I don’t give much thought to bridges. Although, I have been paying more attention to them because of the poor shape our nation’s infrastructure.
I understand that designing and building bridges is complicated. Engineers have to be concerned about types of possible loads; how to calculate ultimate load combinations; determine what size beams (girders) and columns (piers) to use; the amount of material needed to resist the loads; factoring in safety and longevity; and much more.
Then, they have to figure out how to construct a bridge.
I was in Cleveland, Ohio, recently and drove past a bridge construction project. It really caught my attention.
I pulled over, got out of my truck and got closer to get a better look at the goings on. I stood there in amazement.
Take a look at the accompanying photos. I’ll bet you wonder, as I did, how in the world can something that seems so disjointed end up as working bridge.
