the-BA : Bridging the gap

In 1998 the World’s longest suspension bridge – the Akashi in Japan – opened to traffic. The six-lane bridge is nearly 4000 metres long, its suspension cables are more than a metre in diameter and the foundations of the two main towers are fixed 70 metres under the seabed. It’s near the city Kobe, where more than 6000 people were killed by an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale in 1995 – but its engineers say the bridge can withstand quakes of 8.5. Nevertheless, Buddhist priests were still on hand to bless the bridge at its opening!

Have you ever wondered how on earth bridges stay standing? Why don’t they fall down?

You might like to …

• carry out some research into different types of bridge; find out the differences between suspension bridges, truss bridges, arch bridges and beam bridges, for example.
• find out why certain bridge designs are chosen, and what materials are used
• design and model different bridge types and test their strength; try to make a bridge that carries the heaviest load
• design and/or make a bridge for a specific purpose; for example, to cross a stream in your local area, or be more adventurous, and design a long bridge to cross a large body of water. Remember to think about materials, costs, longevity, etc.
• carry out some tests on other factors affecting a bridge – for example, submerge a range of building materials in seawater and see what effect it has; compare the effectiveness of the different techniques used to protect iron and steel, for example galvanizing, chrome plating, sacrificial anodes and paint.

Further links:
www.brantacan.co.uk/bridges.htm

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