Beam Bridges

Beam bridges, are also known as girder bridges. They are one of the oldest and most common bridges. They are held up by river banks or piers at both ends. Box girders and trusses can help a beam bridge stay up and be stronger. Highways overpasses are normally beam bridges. The first person to build a beam bridge is not known. Although, the first beam bridges were built in ancient times. Some of the first beam bridges were built in Rome. Some of the most famous beam bridges are the Manchac Swamp Bridge, Tianjin Grand Bridge, and Lake Pontchartin Causeway. The Eitai Bridge in Tokyo collapsed in Japan over River Sumida September 20, 1807. It happened because of an overload. 1 pier and 2 spans were were destroyed. 500-1,500 people were killed that day. Nimule is another bridge in Nimule, Kenyal/Sudan. It happened in …show more content…
They are also the simplest to design and build. They are mostly used in urban and rural settings. They usually have large box steel girder bridges. Beam bridges need to be stiff, so they usually make it out of metal and steel. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest bridge over water! It was made in 1969. It is 38,442 miles and 126,122 feet. There’s also the Tianjin Grand Bridge. It’s the second largest bridge in the world. It was completed in 2010. Its 113,700 miles and 373,000 feet! The Manchac Swamp Bridge is 22.8 miles. It is one of the largest bridges over water in the world! It was completed in 2010. It was made in Louisiana and was worth $7,000,000 per mile! Many beam bridges are made of concrete and steel because these materials are so strong they can hold it up. Some beam bridges have daisy-chaining bridge sections “to create a continuous span.” Beam bridges only do that though when it is longer than 250 feet long. Twenty beam bridges can be connected to make a larger bridge. Beam bridges are usually used over highways or gaps in the