Bridge Types

There are 5 (main) different types of bridges:

1.     Arch Bridges:

2.     Beam Bridges

3.     Suspension Bridges

4.     Cantilever bridges

5.     Cable stay bridges

1.     Arch Bridges:

 They are call arch bridges because they have an arch in them. These bridges were originally built by bricks and stone. However now they are built of steel and reinforces concrete. This allows the bridges to be longer and lower. Unlike other bridges the key stone holds the bridge in place. This means that the weight of the bridge is transferred to the two ends of the bridge. The support at the end of the bridge that stop the ends from spreading out is called the abutments.

2.     Beam Bridges:

These types of bridges are known to man the most because they are so short and easy to build. They are also known as Girder bridges. They used to be as simple as a log across a stream but now there are many different types of Beam bridges. As the bridge is horizontal it is supported by piers to stop it from bending when there is a lot of weight on it or twisting.  

3.     Suspension Bridges:

These types of bridges are the longest bridges in the world. They were once made of wood and rope. However, steel is now used in place of the rope. Each cable is made up of thousands of steel wires each approximately 0.1 inch think. Steel is used as it is very strong and therefor be able to hold the weight of the bridges. Bridges that are light and strong can have a distance of up to 2,000 to 7,000 feet, ideal for covering waterways. Suspension bridges are often the most expensive types of bridges to build.

4.     Cantilever bridges:

Cantilever bridges are also long but they are mostly used for trains. Huge pillars that are held up by the narrow top members, take up the compression. Cross bracing prevents the bridge from twisting and bending. To maintain the balance of the bridge there are counterweights on either end of the bridge.

5.     Cable stay bridges:

Cable stay bridges and suspension bridges look similar. They both have cable which hang up a roadway and they both have towers. However they are different because of the way in which they support the load of the roadway. They are attached to the towers which form a triangle shape (which makes it strong) which holds the load. The cables are attached to the towers from different points on the bridge.

Bibliography:

*       http://www.design-technology.org/archbridges.htm

*       http://www.design-technology.org/beambridges.htm

*       http://www.design-technology.org/suspensionbridges.htm

*       http://www.design-technology.org/cantileverbridges.htm

*        http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/china/meetcable.html

SINGAPORE HELIX BRIDGE

The Helix Bridge is located in Singapore at Marina Bay. It was opened in April 2010. The bridge provides a pedestrian connection from one end of the river to the other. The Helix Bridge was entered into an international design competition which was held in 2006. The design won the completion and was made. There were two different firms that were working on this bridge which are the COX Group Pte Ltd (Australia) and Architects 61(Singapore). The principle architect from COX Architecture was Michael Rayner. The client was the Urban Redevelopment Authority. The owner of the bridge is the Singapore Land Transport Authority.

It is the first ever bridge that uses the double- helix structure and it uses five times less steel than a conventional box girder bridge. The helix structure is meant to represent renewal and growth. Even though the bridge is 280m long, the steel tubes that were used to make the helix structure were almost 10 times big if laid out end to end. The tubes spiral around the bridge in opposite directions. They rise up to a height of 8.8m and spiral back downwards. Shade on the bridge is given by glass and steel canopies. As well has the helix shape, the bridge has a few pods coming out. This is for people who want to catch a view of the city. It also has LED lights around the outside to the helix structure to make to look good and catch people’s eyes.

The advantage of the helix design is that it uses less steel compared to cable bridges or box girders, which saved millions of dollars in construction costs. An estimate of how much the bridge cost is $68 million.

"The Helix is truly an engineering marvel. While the structure is incredibly delicate and intricate, it’s been engineered to support more than 10,000 people at a time. The Helix is the first example of this structural solution applied to a bridge – there is nothing else like it." -Dr See Lin Ming, Arup project leader.

I really like this bridge because it is different to what you would normally see. I also like how they made the tubes go abound the bridge to make it look like a helix. By making it go all the way around it looks more like a helix rather than making it look like a random design. In addition to this I also like how there are lights both inside the bridge and outside the bridge.

Bibliography:

http://travel.cnn.com/singapore/play/worlds-first-curved-double-helix-bridge-marina-bay-505668

http://www.arup.com/projects/helix_bridge.aspx

http://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/project.cfm?id=2705

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1045_2011-06-30.html

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1045_2011-06-30.html

http://www.archdaily.com/185400/helix-bridge-cox-architecture-with-architects-61/

Sophie De Oliveira Barata

The project that Sophie De Oliveira Barata created is the artificial limb project. She creates personalised and realistic artificial limbs for people who amputees. She makes ones that either blend in with the body or those that are unique and reflect the person. She founded this project in 2011.Sophie De Oliveira Barata studied special-effects for film at the University of the Arts London. After that she worked as a sculptor for 8 years, created prosthetic limbs.

 For this type of work the type of artistic skills that are needed are sculpting skills, measuring skills, observational skills, colour skills, etc. This is so the limb looks its best. Measuring and sculpting skills are one of the most important because you don’t want to have one limb longer or bigger than the other. Also the structure of the limb needs to be like the other good limb.

She uses different materials which include; silicone, plastic, metal, wood and crystals. The material of the limb depends on the type of design chosen. If the client wants a robotic limb for example this would have specific skills. She often collaborates with different artist often with ones that have different skills to her like woodwork skills, laser cutting skill, and metal work skills.

To start making the prosthesis limbs she takes a cast of the limb that is good, or she uses a donor limb. Next she will take pictures, colour readings and will discuss any ideas for the limb and how different it should look. Then a test piece will be made so that it is made sure that the limb will fit. If the client is not happy with it she will make alterations to it. She will keep making alterations until the client is satisfied with the fitting. She will then involve the client in designing the limb. After that she will go ahead and make the limb for the client. She involves the person wearing the alternative limb in all the processes so they can decide how they want it to be.

In my opinion I like Sophie De Barata’s work because it’s unique. All the designs that she makes are personalised to fit the clients’ needs. Each limb she makes looks really aesthetically pleasing. If I were to get a prosthesis made I would make it look realist, so it blends in with my body but at the same time it would have gems and diamonds going down it.

Bibliography:

http://www.tedmed.com/speakers/show?id=293049

http://www.thealternativelimbproject.com/#/alternative-limbs/4569103979

http://www.theindy.org/398

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/dec/29/artificial-limbs-art-de-oliveira-barata-interview