Topics related to bridge design and innovation.
Most people have heard the term civil engineer, yet few know exactly what these highly-trained professionals do. Among other things, they’re the heroes who design, build, and maintain bridges, roads, and utility infrastructure. In this article, we’ll explore: What it takes to become a civil engineer Their origin story The training required and some of […]
It’s among the most famous film clips in history, important enough to have been selected for preservation by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. It shows a man on a bridge trying to save his dog during a major windstorm. (Spoiler alert: The man fails in his quest to get the dog […]
Bridges are generally thought of as static structures. The truth is that they actually act more like dynamic, living beings. They constantly change, responding to different loads, weather patterns, and other types of stress in order to function. In some cases, much like a person undergoing a trauma, bridges must “react” to extremely stressful events […]
A program to rebuild America’s infrastructure could be realized within the next year. That means more and more bridge designers, engineers, and contractors could be asked to retrofit (and build) bridges to make them earthquake proof. Here’s everything you need to know about earthquakes, how they impact bridges, and the latest things being done to […]
Featured image By Martha T (05-23-13 Skagit Bridge Collapse) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons Bridge failures can lead to injuries, loss of life, and property damage on a scale equal to plane crashes, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. That’s why bridge designers, engineers, construction workers, managers, and inspectors take their jobs so seriously. The […]
There are 600,000 bridges in the United States. Millions of people cross them every day. Yet surprisingly, there are many things people don’t know about these complex structures, including the designers, contractors, and maintenance experts who work on them all the time. Here are nine facts about bridges you’ll find surprising. 1. Bridges can be friendly […]
Billions of commuters cross millions of bridges all over the world every day. In most cases, the experience is mediocre and unmemorable. However, over the centuries, some people took it on themselves to build bridges that truly stand out and make the experience of crossing them a memorable one. Here are some of the most […]
Millions of people cross thousands of bridges all over the U.S. every day and think nothing of it. However, driving over some bridges is a truly memorable experience. Many even come with incredible histories and stories about how they were designed, engineered, and built. Here are our choices for the most interesting bridges in America, […]
Bridges are such a common part of everyday life, they’re often taken for granted. Whether driving, walking, or traveling by train, they make it possible for us to cross bodies of water, valleys, roads, and other geological and manmade barriers. Equally important, they allow vital utility lines, including cables and pipelines, to span these barriers […]
According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), approximately one out of every four of the 600,000 bridges in the United States needs to be rehabilitated, repaired or completely replaced. The level of conventional bridge construction it will take to remedy this could result in a big increase in traffic delays, economic costs, construction-related accidents and […]