Pontoon bridge
The U. S. 9th Army crosses the Rhine on a temporary steel treadway pontoon bridge, 1945.
Carries:	Pedestrian, automobile, truck
Span range:	Short to long
Material:	Various: steel, concrete, boats, barrels, plastic floats, appropriate decking material
Movable:	Generally no, but may have movable sections for watercraft passage
Design effort:	low
Falsework required:	No

A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water, supported by barge-or-boat-like pontoons to support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water A pontoon is a flat-bottomed Boat or the floats used to support a structure on water While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time. Permanent floating bridges are useful for sheltered water-crossings where it is not considered economically feasible to suspend a bridge from anchored piers. A pier is a raised Walkway over water supported by widely spread Piles or pillars. Such bridges can require a section that is elevated, or can be raised or removed, to allow ships to pass. A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size

Contents 1 Military bridges 1.1 Ancient China 1.2 Greco-Roman era 1.3 Modern usage 2 Design 3 Notable uses of pontoon bridges 3.1 Historic 3.2 Current 4 Disasters 5 Notes 6 References 7 See also

Military bridges

Pontoon bridges are especially useful in wartime as river crossings. War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there Such bridges are usually temporary, and are sometimes destroyed after crossing (to keep the enemy from using them), or collapsed and carried (if on a long march). They were used to great advantage in many battles throughout time, including the Battle of the Garigliano, the Battle of Oudenarde, and many others. For the 1503 battle with the same name see Battle of Garigliano (1503. The Battle of Oudenaarde (or Oudenarde) was a key battle in the War of the Spanish Succession fought on July 11, 1708 between the forces

Pontoon bridges have been in use since ancient times.

Ancient China

The ancient China, the Zhou Dynasty Chinese text of the Shi Qing (Book of Odes) records that King Wen of Zhou was the first to create a pontoon bridge in the 11th century BC. Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River ( valley in the Neolithic era The Zhou Dynasty ( POJ: Chiu Tiau 1122 BC to 256 BC was preceded by the Shang Dynasty and followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. King Wen ( (1099–1050 BC was the founder of the Zhou Dynasty. However, the historian Joseph Needham has pointed out that in all likely scenarios, the temporary pontoon bridge was invented during the 9th century BC - 8th century BC in China, as this part was perhaps a later addition to the book (considering how the book had been edited up until the Han Dynasty, 202 BC - 220 AD). Noel Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham, CH, FRS, FBA ( December 9, 1900 – March 24 1995) was a British The 9th century BC started the first day of 900 BC and ended the last day of 801 BC The 8th century BC started the first day of 800 BC and ended the last day of 701 BC. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. Although earlier temporary pontoon bridges had been made in China, the first secure and permanent ones (and linked with iron chains) in China came first during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 207 BC). Not to be confused with the Qing Dynasty, the last dynasty of China The later Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD) Chinese statesman Cao Cheng once wrote of early pontoon bridges in China (spelling of Chinese in Wade-Giles format):

The Chhun Chhiu Hou Chuan says that in the 58th year of the Zhou King Nan (257 BC), there was invented in the Qin State the floating bridge (fou chhiao) with which to cross rivers. The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin Qín or Ch'in ( Wade-Giles) (秦 ( 778 BC - 207 BC) was a State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods But the Ta Ming ode in the Shih Ching (Book of Odes) says (of King Wen) that he ‘joined boats and made of them a bridge’ over the River Wei. The Wei River ( Simplified Chinese:渭河 Pinyin: Wei He Wade-Giles: Wei Ho is a River in west-central China and is the largest Sun Yen comments that this shows that the boats were arranged in a row, like the beams (of a house) with boards laid (transversely) across them, which is just the same as the pontoon bridge of today. Tu Yu also thought this. . . Cheng Khang Chheng says that the Zhou people invented it and used it whenever they had occasion to do so, but the Qin people, to whom they handed it down, were the first to fasten it securely together (for permanent use). ^[1]

During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD), the Chinese created a very large pontoon bridge that spanned across the width of the Yellow River. The Yellow River or Huang He / Hwang Ho ( Hatan Gol Queen river) is the second-longest river in China (after the Yangtze River) and the There was also the rebellion of Gongsun Shu in 33 AD, where a large pontoon bridge with fortified posts was constructed across the Yangtze River, eventually broken through with ramming ships by official Han troops under Commander Cen Peng. The naval history of China dates back thousands of years with archives existing since the late Spring and Autumn Period ( 722 BC - 481 BC) about the In warfare ramming is a technique that was used in the air sea and land combat During the late Eastern Han into the Three Kingdoms period, during the Battle of Chibi in 208 AD, the Prime Minister Cao Cao once linked the majority of his fleet together with iron chains, which proved to be a fatal mistake once he was thwarted with a fire attack by Sun Quan's fleet. The Three Kingdoms period ( is a period in the History of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Cáo Cāo ( 曹[[wikt 操|操]] 155 &ndash March 15, 220) was a regional Warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the Sun Quan ( (182 - 252 son of Sun Jian, courtesy name Zhòngmóu (仲謀 formally Emperor Da of (Eastern Wu was the founder of Eastern Wu

The armies of Emperor Taizu of Song had a large pontoon bridge built across the Yangtze River in 974 in order to secure supply lines during the Song Dynasty's conquest of the Southern Tang. Ancestry and early life His family was of fairly modest origins and cannot be traced back with certainty further than the late Tang dynasty. The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Southern Tang (also referred to as Nantang) ( Chinese: 南唐 Pinyin Nán Táng was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China ^[2]

On October 22, 1420, Ghiyasu'd-Din Naqqah, an envoy of the embassy sent by the Timurid ruler of Persia, Mirza Shahrukh (r. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus The Timurids, self-designated Gurkānī ( were a Persianate Central Asian Sunni Muslim dynasty The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia See Shahrukh Khan for the actor of that name Shāhrukh Mīrzā ( - Šāhrukh Mīrzā, also known as Shāhruh 1404–1447), to the Ming Dynasty of China during the reign of the Yongle Emperor (r. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Yongle Emperor ( Wade-Giles: Yung-lo May 2, 1360 &ndash August 12, 1424) born Zhu Di ( Chu Ti 1402–1424), recorded his sight and travel over a large floating pontoon bridge at Lanzhou (constructed earlier in 1372) as he crossed the Yellow River on this day. Lanzhou ( Postal map spelling: Lanchow is a Prefecture-level city and capital of Gansu province in northwestern China. The Yellow River or Huang He / Hwang Ho ( Hatan Gol Queen river) is the second-longest river in China (after the Yangtze River) and the He wrote that it was:

. . . composed of twenty three boats, of great excellence and strength attached together by a long chain of iron as thick as a man's thigh, and this was moored on each side to an iron post as thick as a man's waist extending a distance of ten cubits on the land and planted firmly in the ground, the boats being fastened to this chain by means of big hooks. There were placed big wooden planks over the boats so firmly and evenly that all the animals were made to pass over it without difficulty. ^[3]

Greco-Roman era

The Greek writer Herodotus in his Histories, records several pontoon bridges. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash The Histories of Herodotus of Halicarnassus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. For Emperor Darius I The Great of Persia (522 BC - 485 BC), the Greek Mandrocles of Samos once engineered a pontoon bridge that stretched across the Bosporus, linking Asia to Europe, so that Darius could pursue the fleeing Scythians as well as move his army into position in the Balkans to overwhelm Macedon. Darius I the Great (c 549 BC&ndash486 BC 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavahuš: "Possessing goodness" Having ascended to power amidst controversy and bloodshed The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (İstanbul Boğazı (Βόσπορος is a Strait that forms the boundary between the The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Another spectacular pontoon bridge was a pair of floating bridges across the Hellespont by Xerxes I in 480 BC to transport his huge army into Europe:

and meanwhile other chief-constructors proceeded to make the bridges; and thus they made them: They put together fifty-oared galleys and triremes, three hundred and sixty to be under the bridge towards the Euxine Sea, and three hundred and fourteen to be under the other, the vessels lying in the direction of the stream of the Hellespont (though crosswise in respect to the Pontus), to support the tension of the ropes. See also Dardanelles Hellespont ( Turkish, Greek; ie "Sea of Helle" variously named in classical literature Hellespontium Pelagus Xerxes I of Persia was a King of Persia (reigned 485–465 BC of the Achaemenid dynasty. Events By place Greece May — King Xerxes I of Persia marches from Sardis and onto Thrace They placed them together thus, and let down very large anchors, those on the one side towards the Pontus because of the winds which blow from within outwards, and on the other side, towards the West and the Egean, because of the South-East and South Winds. They left also an opening for a passage through, so that any who wished might be able to sail into the Pontus with small vessels, and also from the Pontus outwards. Having thus done, they proceeded to stretch tight the ropes, straining them with wooden windlasses, not now appointing the two kinds of rope to be used apart from one another, but assigning to each bridge two ropes of white flax and four of the papyrus ropes. The thickness and beauty of make was the same for both, but the flaxen ropes were heavier in proportion, and of this rope a cubit weighed one talent. When the passage was bridged over, they sawed up logs of wood, and making them equal in length to the breadth of the bridge they laid them above the stretched ropes, and having set them thus in order they again fastened them above. When this was done, they carried on brushwood, and having set the brushwood also in place, they carried on to it earth; and when they had stamped down the earth firmly, they built a barrier along on each side, so that the baggage-animals and horses might not be frightened by looking out over the sea. [1]

The late Roman writer Vegetius, in his work De Re Militari, wrote:

But the most commodious invention is that of the small boats hollowed out of one piece of timber and very light both by their make and the quality of the wood. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus was a writer of the Later Roman Empire. De Re Militari ( Latin "Concerning Military Matters" is a treatise of Roman warfare and military principles written in the late Roman Empire, The army always has a number of these boats upon carriages, together with a sufficient quantity of planks and iron nails. Thus with the help of cables to lash the boats together, a bridge is instantly constructed, which for the time has the solidity of a bridge of stone. [2]

Modern usage

The longest military pontoon bridge ever constructed across a river was built in 1995 by the 586th Engineer Company, 36th Engineer Group out of Fort Benning, Georgia as part of IFOR. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southwest The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule The Implementation Force ( IFOR) was a NATO -led multinational force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one year mandate from 20 December It was assembled under adverse weather conditions across the Sava near Županja (between Croatia and Bosnia), and had a total length of 2,034 feet (620 m). The Sava ( Bosnian, Croatian, Slovene: Sava; Serbian: Сава, Sava) is a river in Links Official Site of Županja Unofficial Site of Županja Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International It was disassembled in 1996. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar)

Modern variants of the pontoon bridge are still essential and in use (as of 2007) by modern armies. As an example, the American Army has developed a version dubbed the "Assault Float Ribbon Bridge". It was constructed during combat by the 299th Multi-role Bridge Company, USAR [3] on the Euphrates River at Objective Peach near Al Musayib on the night of 3 April 2003. The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. This took place during the 2003 invasion of Iraq also called "Operation Iraqi Freedom" by American and British forces. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia The 185-meter Assault Float Bridge was built to support retrograde operations due to the heavy armor traffic crossing a partially destroyed highway span. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve That same night, the 299th also constructed a 40-meter single-story Medium Girder Bridge to patch the damage done to the highway span. The Medium Girder Bridge (MGB is a lightweight man portable Bridge and can be assembled without help from heavy equipment The 299th was part of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division as they crossed the border into Iraq on 20 March 2003. The 3rd Infantry Division &mdashnicknamed the Rock of the Marne &mdash is a United States Army infantry division based at Fort Stewart, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Examples of the construction and use of pontoon bridges during combat operations date back through World War II and earlier [4] [5][6].

Design

When designing a pontoon bridge, the engineer must take into consideration the maximum amount of load that it is intended to support. A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water An engineer is a person professionally engaged in a field of Engineering. Each pontoon can support a load equal to the mass of the water that it displaces, but this load also includes the mass of the bridge itself. In Fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a Fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its If the maximum load of a bridge section is exceeded, one or more pontoons become submerged and will proceed to sink. The roadway across the pontoons must also be able to support the load, yet be light enough not to limit their carrying capacity.

Prior to the advent of modern military pontoon bridge-building equipment, floating bridges were typically constructed using wood. Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs Such a wooden floating bridge could be built in a series of sections, starting from an anchored point on the shore. An anchor is an object often made out of metal that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water such as an Ocean, Sea, or Lake. Pontoons were formed using boats; several barrels lashed together; rafts of timbers, or some combination of these. A boat is a Watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water and provide transport over it A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container traditionally made of Wood Staves and bound with Iron Hoops The A raft is any flat floating structure for travel over water It is the most basic of Boat design characterized by the absence of a hull. Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or Each bridge section consisted of one or more pontoons, which were maneuvered into position and then anchored. An anchor is an object often made out of metal that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point These pontoons were then linked together using wooden stringers called balks. The balks were then covered by a series of cross planks called chesses to form a road surface, and the chesses were held in place with side rails. A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. Guard rail, sometimes referred to as guide rail, is a system designed to keep people or vehicles from (in most cases unintentionally straying into dangerous or off-limits areas The bridge was repeatedly extended in this manner until the opposite bank was reached. A stream bed is the channel bottom of a Stream or River or creek the physical confine of the normal water flow

Precautions are needed to protect a pontoon bridge from becoming damaged. The bridge can be dislodged or inundated whenever the load limit of the bridge is exceeded. A pontoon bridge can also become overloaded when one section of the bridge is weighted down much more heavily than the other parts. The bridge can be induced to sway or oscillate in a hazardous manner due to the regular stride of a group of soldiers, or from other types of repeated loads. Oscillation is the repetitive variation typically in Time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of Equilibrium) or between two or more different states A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. Drift and heavy floating objects can also accumulate on the pontoons, increasing the drag from river current and potentially damaging the bridge. In Fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called fluid resistance) is the force that resists the movement of a Solid object through a Fluid (a A current, in a River or Stream, is the Flow of Water influenced by Gravity as the water moves Downhill to reduce its

Submerged floating-tube bridges have been considered for use across ocean straits and even across entire oceans. A strait is a narrow navigable Channel of water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. It is estimated that a submerged floating tunnel would be two to three times more costly to build than a floating bridge, and the technology remains unproven. A tunnel is an underground passageway The definition of what constitutes a tunnel is not universally agreed upon A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water No submerged floating tunnel exists in the world at present. A tunnel is an underground passageway The definition of what constitutes a tunnel is not universally agreed upon

Notable uses of pontoon bridges

Historic

• A two-kilometre pontoon bridge was used by Persian Emperor Darius to cross the Bosphorus. The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (İstanbul Boğazı (Βόσπορος is a Strait that forms the boundary between the
• A two-mile bridge was built for Emperor Caligula at Baiae in 37 AD. Baiae (in modern Italian only Baia) is a Frazione of the Comune of Bacoli, in the Campania region of Italy Year 37 was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar.
• Pontoon bridges saw extensive usage during the American Civil War. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South An innovative light-weight design known as Cumberland Pontoons were widely used during the Atlanta Campaign to transports soldiers and artillery across rivers in the South. Cumberland pontoons were a novel design of Pontoon bridges developed during the American Civil War to facilitate the movement of Union forces across the The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta Georgia, Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive

Current

• Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge — Evergreen Point
  • Completed 1963. The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, now officially the Governor Albert D Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Span, 7,578 feet (2,310 m). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International
  • Spans Lake Washington in Washington State, carrying State Route 520 from Seattle to Medina. Lake Washington is the second largest natural Lake in state of Washington (after Lake Chelan) and the largest lake in King County. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. State Route 520 is a state highway and Freeway in the US state of Washington. Medina is a city located in the Eastside, a region of King County Washington. A toll bridge until 1979, its common name is the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, now officially the Governor Albert D It is the longest floating bridge in the world.
  • Currently, the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge is one of the Projects that the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is conducting. Due to the age of the bridge, it is likely to be replaced in the future with another floating bridge.

• Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge
  • Original bridge completed in 1940 but sank in 1990 due to weather and mishaps in maintenance. The Lacey V Murrow Memorial Bridge is a floating bridge that carries the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)
  • Second bridge completed 1993. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Span, 6,620 feet (2,018 m). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International
  • Spans Lake Washington in Washington State, carrying Interstate 90 traffic eastbound from Seattle to Mercer Island. Lake Washington is the second largest natural Lake in state of Washington (after Lake Chelan) and the largest lake in King County. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. the US state of Washington, Interstate 90 spans. In 2003 the Seattle terminus was re-engineered to better accommodate traffic from the two Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, USA The population was 22036 at the 2000 census A toll bridge until 1946, its common name is the Lake Washington Floating Bridge. The Lacey V Murrow Memorial Bridge is a floating bridge that carries the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer It was the first floating bridge longer than a mile, and at the time was the longest floating structure in the world. It is the second longest floating bridge in the world.

• Hood Canal Bridge
  • Completed 1961. The Hood Canal Bridge is located in Washington state in the USA on State Route 104 and connects the Olympic Peninsula and the Kitsap Peninsula Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Span, 6,521 feet (1,988 m). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International
  • Carries State Route 104 across Hood Canal in Washington state. State Route 104 is a state highway in the US state of Washington. Hood Canal is a Fjord off Puget Sound in the US state of Washington. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is the third longest floating bridge in the world.
  • This bridge broke apart in a 1979 windstorm. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The February 13 1979 Windstorm is a natural phenomenon that took place on February 13, 1979 in Canada It was rebuilt 3 years later.

• Demerara Harbour Bridge
  • Completed 1978. The Demerara Harbour Bridge is a long floating toll bridge. It was commissioned on 2 July 1978. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Span, 6,074 feet (1,851 m). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International
  • Located immediately south of Georgetown, Guyana, it is constructed with steel pontoon units and is the fourth longest floating bridge in the world. Georgetown, estimated population 310320 (2002 Guyana census is the Capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0

• Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge
  • Completed 1989. The Third Lake Washington Bridge officially the Homer M Hadley Memorial Bridge is the fifth longest Floating bridge in the world at 5811 feet (1772 m Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Span, 5,811 feet (1,771 m). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International
  • Spans Lake Washington in Washington state, carrying Interstate 90 traffic westbound from Mercer Island to Seattle. Lake Washington is the second largest natural Lake in state of Washington (after Lake Chelan) and the largest lake in King County. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. the US state of Washington, Interstate 90 spans. In 2003 the Seattle terminus was re-engineered to better accommodate traffic from the two Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, USA The population was 22036 at the 2000 census It runs parallel to the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge, which carries eastbound Interstate 90 Traffic, and is also commonly referred to as the Lake Washington Floating Bridge. The Lacey V Murrow Memorial Bridge is a floating bridge that carries the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer It is the fifth longest floating bridge in the world.

• Nordhordland Bridge
  • Completed 1994. Nordhordland Bridge ( Norwegian: Nordhordlandsbrua) is a bridge that crosses Salhusfjorden between the mainland and Flatøy in Hordaland Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Span, 4,086 feet (1,245 m) (the floating bridge part). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International
  • Located near Bergen, Norway, the Nordhordland Bridge consists of a free-floating bridge and a high level cable-stayed bridge. is the second largest city in Norway. It is located on the south-western coast of Norway in the county of Hordaland in between a group of mountains known as De syv fjell Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A The free-floating bridge has the longest laterally-unsupported span in the world. It is sometimes referred to as the Salhus Bridge.
  • Architect's web site

• Bergøysund Floating Bridge
  • Completed 1992. Bergsøysund Bridge (Bergsøysundbrua is a Pontoon bridge that crosses Bergsøysundet between Aspøya and Bergsøya in Møre og Romsdal Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Span, 3,061 feet (933 m). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International
  • Located in Kristiansund, Norway. Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of the county Møre og Romsdal Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional

• Galata Bridge
  • Completed 1875. The Galata Bridge (in Turkish Galata Köprüsü) is a bridge that spans the Golden Horn in Istanbul Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Span, 2,985 feet (910 m). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International
  • This floating bridge crosses the Golden Horn in Turkey. The Golden Horn ( Turkish: Haliç or Altın Boynuz, Greek: Χρυσόν Κέρας – Chrysón Kéras is an inlet of the Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches

• Howrah Bridge
  • Completed 1874. The Howrah Bridge is a Bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
  • Decommissioned 1943
  • This bridge, connected Howrah and Calcutta on opposite banks of Hooghly River, was built using timber on pontoon and was opened to let river traffic through. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Hooghly River ( Bengali হুগলী Hugli; Anglicized alternatively spelled Hoogli or Hugli) or the Bhāgirathi-Hooghly, is

• Okanagan Lake Bridge
  • Completed 1958. The Okanagan Lake Bridge (also known as the Kelowna Floating Bridge) is a three-lane 2100 foot/650 metre-long floating bridge in British Columbia Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Span, 2,100 feet (640 m). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International
  • Spans Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, carrying Highway 97 to Kelowna. Okanagan Lake, also known as Lake Okanagan, is a large deep Lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Highway 97 is the longest continuously-numbered route in the Canadian province of British Columbia, running 2081 km (1283 mi from the Canada/ Kelowna (2007 population 106707 metropolitan population of 165596 is a City on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia This was the first floating bridge built in Canada. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The old 3 lane floating bridge has been replaced by a new, 5 lane floating bridge. The new bridge — William R. Bennett Bridge — was completed on May 25 2008. The William R Bennett Bridge is a bridge in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada.

• Dongjin Bridge in Ganzhou, China
  • Pontoon bridges have been constructed over the Zhang and Gong rivers since the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The Dongjin Bridge (东津桥 in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province China is a Pontoon bridge constructed over the Zhang River and Gong History In 201 Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty established a county in the territory of modern Ganzhou China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Events By Place Europe Edgar the Peaceable is crowned King of England.
  • One of the bridges, the Dongjin Bridge, can still be seen. The Dongjin Bridge (东津桥 in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province China is a Pontoon bridge constructed over the Zhang River and Gong
  • It is 400 metres long, made up of wooden planks placed on around 100 wooden boats linked together with iron chains.

• Eastbank Esplanade
  • Completed 2001. The Eastbank Esplanade (officially Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade) is a pedestrian and bicycle path along the east shore of the Willamette River in Portland Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Span, 1,200 feet (366 m). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International
  • Located in Portland, Oregon, it is the longest floating pedestrian bridge in the United States. Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers

• Hobart Bridge
  • Completed 1943. The Hobart Bridge was a Pontoon bridge that crossed the River Derwent, connecting the eastern and western Shores of the City of Hobart, Tasmania Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Span, 3,154 feet (961 m)
  • Spanned the Derwent River at Hobart, Tasmania
  • Constructed of hollow concrete pontoons, it was replaced by a new bridge in 1964

• Queen Emma Bridge
  • A pontoon bridge from Punda to Otrabanda across the harbor of Willemstad on the island of Curaçao. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The Derwent is a River in Tasmania, Australia. It was named after the River Derwent Cumbria by British Commodore John Hayes Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass The Queen Emma Bridge is a Pontoon bridge across St Anna Bay in the Netherlands Antilles. Willemstad is the territorial Capital of the Netherlands Antilles. Curaçao (ˈkjuːrəsaʊ in English Dutch: Curaçao, Papiamento: Kòrsou) is an Island in the southern Caribbean Sea, Notable because this permanent bridge is hinged and opens regularly to enable the passage of ocean going vessels. [7]
  • Span, 548 feet (167 m)

• Sunset Lake Floating Bridge
  • Located in Brookfield, Vermont
  • Built on logs in 1820, then upon tarred barrels in 1884, rebuilt using plastic barrels filled with styrofoam in 1978, caries light automobile traffic. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The Sunset Lake Floating Bridge is a Floating bridge that spans Sunset Lake in Brookfield, Vermont, United States. Brookfield is a town in Orange County, Vermont

• Sozh Floating Bridge
  • The new floating bridge replaced an older one and spanned the Sozh River at Korma, Belarus
  • Built in 2003/2004, caries light automobile traffic. The Sozh Floating Bridge is a Pontoon bridge spanning the Sozh River at Korma Belarus. Sozh (Сож sɔʐ Сож is a river in Belarus and Russia, a left Tributary of the Dnieper river Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east

• Floating Bridge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  • A new floating bridge has been erected over Dubai Creek to ease traffic on over creek crossings in Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
  • The bridge opened to the public on 16 July 2007; two weeks after applying the Salik road toll to the Al Garhoud Bridge. Floating Bridge (الجسر العائم is a Pontoon bridge (floating bridge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dubai (in دبيّ,) is one of the seven emirates and most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE Dubai Creek or Khor Dubai (خور دبي) is a Saltwater creek located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Salik (In Arabic: سالك meaning "clear and moving" is the name given to the road toll system in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Al Garhoud Bridge (In Arabic: جسر القرهود is one of four road bridges over Dubai Creek, and one of five crossing in Dubai, United

Disasters

Floating bridges can be vulnerable to inclement weather, especially strong winds.

• In 1979, the longest floating bridge crossing salt water, the Hood Canal Bridge, was subjected to winds of 80 miles per hour, gusting up to 120. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The Hood Canal Bridge is located in Washington state in the USA on State Route 104 and connects the Olympic Peninsula and the Kitsap Peninsula Waves of 10 to 15 feet battered the sides of the bridge, and within a few hours the western 3/4 mile of the structure had sunk. It has since been rebuilt.
• In 1990, the 1940 Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge was closed for renovations. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Lacey V Murrow Memorial Bridge is a floating bridge that carries the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer Specifically, the sidewalks were being removed to widen the traffic lanes to the standards mandated by the Interstate Highway System. Engineers realized that jackhammers could not be employed to remove the sidewalks without risking compromising the structural integrity of the entire bridge. As such, a unique process called hydrodemolition was employed, in which powerful jets of water are used to blast away concrete, bit by bit. The water used in this process, however, trickled into the hollow chambers in the pontoons of the bridge, which were supposed to be filled with air, and provide the bridge its necessary flotation. Furthermore, watertight doors on the pontoons were removed to facilitate the work. During a week of rain and strong winds, the watertight doors were not closed and the pontoons filled with water from the storm, in addition to the water taken on as a result of the hydrodemolition. The inundated bridge broke apart and sank. The Lacey V Murrow Memorial Bridge is a floating bridge that carries the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer The bridge was rebuilt in 1993. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar)
• A minor disaster occurs if anchors or connections between the pontoon bridge segments fail. This may happen due overloading, extreme weather or flood. The bridge disintegrates and parts of it start to float away. Many cases are known. When the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge sank (above), it severed the anchor cables of the bridge parallel to it. A powerful tugboat pulled on that bridge against the wind during a subsequent storm, and prevented further damage.

Notes

References

• Brook, Timothy. (1998). The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22154-0
• Graff, David Andrew and Robin Higham (2002). A Military History of China. Boulder: Westview Press.
• Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technolog, Part 3, Civil Engineering and Nautics. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd.

See also

• Bailey bridge for another bridge type with mobile military application. The Bailey bridge is a portable pre-fabricated Truss Bridge, designed for use by Military engineering units to bridge up to 60 m (200 ft gaps
• Bridge of boats - a temporary floating bridge built upon general-purpose watercraft
• Floating dock
• Mabey Logistic Support Bridge bailey type bridge that can be made into a multi-span bridge on pontoons
• Medium Girder Bridge for another bridge type with mobile military application. A " bridge of boats " istype of Bridge which floats on water instead of having permanent pillars A floating dock is a platform or ramp supported by pontoons These are usually joined to the shore with a ramp that rests upon the dock on rollers to adjust for the vertical The Mabey Logistic Support Bridge (in the United States the Mabey-Johnson Bridge) is a portable pre-fabricated Truss Bridge, designed for The Medium Girder Bridge (MGB is a lightweight man portable Bridge and can be assembled without help from heavy equipment
• Mulberry Harbour - as used at D-Day

A Mulberry harbour was a type of temporary Harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy. D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote

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