tallbridgeguy

Great bridge from David. (thanks!)

A lightweight aluminium footbridge 53 metres long is placed by helicopter (spectacular scenery):

Note in the last photo entitled “bridge in place”, just after placing and before installing the deck, the bottom chord consists only of 4 cables to keep the weight down. The gorge crossed by the footbridge is “up to 600 metres deep” although the waterfall near the bridge has a free fall of “only” 140 metres. A bungee jumping point is provided.

More pictures here.

Infrastructure

I received an email from Infrastructure USA. I don’t know much about them but I believe they are an advocacy group for infrastructure. Can anybody tell me more about them?

Here is a bridge article on their site.

Highestbridge.com

I received an email from Eric, who is planning a trip to China. Some info and great pictures here and here.

I posted an online Photo Album of the 3 week trip that you can look at below.  I am now planning another China bridge trip to visit nearly all the crossings of the Yangtze River plus several more in the Shanghai region.  Like the 2011 high bridge adventure, the 2012 trip would be 3 weeks through much of western China.

This is arguably the most ambitious bridge trip ever undertaken with regard to visiting long span bridges.  We will attempt to visit some 80 spans in 22 days but the good part is there will be at least 1,500 kilometers less driving which will allow us to spend more time visiting more bridges each day and less time trying to get from one bridge to the next one as we had to do on the 2011 trip.  Our only real enemy is the weather.

I have reengineered my marshmallow bridge, thanks to some good comments from across the pond. ( thanks David and HP!)

I have stiffened the connection with gumdrops and added some better bracing.

I have also started developing a river scene that I will layout for the kids. They can build bridges across the river and gumdrop towers along the banks.

Hopefully this new bridge will meet the US Gumdrop bridge standards!

Thanks David and HP!

I have been suffering from the winter blues and a lack of blogging motivation. I was asked to help some elementary school kids learn about engineering. So marshmallow bridges, loaded with pennies.

I have been suffering through a cold lately which is perfect timing for the holiday season. I have also been playing a bit more with Gimp (not the Gimp) a photoshop type free program. I think I over did it but it is faster than doing a full 3d render.

Right click and open in new window for large view….if your really bored. This is a bridge I actually designed.

Thanks David for the link.

Some great pictures of the supporting under garments of the London Tower Bridge.

Daily Mail

Okay I went off the rails a little bit in regards to the new ASCE rating system, but let me explain my point of view.

I am all for improving the environment and using the private sector as the economic engine is a great idea. What I object to is the current marketing models, let me explain.

Imagine I start a non-profit. I sell memberships and make members “certified” environmental professionals. Then I take the money from my members and lobby owners (the federal government) to adopt my criteria for projects.

Now if you want to work on a federal project you need to be a certified member of my non-profit. If you want to provide materials for the project you have to have certified materials. (Certified by me of course)

Now lets say you don’t want to join my non-profit, well then you cannot work on “certified” projects. Lets say I don’t want you in my non-profit, well I can turn you down and who will you appeal to? I’m a private entity. I just convinced owners to place a rider on the project mandating you follow my rules. Nothing illegal about that.

I’m sure I can work on LEEDs mandated projects….well no, I’m not a member. Can I do the engineering necessary, sure, but I’m not a member. LEEDs is not a governmental organization. It is a private organization, who can set criteria, that you have to follow to work on certain projects.

Will these organizations improve the environment. Sure, of course, but I object to the closed shop nature of the organization.

I’m thinking I can start a non-profit for bridge engineers. I will develop criteria and tests that engineers will have to pass to be TGB certified. Now if I can convince owners they should only hire tallbridgeguy certified bridge designers on their projects, I can set design policy.

Not certified by tallbridgeguy? Well tough, better join if you want to work…..

Now I must go and put on my tin foil hat….

What do you think am I crazy?

I just filled out a survey for ASCEs sustainable infrastructure initiative. (you can search for the organization yourself, I don’t want to promote them)

Obviously I didn’t approve of their cloning LEEDs (look it up) marketing system. I don’t mind people making money off the environment, as long as it is responsible, but I am tired of organizations that sell memberships instead of helping the environment.

I don’t want to become a proud member of some group so I can market my environmental services. I have a masters degree in environmental engineering and I’m pretty sure I know what is right and wrong in engineering.

I struggle everyday to improve my engineering designs and products to reduce our footprint on the earth.

I just think these types of organization worry more about selling memberships than actually making changes. Can you tell they bug me…

What do you think? Will paying $300-750 make you a better engineer or will you just buy the membership for your business card?

I may be designing one of these next spring.

Folded plate steel girder

Not really bridge related but great pictures.