the Science behind Suspension Bridge

the Science behind Suspension Bridge

The heart-wrenching bridge collapse tragedy in Gujarat on Sunday evening, has triggered an outpouring of grief across the country. 

In this article, we are just encountering some of the aspects of Suspension Bridge.

What are Suspension Bridge ?

A suspension bridge carries vertical loads through curved cables in tension. These loads are transferred both to the towers, which carry them by vertical compression to the ground, and to the anchorages, which must resist the inward and sometimes vertical pull of the cables. 

The suspension bridge can be viewed as an upside-down arch in tension with only the towers in compression. Because the deck is hung in the air, care must be taken to ensure that it does not move excessively under loading. The deck therefore must be either heavy or stiff or both.

Some of the longest Suspension Bridge:

Modern steel alloys are capable of much greater spans, and, since the late 20th century, a number of record-breaking suspension bridges have been built in Asia. 

●  Akashi Strait Bridge (1998) : 1,991 metres (6,530 feet) between the island Honshu and Shikoku in Japan. 

     In 2019 China completed the second and third longest suspension bridges in the world: 

●  Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge : 1,700 metres (5,577 feet) in Wuhan (Hubei), 

● Nansha Bridge, spanning 1,688 metres (5,538 feet) in Dongguan.