Table of Contents Page 1: Table of Contents

Page 2: Prologue

Page 3: Ponte Vecchio

Page 4: London Bridge

Page 5: Tower Bridge

Page 6: BNSF Bridge

Page 7: Sydney Harbour Bridge

Page 8: Tianjin Grand Bridge

Page 9: Magdaburg Water Bridge

Page 10: Sydney Harbour Bridge (Spot the people walking! )

Prologue

I have chosen these bridges because I found them interesting and two of them are my favourites. They are examples of different types of bridges such as suspension/cable, beam, arch, swing, truss and cantilever.

At one point everyone needed a bridge to connect two lands separated by water together. As time passed, the design was given more interest and thought. These days we have engineers who not only aim to make transportation easier with the construction of bridges but also to win awards for the most interesting designs.

There are many interesting bridges but I think that none of them are going to be better than the bridges we have today.

I hope you enjoy reading this booklet and also find out lots of information.

Ponte Vecchio Florence, Italy

Ponte Vecchio means “old bridge” in Italian. The bridge was built in the middle ages but there are old records of a bridge here from 996 AD. The first bridges were made of wood but they rotted over time. Eventually they were replaced by stone bridges.

The bridge is full of shops and has been for hundreds of years. It is very famous. Lots of people have taken photos and tried to get the reflection of the bridge.

London Bridge England

London Bridge is one of many bridges over the River Thames. It connects Southwark and the City of London. On the south side of the bridge are Southwark Cathedral and London Bridge station. On the north side of the bridge is the Monument to the Great Fire of London and the Monument Tube station.

Houses were built on the old bridge and the boats and ships sailed underneath.

Right: The Old London Bridge as it would have been in 1440 AD

The old New London Bridge was built in the 1800s and pulled down in the 1960s. It was sold to the Americans as a tourist attraction. The new London Bridge was opened in 1973 and is made of concrete.

Tower Bridge England

Tower Bridge is the most famous bridge in London and the one that everyone thinks is London Bridge. It is the only bridge on the River Thames that opens.

The middle section opens to let large boats go through. It only opens a few times now each week. My mum has been for a tour through the bridge and seen how it was made and how it works.

BNSF Bridge Portland, Oregon, USA

The BNSF railway bridge is a swing bridge and goes across the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon (U.S.A.)

A swing bridge is a movable bridge that swings round when a boat is coming and then it closes when the boat has passed through. It carries cars, trucks and trains. It is made of steel.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Australia

The Harbour Bridge is an arch bridge. It was opened in 1932.

It is 49 metres high at high tide and 51 metres high at low tide.

The materials used to make the bridge were steel, 29 arch panels and

6 000,000 rivets. It is a steel arch bridge. It carries, vehicles, trains, bicycles and people walking.

Until 1967 the Sydney Harbour Bridge was Sydney’s tallest structure.

Did you know that the Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of the only bridges in the world that you can walk over the top?

16 workers got killed through the construction of the bridge.

The Harbour Bridges longest span is 503 metres.

Tianjin Grand Bridge China

Tianjin Grand Bridge is a railway viaduct bridge that is part of the Beijing-Shanghia High Speed Railway.

It is one of the longest bridges in the world with a total length of about 113kilometres.

It was completed in 2010 and opened in 2011. As of 2011, it holds the record as the second longest bridge in the world.

Magdeburg Water Bridge Germany

The Magdaburg Water Bridge is an aqueduct in Germany. It was opened in October 2003. It connects two canals across the river Elbe.

It is almost one kilometre long. The water in the canals is of different heights. The locks allow for the water levels to change so the boats can sail through. Passengers can also enjoy walking alongside the boats.

Before this bridge was built, the boats had to unload all their goods, load them onto trucks to get across the river and then load them onto the boat on the next canal. This has made life much easier for people.