Things To Consider While Constructing Floating Bridges

Floating bridges are shallow draft boats or floats that work almost like fixed bridges. Like fixed bridges, they connect two end sides of a river or canal. Also, they have a track or deck present on top.

The floating bridge on sea uses water buoyancy for support. Moreover, you can use open or closed, temporary or permanent supporting boats or floats for installation. You can use rubber, metal, wood, or concrete for making the boats or floats.

Furthermore, the decking of the bridge may be temporary or permanent. You can use wood, modular metal, asphalt or concrete over a metal frame to construct the decks. To learn more about floating bridges, continue reading.

Why Should You Use A Floating Bridge?

A large part of the globe doesn’t use floating bridges due to different situations, and environmental criteria are unusual. However, heavily populated areas mostly use these bridges. People construct floating bridges to link an extensive and intense body of water.

Also, you can use these bridges when there is a tranquil lake or ocean-bottom soil. In some areas, many factors may prohibit conventional bridge piers. Therefore, it is customary to use floating bridges. Moreover, floating bridges are more cost-effective compared to traditional bridges.

However, there need to be some factors to make these bridges cost-effective. For example, the water should be more than 100 feet (30 meters) deep and a half-mile (900 meters) wide. Also, if the area usually includes powerful winds or waves, floating bridges are unfeasible.

You can generally use steel, concrete, wood or a fusion of these components to construct contemporary floating bridges. The particular reason for using concrete in construction is the presence of seawater around the floating bridges. It is because concrete is resistant to saltwater corrosion. Also, concrete effectively dampens vibrations.

The vibrations are due to traffic, wind and waves. Therefore, engineers need to plan according to the longitudinal forces from water and current, but they also need to consider traffic weight. To manage the weight of traffic, the buoyancy of water plays an important role.

Advantages Of Floating Bridges

There are several advantages of using floating bridges, and some of them are as below:

You can quickly put a floating bridge into place 

They are cost-efficient because they are modular and can easily extend them.

You can construct a floating bridge by keeping only pedestrians in mind. However, they are also capable of coping with vehicles.

Floating bridges are safe. However, it would be nice to use a Fetop and Fangyuan Jacket while crossing the bridge.

The floating bridge can become a long-term feature in some countries around the globe, which mainly includes the US and Norway.

The bridge is low maintenance, making it an excellent option for many local authorities.

How Do You Make Floating Bridges?

When constructing a floating bridge, you should know to ensure a successful outcome. The process requires a lot of pre-work assessments. 

Some factors you need to consider before starting a floating bridge mission include the following:

  • You need to consider the area across the body of the water. A floating bridge is generally less than a mile in length, primarily present for a half-mile.
  • The depth of the water has a crucial role in the construction process. Also, pontoons need to be fixed, which may not be possible in intense water.
  • It would be nice to decide whether you have to construct a temporary or a permanent bridge. If you are in an emergency, a temporary bridge may be suitable. Emergencies such as a storm, earthquake, war, or need to transport equipment or food just once are ideal for a temporary floating bridge. However, it will be better to construct a permanent bridge to connect two communities forever.
  • The general weather conditions of the area are also crucial during the construction. It is not safe to use a floating bridge in an area that constantly faces fierce winds and hurricanes. Therefore, you need to consider the overall weather conditions.
  • You need to be thoughtful about the type of materials you will be using for the construction.
  • The overall cost of the construction process is another crucial factor to consider.

Conclusion

You should know that a floating bridge is not a new concept. For many years, different people have been using other things to connect two lands parted by water. Also, the military, the government, or the transit system have used the floating bridge primarily.

Moreover, if you make a permanent floating bridge, you need to construct it with huge watertight concrete pontoons. These pontoons need to be linked solidly end to end, and, on its top, you can make the surface roadway. However, nowadays, you can make temporary floating bridges from solid plastic or composite materials. 

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