the world at present. Simplified diagram A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water, and thus lies between two land masses. ... Animated map exhibiting the worlds oceanic waters. ... A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ... This article is about the edifice (including an index to articles on specific bridge types). ... A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ...

Contents

Military bridges

Pontoon bridges are especially useful in wartime as river crossings. Such bridges are usually temporary, and are sometimes destroyed after crossing (to keep the enemy from using them), or collapsed and carried (if on a long march). They were used to great advantage in many battles throughout time, including the Battle of the Garigliano, the Battle of Oudenarde, and many others. For other uses, see War (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see River (disambiguation). ... Generally, a battle is an instance of combat in warfare between two or more parties wherein each group will seek to defeat the others. ... Combatants Christian League Saracens Commanders Alberic I of Spoleto The Battle of Garigliano was fought in 915 between the forces of the Christian League and the Saracens. ... Combatants Great Britain United Provinces Holy Roman Empire France Commanders Duke of Marlborough Prince Eugene of Savoy Louis, duc de Bourgogne Duc de Vendôme Strength 105,000 100,000 Casualties 3,000 15,000 The Battle of Oudenarde (or Oudenaarde) was a key battle in the War of the...


Pontoon bridges have been in use since ancient times.


The ancient China, the Zhou Dynasty Chinese text of the Shi Qing (Book of Odes) records that King Wen of Zhou was the first to create a pontoon bridge in the 11th century BC. However, the historian Joseph Needham has pointed out that in all likely scenarios, the temporary pontoon bridge was invented during the 9th century BC - 8th century BC in China, as this part was perhaps a later addition to the book (considering how the book had been edited up until the Han Dynasty, 202 BC - 220 AD). Although earlier temporary pontoon bridges had been made in China, the first secure and permanent ones (and linked with iron chains) in China came first during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 207 BC). The later Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD) Chinese statesman Cao Cheng once wrote of early pontoon bridges in China (spelling of Chinese in Wade-Giles format): China is the worlds oldest continuous major civilization, with written records dating back about 3,500 years and with 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization. ... Boundaries of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1050 - 771 BC) in China The Zhou Dynasty (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chou Ch`ao; 1122 BC to 256 BC [1] preceded by the Shang Dynasty and followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. ... The Book of Odes may refer to one of the following: The Chinese Shi Jing The Christian Book of Odes (Bible) The Arabic Kitab al-Aghani Category: ... King Wen of Zhou (chinese: 周文王, pinyin: zhou1 wen2 wang2) (1099-1050 BC) was the founder of the later 周朝 Zhou Dynasty. ... David and Saul (1885) by Julius Kronberg. ... Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham (December 9, 1900 – March 24, 1995) was a British biochemist and pre-eminent authority on the history of Chinese science. ... (10th century BC - 9th century BC - 8th century BC - other centuries) (900s BC - 890s BC - 880s BC - 870s BC - 860s BC - 850s BC - 840s BC - 830s BC - 820s BC - 810s BC - 800s BC - other decades) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Kingdom of Kush (900 BC... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) Ruins of the training grounds at Olympia, Greece. ... Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (202 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–190 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24  - Abdication to Cao Wei 220... Qin empire in 210 BC Capital Xianyang Language(s) Chinese Religion Taoism Government Monarchy History  - Unification of China 221 BC  - Death of Qin Shi Huangdi 210 BC  - Surrender to Liu Bang 206 BC The Qin Dynasty (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chin Chao) (221 BC - 206 BC) was preceded... Northern Song in 1111 AD Capital Kaifeng (960–1127) Linan (1127–1276) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy Emperor  - 960-976 Emperor Taizu  - 1126–1127 Emperor Qinzong  - 1127–1162 Emperor Gaozong  - 1278–1279 Emperor Bing History  - Zhao Kuangyin taking over the throne of the Later Zhou... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ...

“The Chhun Chhiu Hou Chuan says that in the 58th year of the Zhou King Nan (257 BC), there was invented in the Qin State the floating bridge (fou chhiao) with which to cross rivers. But the Ta Ming ode in the Shih Ching (Book of Odes) says (of King Wen) that he ‘joined boats and made of them a bridge’ over the River Wei. Sun Yen comments that this shows that the boats were arranged in a row, like the beams (of a house) with boards laid (transversely) across them, which is just the same as the pontoon bridge of today. Tu Yu also thought this…Cheng Khang Chheng says that the Zhou people invented it and used it whenever they had occasion to do so, but the Qin people, to whom they handed it down, were the first to fasten it securely together (for permanent use),” (Needham, 160). Qin or Chin (Wade-Giles) (秦), pronounced something like Shin, (778 BC-207 BC) was a state during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of China. ... The Wei River (渭河, pinyin: Wei He; Wade-Giles: Wei Ho) is a river in central China. ...

During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD), the Chinese created a very large pontoon bridge that spanned across the width of the Yellow River. There was also the rebellion of Gongsun Shu in 33 AD, where a large pontoon bridge with fortified posts was constructed across the Yangtze River, eventually broken through with ramming ships by official Han troops under Commander Cen Peng. During the late Eastern Han into the Three Kingdoms period, during the Battle of Chibi in 208 AD, the Prime Minister Cao Cao once linked the majority of his fleet together with iron chains, which proved to be a fatal mistake once he was thwarted with a fire attack by Sun Quan's fleet. For other Yellow Rivers, see Yellow River (disambiguation). ... There was archieve dating back very early about the ancient navy of China. ... Length 6,380 km Elevation of the source  ? m Average discharge 31,900 m³/s Area watershed 1,800,000 km² Origin Qinghai Province and Tibet Mouth East China Sea Basin countries China The Chang Jiang (Simplified Chinese: 长江; Traditional Chinese: 長江; pinyin: Cháng Jiāng... In warfare, ramming is a technique that was used in the air, sea and tank combat. ... The Three Kingdoms period (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a period in the history of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties. ... Battle of Red Cliffs Conflict Wars of the Three Kingdoms Date Winter, 208 Place Chi Bi (Red Cliffs), Chang Jiang Result Decisive Wu and Shu victory Battle of Red Cliffs (赤壁之戰 Battle of Chibi) was a decisive battle of the wars of the Three Kingdoms in China. ... Cáo Cāo (155 – March 15, 220, pronounced Tsau Tsau) was a regional warlord and the second last Chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during its final years in ancient China. ... Sun Quan (孫權 pinyin: SÅ«n Quán) (182 - 252), son of Sun Jian, was the third ruler of the State of Wu and the founder of Kingdom of Wu, during the Three Kingdoms period, in China. ...


The Greek writer Herodotus in his Histories, records several pontoon bridges. For Emperor Darius I of Persia (522 BC - 485 BC), the Greek Mandrocles of Samos once engineered a pontoon bridge that stretched across the Bosporus, linking Asia to Europe, so that Darius could pursue the fleeing Scythians as well as move his army into position in the Balkans to overwhelm Macedon. Another spectacular pontoon bridge was a pair of floating bridges across the Hellespont by Xerxes I in 480 BC to transport his huge army into Europe: Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: HÄ“rodotos Halikarnāsseus) was a Greek historian from Ionia who lived in the 5th century BC (ca. ... The Histories of Herodotus of Halicarnassus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. ... Seal of Darius I, showing the king hunting on his chariot, and the symbol of Ahuramazda Darius the Great (Pers. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... I LOVE BORAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Two bridges cross the Bosporus. ... The Scythians (also Scyths, from Greek ), a nation of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who spoke an Iranian language[1], dominated the Pontic steppe throughout Classical Antiquity. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Ancient Macedons regions and towns Macedon or Macedonia (Greek ) was the name of an ancient kingdom in the northern-most part of ancient Greece, bordered by the kingdom of Epirus to the west and the region of Thrace to the east. ... The Helespont/Dardanelles, a long narrow strait dividing the Balkans (Europe) along the Gallipoli peninsula from Asia Anatolia (Asia Minor). ... Xerxes I (خشایارشاه), was a Persian king (reigned 485 - 465 BC) of the Achaemenid dynasty. ... The Persian invasion of Greece in 480-479 BC May — King Xerxes I of Persia marches from Sardis and onto Thrace and Macedonia. ...

and meanwhile other chief-constructors proceeded to make the bridges; and thus they made them: They put together fifty-oared galleys and triremes, three hundred and sixty to be under the bridge towards the Euxine Sea, and three hundred and fourteen to be under the other, the vessels lying in the direction of the stream of the Hellespont (though crosswise in respect to the Pontus), to support the tension of the ropes. They placed them together thus, and let down very large anchors, those on the one side towards the Pontus because of the winds which blow from within outwards, and on the other side, towards the West and the Egean, because of the South-East and South Winds. They left also an opening for a passage through, so that any who wished might be able to sail into the Pontus with small vessels, and also from the Pontus outwards. Having thus done, they proceeded to stretch tight the ropes, straining them with wooden windlasses, not now appointing the two kinds of rope to be used apart from one another, but assigning to each bridge two ropes of white flax and four of the papyrus ropes. The thickness and beauty of make was the same for both, but the flaxen ropes were heavier in proportion, and of this rope a cubit weighed one talent. When the passage was bridged over, they sawed up logs of wood, and making them equal in length to the breadth of the bridge they laid them above the stretched ropes, and having set them thus in order they again fastened them above. When this was done, they carried on brushwood, and having set the brushwood also in place, they carried on to it earth; and when they had stamped down the earth firmly, they built a barrier along on each side, so that the baggage-animals and horses might not be frightened by looking out over the sea.[1]

The late Roman writer Vegetius, in his work De Re Militari, wrote: Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Vegetius (Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus) was a celebrated military writer of the 4th century. ... De Re Militari (Latin On military matters) was a treatise of late Roman warfare that became a military guide in the middle ages. ...

But the most commodious invention is that of the small boats hollowed out of one piece of timber and very light both by their make and the quality of the wood. The army always has a number of these boats upon carriages, together with a sufficient quantity of planks and iron nails. Thus with the help of cables to lash the boats together, a bridge is instantly constructed, which for the time has the solidity of a bridge of stone.[2]

When designing a pontoon bridge, the engineer must take into consideration the maximum amount of load that it is intended to support. Each pontoon can support a load equal to the mass of the water that it displaces, but this load also includes the mass of the bridge itself. If the maximum load of a bridge section is exceeded, one or more pontoons become submerged and will proceed to sink. The roadway across the pontoons must also be able to support the load, yet be light enough not to limit their carrying capacity. This article is about the edifice (including an index to articles on specific bridge types). ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Load may mean: Look up Load in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place. ...


Prior to the advent of modern military pontoon bridge-building equipment, floating bridges were typically constructed using wood. Such a wooden floating bridge could be built in a series of sections, starting from an anchored point on the shore. Pontoons were formed using boats; several barrels lashed together; rafts of timbers, or some combination of these. Each bridge section consisted of one or more pontoons, which were maneuvered into position and then anchored. These pontoons were then linked together using wooden stringers called balks. The balks were then covered by a series of cross planks to form a road surface, and the planks were held in place with side rails. The bridge was repeatedly extended in this manner until the opposite bank was reached. For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ... A stocked ships anchor. ... Shore A shore or shoreline is the land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. ... For other uses, see Boat (disambiguation). ... Traditional wooden barrels in Cutchogue Modern aluminium beer barrels - also called casks - outside the Castle Rock microbrewery in Nottingham, England A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of wood staves and bound with iron hoops. ... Traditional raft, from 1884 edition Huckleberry Finn and Jim Children successfully test their raft, in Brixham harbour, south Devon, England. ... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood... A stocked ships anchor. ... Stringer can have different meanings, including: In journalism, a stringer is a freelance journalist, who is paid for each piece of published or broadcast work, rather than receiving a regular salary. ... Look up Plank in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Mountain road with hairpin turns in the French Alps For other uses, see Road (disambiguation). ... A system designed to keep people or vehicles from (in most cases unintentionally) straying into dangerous or off-limits areas. ... The bed of this stream is made up of rocks, some very rounded (having had a longer life in the stream) and some not. ...


Precautions are needed to protect a pontoon bridge from becoming damaged. The bridge can be dislodged or inundated whenever the load limit of the bridge is exceeded. A pontoon bridge can also become overloaded when one section of the bridge is weighted down much more heavily than the other parts. The bridge can be induced to sway or oscillate in a hazardous manner due to the regular stride of a group of soldiers, or from other types of repeated loads. Drift and heavy floating objects can also accumulate on the pontoons, increasing the drag from river current and potentially damaging the bridge. Stride is a type of piano-playing, used primarily in jazz. ... This article is about a military rank. ... Drift may refer to: Look up drift in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An object falling through a gas or liquid experiences a force in direction opposite to its motion. ... A current is a movement or flow of fluids, especially water in a river or ocean. ...


The longest military pontoon bridge ever constructed across a river was built in 1995 by the 586th Engineer Company, 36th Engineer Group out of Fort Benning, Georgia as part of IFOR. It was assembled under adverse weather conditions across the Sava near Županja (between Croatia and Bosnia), and had a total length of 2,034 feet. It was disassembled in 1996. For other uses, see River (disambiguation). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Fort Benning is a United States Army base, located southwest of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama It is part of the Columbus, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. ... The acronym IFOR may also refer to the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. ... Sava also Save (in Serbian: Сава; German: Save; Hungarian: Száva) is a river in Europe, a right side tributary of Danube at Belgrade. ... Županja is a city in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located 254 km east of Zagreb. ... This article is about the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...


Modern variants of the pontoon bridge are still essential and in use (as of 2007) by modern armies. As an example, the American Army has developed a version dubbed the "Assault Float Ribbon Bridge". It was constructed during combat by the 299th Multi-role Bridge Company, USAR [3] on the Euphrates River at Objective Peach near Al Musayib on the night of 03 April 2003. This took place during the 2003 invasion of Iraq also called "Operation Iraqi Freedom" by American and British forces. The 185-meter Assault Float Bridge was built to support retrograde operations due to the heavy armor traffic crossing a partially destroyed highway span. That same night, the 299th also constructed a 40-meter single-story Medium Girder Bridge to patch the damage done to the highway span. The 299th was part of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division as they crossed the border into Iraq on 20 March 2003. Examples of the construction and use of pontoon bridges during combat operations date back through World War II and earlier [4] [5][6]. The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. ... The Euphrates (the traditional Greek name for the river, which is in Old Persian Ufrat, Aramaic Prâth/Frot, in Arabic الفرات, in Turkish Fırat and in ancient Assyrian language Pu-rat-tu) is the westernmost of the two great rivers that define... The subject of this article is the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A 16-Bay with LRS Medium Girder Bridge across the Kazer River, Mosul, Iraq, 2003. ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized). ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


Floating bridges

Poland, Gdańsk-Sobieszewo — pontoon bridge on Martwa Wisla (Dead Vistula).
  • Nordhordland Bridge
    • Completed 1994. Span, 4,086 feet (1,246 m) (the floating bridge part).
    • Located near Bergen, Norway, the Nordhordland Bridge consists of a free-floating bridge and a high level cable-stayed bridge. The free-floating bridge has the longest laterally-unsupported span in the world. It is sometimes referred to as the Salhus Bridge.
    • Architect's web site
  • Dongjin Bridge in Ganzhou, China
    • Pontoon bridges have been constructed over the Zhang and Gong rivers since the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
    • One of the bridges, the Dongjin Bridge, can still be seen.
    • It is 400 metres long, made up of wooden planks placed on around 100 wooden boats linked together with iron chains.
Eastbank Esplanade floating bridge in Portland, Oregon
  • Hobart Bridge
    • Completed 1943. Span, 3,154 feet (961 m)
    • Spanned the Derwent River at Hobart, Tasmania
    • Constructed of hollow concrete pontoons, it was replaced by a new bridge in 1964
  • Queen Emma Bridge
    • A pontoon bridge from Punda to Otrabanda across the harbor of Willemstad on the island of Curaçao. Notable because this permanent bridge is hinged and opens regularly to enable the passage of ocean going vessels.[7]
    • Span, 548 feet (167 m)
Sozh Floating Bridge in Belarus
  • Sozh Floating Bridge
    • The new floating bridge replaced an older one and spanned the Sozh River at Korma, Belarus
    • Built in 2003/2004, caries light automobile traffic.
  • Al Maktoum Floating Bridge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    • A new floating bridge has been erected over Dubai Creek to ease traffic on over creek crossings in Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
    • The Bridge has been opened to public on 16 July 2007; two weeks after applying the Salik road toll to use Al Garhoud Bridge.

Image File history File linksMetadata Poland_Sobieszewo_-_pontoon_bridge. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Poland_Sobieszewo_-_pontoon_bridge. ... The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, officially the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point, is the longest floating bridge in the world at 7,578 feet (2,310 meters). ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lake Washington is the second largest natural lake in Washington State, USA, after Lake Chelan, and the largest lake in King County. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Washington State Route 520 is a freeway in the state of Washington, U.S.A. It extends 14 miles from Seattle in the west to Redmond in the east. ... “Seattle” redirects here. ... Medina is a city located in King County, Washington, on the eastern shore of Lake Washington opposite Seattle. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, officially the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point, is the longest floating bridge in the world at 7,578 feet (2,310 meters). ... Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (right), looking east toward Mercer Island The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge is the second longest floating bridge in the world, at 6,620 feet (2,019 meters). ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Lake Washington is the second largest natural lake in Washington State, USA, after Lake Chelan, and the largest lake in King County. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (abbreviated I-90) is the longest interstate highway in the United States at nearly 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers). ... “Seattle” redirects here. ... Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, U.S. The population was 22,036 at the 2000 census. ... Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (right), looking east toward Mercer Island The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge is the second longest floating bridge in the world, at 6,620 feet (2,019 meters). ... The Hood Canal Bridge is located in Washington state in the USA on Washington State Route 104 and connects the Olympic Peninsula and the Kitsap Peninsula across the Hood Canal. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Washington State Route 104 is a highway in the state of Washington, U.S.A. It extends from Discovery Bay in the northwest to Lake Forest Park in the southeast. ... Great Bend of Hood Canal from the southeast Hood Canal, is a fjord off Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington, with an average width of 1. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... February 13, 1979 Windstorm Overview During the early morning of February 13, 1979, an intense wave cyclone moved across southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. ... The Demerara Harbour Bridge is a 6,074 feet long floating toll bridge. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ... Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge (left), looking east toward Mercer Island The Third Lake Washington Bridge, officially the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge, is the fifth longest floating bridge in the world, at 5,811 feet (1772 m). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Lake Washington is the second largest natural lake in Washington State, USA, after Lake Chelan, and the largest lake in King County. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (abbreviated I-90) is the longest interstate highway in the United States at nearly 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers). ... Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, U.S. The population was 22,036 at the 2000 census. ... “Seattle” redirects here. ... Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (right), looking east toward Mercer Island The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge is the second longest floating bridge in the world, at 6,620 feet (2,019 meters). ... Nordhordland Bridge (Nordhordlandsbrua) is a bridge that crosses Osterfjorden from the mainland to Flatøya in Hordaland county in Norway. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... County Hordaland District Midhordland Municipality NO-1201 Administrative centre Bergen Mayor (2004) Herman Friele (H) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 215 465 km² 445 km² 0. ... A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns (normally referred to as towers or pylons), with cables supporting the bridge deck. ... Bergsøysund Bridge (Bergsøysund bru) is a pontoon bridge that crosses Bergsøysundet between Aspøya and Bergsøya in Møre og Romsdal county in Norway. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... County Møre og Romsdal District Nordmøre Municipality NO-1503 Administrative centre Kristiansund Mayor (2004) Dagfinn Ripnes (H) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 426 23 km² 22 km² 0. ... Aerial view of the Galata Bridge looking from Eminönü to Karaköy. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... View of Golden Horn from Eyup Sultan Cemetery The Golden Horn (in Turkish Haliç, in Greek Khrysokeras or Chrysoceras or Χρυσοκερας) is an estuary dividing the city of Istanbul. ... The Okanagan Lake Bridge (also known as the Kelowna Floating Bridge) is a a three-lane, 2,100 foot/650 meter-long floating bridge across Okanagan Lake, from Kelowna, British Columbia on the eastern side to the Westside area. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Okanagan Lake is a large, deep lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour Without Sunset (diminishment)) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th - Total 944,735... Highway 97 is the longest continuously-numbered route in the province, running 2,081 km (1,283 mi) from the Canada/U.S. border at Osoyoos in the south to the British Columbia/Yukon border in the north at Watson Lake, Yukon. ... Location of Kelowna within the Central Okanagan in British Columbia, Canada Country Province Regional District Central Okanagan Settled 1879 Incorporated 1905 Government  - Mayor Sharon Shepherd  - Governing body Kelowna City Council  - MP Ron Cannan  - MLAs Al Horning Sindi Hawkins Area  - City 283 km²  (109. ... The William R. Bennett Bridge is under construction in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. ... The Dongjin Bridge in Ganzhou, China is a Pontoon bridge constructed over the Zhang river and Gong river since the Song Dynasty (960-1279). ... Ganzhou (赣州) is a municipal unit, equivalent to a prefecture-level city in Jiangxi province, China. ... Northern Song in 1111 AD Capital Kaifeng (960–1127) Linan (1127–1276) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy Emperor  - 960-976 Emperor Taizu  - 1126–1127 Emperor Qinzong  - 1127–1162 Emperor Gaozong  - 1278–1279 Emperor Bing History  - Zhao Kuangyin taking over the throne of the Later Zhou... Events Edgar the Peaceable crowned King of England. ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... The Dongjin Bridge in Ganzhou, China is a Pontoon bridge constructed over the Zhang river and Gong river since the Song Dynasty (960-1279). ... Download high resolution version (900x1200, 411 KB)Eastbank Esplanade floating bridge in Portland, Oregon File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (900x1200, 411 KB)Eastbank Esplanade floating bridge in Portland, Oregon File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Eastbank Esplanade The Eastbank Esplanade (officially Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade) is a pedestrian and bicycle path along the east shore of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Location in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: , Country United States State Oregon County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government  - Mayor Tom Potter Area  - City 376. ... The Hobart Bridge was a pontoon bridge that crossed the River Derwent, connecting the eastern and western Shores of the City of Hobart for the first time. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Derwent is a river in Tasmania, Australia. ... Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. ... Slogan or Nickname: The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle Motto(s): Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 5  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $16,114... The Queen Emma Bridge is a pontoon bridge across St. ... Willemstad Willemstad is the territorial capital of the Netherlands Antilles. ... For other uses, see Curaçao (disambiguation). ... Sunset Lake Bridge July 2006 The Sunset Lake Floating Bridge is a bridge that spans Sunset Lake in Brookfield, Vermont, United States. ... Brookfield, Vermont Brookfield is a town located in Orange County, Vermont. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 908 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: Herbert Dederichs, Burkhard Heuel-Fabianek (Research Center Juelich (S)) Url: http://www. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 908 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: Herbert Dederichs, Burkhard Heuel-Fabianek (Research Center Juelich (S)) Url: http://www. ... The Sozh Floating Bridge is a pontoon bridge spanning the Sozh River at Korma, Belarus. ... Sozh (Belarusian: ; Russian: ) is a river in Belarus and Russia, a left tributary of the Dnieper river. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Coordinates: , Emirate Government  - Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Area [1]  - Metro 4,114 km² (1,588. ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Salik is the name given to the road toll system in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. ... Al Garhoud bridge is one of two road bridges over the Dubai creek. ...

Disasters

Floating bridges can be vulnerable to inclement weather, especially strong winds.

  • In 1979, the longest floating bridge crossing salt water, the Hood Canal Bridge, was subjected to winds of 80 miles per hour, gusting up to 120. Waves of 10 to 15 feet battered the sides of the bridge, and within a few hours the western 3/4 mile of the structure had sunk. It has since been rebuilt.
  • In 1990, the 1940 Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge was closed for renovations. Specifically, the sidewalks were being removed to widen the traffic lanes to the standards mandated by the Interstate Highway System. Engineers realized that jackhammers could not be employed to remove the sidewalks without risking compromising the structural integrity of the entire bridge. As such, a unique process called hydrodemolition was employed, in which powerful jets of water are used to blast away concrete, bit by bit. The water used in this process, however, trickled into the hollow chambers in the pontoons of the bridge, which were supposed to be filled with air, and provide the bridge its necessary flotation. Furthermore, watertight doors on the pontoons were removed to facilitate the work. During a week of rain and strong winds, the watertight doors were not closed and the pontoons filled with water from the storm, in addition to the water taken on as a result of the hydrodemolition. The inundated bridge broke apart and sank. The bridge was rebuilt in 1993.
  • A minor disaster occurs if anchors or connections between the pontoon bridge segments fail. This may happen due overloading, extreme weather or flood. The bridge disintegrates and parts of it start to float away. Many cases are known. When the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge sank (above), it severed the anchor cables of the bridge parallel to it. A powerful tugboat pulled on that bridge against the wind during a subsequent storm, and prevented further damage.

Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The Hood Canal Bridge is located in Washington state in the USA on Washington State Route 104 and connects the Olympic Peninsula and the Kitsap Peninsula across the Hood Canal. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (right), looking east toward Mercer Island The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge is the second longest floating bridge in the world, at 6,620 feet (2,019 meters). ... Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (right), looking east toward Mercer Island The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge is the second longest floating bridge in the world, at 6,620 feet (2,019 meters). ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...

Notable uses of pontoon bridges

  • A two kilometre pontoon bridge was used by Persian Emperor Darius to cross the Bosphorus.
  • A two-mile bridge was built for Emperor Caligula at Baiae in 37 AD.

Darius (in Persian داريوش (Dah-rii-yoosh)) is a common Persian male name. ... Bosphorus - photo taken from International Space Station. ... Baiae (Italian: Baia), in the Campania region of Italy on the Bay of Naples, today a frazione of the comune of Bacoli, was for several hundred years a fashionable and luxurious coastal resort, especially towards the end of the period of the Roman Republic. ... Events March 18 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius will and proclaims Caligula Roman Emperor. ...

References

  • Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technolog, Part 3, Civil Engineering and Nautics. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Pontoon bridge

  Results from FactBites:
 
Pontoon bridge at AllExperts (1832 words)
Permanent floating bridges are useful for sheltered water-crossings where it is not considered economically feasible to suspend a bridge from anchored piers.
Pontoon bridges are especially useful in wartime as river crossings.
The first military pontoon bridge ever to be constructed during combat was built by the 299th Multi-role Bridge Company, USAR [3] on the Euphrates River at Objective Peach near Al Musayib on the night of 03 April 2003 during Operation: Iraqi Freedom.
pontoon (1378 words)
A ponto was a punt or a floating bridge in Latin, and from this came the French ponton.
Some of the properties of the pontoon bridge are well illustrated in Hokusai's picture "The pontoon bridge at Sano in winter", from the series, "Remarkable Views of the Bridges in All Provinces".
And in "The Suspension Bridge on the Border of Hida and Etchu Provinces", which shows a funicular, the shape is badly related to the apparent sizes of the loads.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.