Bascule bridge

Bascule bridge

This animation shows the movement of a double leaf bascule.
Ancestor Drawbridge, Plate girder bridge, cantilever bridge
Related Lift bridge, swing bridge
Descendant None
Carries Pedestrian, automobile, truck, light rail, heavy rail
Span range Short
Material Steel
Movable Yes
Design effort Medium
Falsework required Site and prefabrication specific

A bascule bridge (commonly referred to as a drawbridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or "leaf", throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single or double leafed.

The name comes from the French term for balance scale, which employs the same principle. Bascule bridges are the most common type of movable span because they open quickly and require relatively little energy to operate, while providing the possibility for unlimited vertical clearance for marine traffic.

History

Tower Bridge in London.

Bascule bridges have been in use since ancient times. However, it was not until the adoption of steam power in the 1850s that very long, heavy spans could be moved quickly enough for practical application.

Types

Animation of a rolling lift bridge (such as the Pegasus Bridge)

There are three types of bascule bridge designs,[1] and counterweights required to balance a bascule's span may be located either above or below the bridge deck.

The fixed-trunnion (sometimes a "Chicago" bascule) rotates around a large axle that raises the span(s). The Chicago bascule name derives from the location where it is widely used, and is a refinement by Joseph Strauss of the fixed-trunnion.[2]

The rolling lift trunnion (sometimes a "Scherzer" rolling lift), raises the span by rolling on a track resembling a rocking chair base. The "Scherzer" rolling lift is a patented refinement by the American engineer William Donald Scherzer.

The rarer Rall type combines rolling lift with longitudinal motion on trunnions when opening.[3] It was patented (1901) by Theodor Rall.[2][3][4] One of the few surviving examples is the Broadway Bridge (1913), in Portland, Oregon.[3][5]

Gallery

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bascule bridges.
  1. ↑ Koglin, Terry L. (2003). "4. Bascule Bridges". Movable bridge engineering. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-41960-0. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Landmark Designation Report: Historic Chicago Bridges" (PDF). Commission on Chicago Landmarks. September 2007 [September 2006]. pp. 12, 15 (pdf pages 14, 17). Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Wood Wortman, Sharon; Wortman, Ed (2006). The Portland Bridge Book (3rd Edition). Urban Adventure Press. pp. 32, 35. ISBN 0-9787365-1-6.
  4. ↑ "Patent number 669348: T. Rall movable bridge". United States Patent and Trademark Office (referenced online by Google Patents). 1901. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  5. ↑ Historic American Engineering Record. "Broadway Bridge, Spanning Willamette River at Broadway Street [sic], Portland, Multnomah County, OR". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 21, 2013. delete character in |title= at position 63 (help)
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