I was happy to spend a fair deal of time in the bridges and dams portion of the museum. Growing up around the Upper Mississippi Valley, I hold a great appreciation for these incredible structures and the impressive science and engineering that make them safe, functional, and purposeful. I enjoyed when we went onto the large bridge in the exhibit as part of our tour and were able to bounce on it and in effect simulate what an earthquake would feel like as well. One theme I picked up on throughout my time in this exhibit is the progression and advancement in technologies and styles of bridges over time and as needed to fit the needs/purposes and challenges that spur innovation. One example is the Plait du Gard aqueduct near Nimes, France which utilizes an arch design with three different layers progressively narrowing up to reduce the weight load on the structure below.
Additionally the Rendsburg High Bridge utilized a truss design carrying trains high above a river and replaced two swing bridges, which allowed for more easy traffic flow both on the river and rail. An additional point of intrigue was a suspension ferry underneath the bridge that transports 350 vehicles and 1,700 pedestrians across the river each day. The ferry is still in open today and it has been designated as a historic landmark of civil engineering in Germany.
Finally, with the human ambition and drive to span larger gaps, canyons, or waterways, we have often turned to suspension or cable-stayed bridge designs like the Normandy Bridge spanning the mouth of the Seine. Sometimes I feel it is easy to drive across even the most basic bridges to the long, complex, and unique designs that catch our eye and take them for granted. There is a lot of science and decisions behind these structures that help us move people and goods with ease from one place to another. Designs and methods have evolved over time to meet our needs and rise above nature’s challenges. I’m happy the Deutsches Museum had this display as I found it very intriguing in bridging the gap between my own experiences with bridges along the Upper Mississippi and elsewhere and the incredible science, design, and engineering behind them.
-Michael
Lucas- I also found it interesting just how important bridges are here in Germany. Just today while in Augsburg we had to cross so many because of the network of canals vital to the cities function. The sheer quantity and quality of bridge building in Germany is astonishing.
ReplyDeleteI also found this exhibit to be a good reminder of just how much effort goes into making our transportation channels safe. We use these structures at an unfathomable rate, with such a great variety of loads in each vehicle and almost 24/7 use. It is a fantastic gift to have bridge designs that are both structurally effective and beautiful in their aesthetic designs.
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