This website serves as a catalogue or engineering marvels all over the world. There are old bridges and new bridges, and even although they all serve the same purpose, they all do it differently. Some bridges cross water, while other cross vast valleys, and the environment that it is designed to work in plays a huge part in the over design and manufacturing process. Some bridges are designed for environments that are extremely hostile, while other enjoy relatively easy lives. Pipe cutting is a process that almost all bridges require at some point in the manufacturing process. Pipes play a huge role in the strength and rigidity of the bridges themselves, and due to the nature of pipes, they are extremely versatile.
Pipe Cutting For Strength
Bridges must be strong but also malleable. If they are too rigid then the weather and day to day activity crossing the bridge will cause cracks and wear in the structure. However, when designing a bridge, the designers must factor in the overall weight of the bridge. Weight must be kept down or the bridge will simply not be able to hold itself up. One of the best materials and structures that is utilised for bridge design and construction is metal piping. It offers excellent strength in terms of bending strength, tensile strength, compressive forces and dynamic loads. If we look at a weight for weight comparison, this means that a hollow cylinder is stronger than a rod of equal mass and the same material. This makes pipes the ideal sub structure for bridge design, and means that pipe cutting from companies like Glacier is incredibly useful.
Bridge Failures
Over the years there have been a number of catastrophic bridge failures that have resulted in injuries and even deaths. Thankfully we have learned from our mistakes and there has not been any major failures for the past few years. We recently posted an article about the famous Tay bridge disaster, where high winds and bad design resulted in the death of around 70 people. The train was blasted with high winds as it crosses the river Tay in Scotland, and the bridge collapsed and the train wen plummeting into the river. It was recognised in an enquiry that the bridges design had not accounted for high winds, and the structure was made with poor quality castings. This disaster prompted all subsequent bridge designs in Scotland to over engineer the components, as well as make sure that the bridges could withstand even the most brutal of storms.
Bridges in the Future
As we look to the future, bridges will continue to be built and they will continue to marvel us all. Bridges are magnificent pieces of architecture, and when they are made properly and maintained with no expense spared, they can last for hundreds of years. They are something that the human race can be proud to say that they created. Please look our collection of bridges within this site if this is a topic that interests you.