World Tourism / The Longest Bridges of the World / The Vasco da Gamma Bridge
The Vasco da Gamma Bridge
There is an Arabian saying” If you have not built a bridge, why have you lived all these years?” the people from Asia really believe that the monuments and the buildings can save the world. Each bridge has its own game with a man. Firstly, the bridge appears in the distance, towering over the urban buildings. Then the sun sparkles in the water of the river, and you stay in complete bewilderment, shocked by the surrounding beauty. And then suddenly you notice that you are thinking about something and not always about the surrounding beauty. Thoughts may be different, but here on the bridges they are always deep. Bridges make people think. If you want to get an unforgettable memory of the sense of ease and comfort, you should leave for Lisbon, Portugal. This bridge is seen as a snow-white caravel, ready to embark on a long voyage to unknown worlds. Perhaps its name implies it. It is a magic when the bridge brings joy ... This Bridge brings joy both to the eye and to the soul.
The Structure
The bridge has six lanes with a speed limit of 120 km / h (75 miles per hour), except for one section, which is limited to 100 km / h (60 miles per hour). On windy, rainy and foggy days the speed limit should be reduced to 90 km / h (56 miles per hour). Number of the lanes is generally increased to eight when the movement reaches a daily average of 52 000. The bridge has some sections:
1. The northern access road
2. The North viaduct - 488 m (1601 feet)
3. The Viaduct Expo - 672 meters (2205 feet), 12 units
4. The main bridge - the main span: 420 meters (1378 feet);
5. The Central Viaduct - 6,351 meters (20.84 feet);
6. The South viaduct - 3.825 meters (12.55 feet) (148-foot) section of 45 meters, 84 sections, 85 posts
7. The southern access road - 3,895 meters (12.78 feet)
History
The project was divided into four parts, as the four sections of the bridge were built by different companies. That was a big project as 3300 workers were involved into the construction of the building. The implementation of the project took 18 months of training and 18 months of construction. The life of the bridge estimates 120 years, being designed to withstand wind speeds of 250 km / h (155 miles per hour) and can withstand an earthquake of 4.5 times stronger than the historic Lisbon earthquake in 1755 (estimated at 8.7 magnitude on the Richter scale). The deepest foundation stones of the bridge are up to 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) in diameter, and have been lowered to a depth of 95 meters (312 feet). The curvature of the Earth has been taken into account because of the length of the bridge.
Interesting Facts
This bridge was opened in 1998 to honor the 500-th anniversary of the discovery of the sea route from Europe to India by Vasco da Gamma.
The bridge itself consists of 4 parts. Four different companies were engaged to build them. Thus each company is responsible for its part of the bridge.
The travelling fee from one bank to another is equal to 2.20 €. So ride and enjoy yourself.
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It is a door to something new….
.
to something refreshing.
This is the place that gives birth to love and continuity to any relationship.
Different cultures have different traditions linked to bridges.
The Russians consider that the newlyweds should walk along a bridge as a symbol of a new period in life.
Chinese bring their children when they go the first time to the kindergarten believing that they will become honest, courageous, and always high-spirited.
The concept of the Bridge The bridge represents an artificial structure, erected over a river, lake, spilling water or any other obstacle.
It is generally built across the road or a river.
In many cases it joins two borders.
The bridge is one of the oldest engineering inventions of mankind.
The Structure of The Bridge Typically, bridges are made up of spans and supports.
Spans are used to transfer loads and the perception of their supports, they can settle the roadway, pedestrian crossing, the pipeline.
Spans are composed of supporting structures: beams, trusses, diaphragms (cross-ties) and the actual roadway slabs.
The spans are usually straightforward, but if it is necessary they are given a complex shape: spiral, ring, etc.
Forms of supports can be quite diverse.
Intermediate supports are called bulls, coastal - foundations.
Foundations are used to connect the bridge with the approach embankments.
Materials for bridges are metal (steel and aluminum alloys), natural stone, wood and rope.
Types of Bridges All the bridges can be divided from two points of view: By Application: Rail bridge Automotive bridge Metro bridge Hiking bridge Combined bridge By construction: the beam, the spacer , the combined.
Dozen of huge bridges connect different cities and countries.
Hundreds of people drive along them and do not even notice their beautiful architecture.
When we speak about the place where the greatest number of the longest bridges are situated you are going to be surprised to learn that the winner is China.
Still the longest bridge is Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge(1.
991 m) situated in Japan.
The design of the bridge is double-hinged beam system stiffness to withstand wind speeds up to 80 m / s, the seismic activity of up to 8.
5 on the Richter scale and withstand strong sea currents.
The second longest bridge is Xihoumen bridge in China (1.
650 m).
The cost of the expenses has raised to 2.
48 billion yen (approximately U.
S.
$ 300 million).
The third longest can be found in Denmark and is the Great Belt Bridge (1.
624 m).
Still the most reliable Bridge is to be found in China once again.
This is Tsing Ma Bridge(1.
377 m).
They say that it will be safe even when there are typhoons.
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