scratch
12-30-2005, 09:25 PM
After all, everything’s bigger in Texas, right? Everything except for this:
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/4803/bbforthrailbridge8ey.th.jpg (http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bbforthrailbridge8ey.jpg)
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/8569/forthpanorama0wq.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=forthpanorama0wq.jpg)
(click on thumbnails for bigger images)
The Forth Rail Bridge in Scotland is the biggest of it’s kind. Designed and constructed in the 1880’s, it was (from a technological standpoint) the Apollo moon-shot of it’s day.
Here’s how glasssteelandstone.com describes it –
This structure is a great undulating steel monster rising out of the estuary that is formed by the Forth River as it slowly spreads out toward the North Sea. "Monster" is an appropriate word, because this bridge has the looks of a beast, and the strength to back it up. It is considered one of the strongest, most stable, and most expensive bridges in history. That came out of necessity. The bridge was built after the span across the Firth of Tay collapsed, killing 75 people on a train in the middle of the night. Engineers and planners needed to cross the Forth, but had to do it in a way that would be acceptable to a public still shocked by what was then the worst bridge disaster in history. What they came up with wasn't merely another cantilever-truss bridge. What they put together was a marvel of Victorian engineering, and a span so overbuilt that it barely moves in even the heaviest wind, even though a certain amount of sway is expected in most large structures. This is achieved by using steel plate tubes with internal braces. The most stout of these building members are 12-feet in diameter. Its nearly exclusive use of steel, combined with its latticework appearance have made some people refer to it as the "Eiffel Tower of Scotland."
Here’s a clever illustration of the engineering principles this structure employs –
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/5876/forthhumanmodel8ry.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=forthhumanmodel8ry.jpg)
Like most grand dames, the Forth Bridge also demands some fairly extravagant upkeep. In particular, keeping rust under control requires re-painting it on a regular schedule, and it’s no simple task. Check out the scaffolding in this shot –
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/4258/forthscaffolding6ol.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=forthscaffolding6ol.jpg)
And here’s why they go to all the trouble:
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/3538/forthbridgerust3gc.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=forthbridgerust3gc.jpg)
One thing is for sure; if this bridge was in Texas, you would never see men with furry purses wearing short skirts and white high-tops prancing around in front of it. :ponder: :wary:
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/1193/forthold7vh.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=forthold7vh.jpg)
(O.K., this sort of thing might happen in Austin :-P ;-))
Finally, just to insure that there’s a motorcycle tie-in to all this –
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/5131/firthforths3med2ud.th.jpg (http://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=firthforths3med2ud.jpg) Ahhh... British engineering at it’s finest! :mrgreen:
(Now I'll just sit back and wait for the inevitable Triumph maintenance jokes... :duck: )
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/4803/bbforthrailbridge8ey.th.jpg (http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bbforthrailbridge8ey.jpg)
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/8569/forthpanorama0wq.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=forthpanorama0wq.jpg)
(click on thumbnails for bigger images)
The Forth Rail Bridge in Scotland is the biggest of it’s kind. Designed and constructed in the 1880’s, it was (from a technological standpoint) the Apollo moon-shot of it’s day.
Here’s how glasssteelandstone.com describes it –
This structure is a great undulating steel monster rising out of the estuary that is formed by the Forth River as it slowly spreads out toward the North Sea. "Monster" is an appropriate word, because this bridge has the looks of a beast, and the strength to back it up. It is considered one of the strongest, most stable, and most expensive bridges in history. That came out of necessity. The bridge was built after the span across the Firth of Tay collapsed, killing 75 people on a train in the middle of the night. Engineers and planners needed to cross the Forth, but had to do it in a way that would be acceptable to a public still shocked by what was then the worst bridge disaster in history. What they came up with wasn't merely another cantilever-truss bridge. What they put together was a marvel of Victorian engineering, and a span so overbuilt that it barely moves in even the heaviest wind, even though a certain amount of sway is expected in most large structures. This is achieved by using steel plate tubes with internal braces. The most stout of these building members are 12-feet in diameter. Its nearly exclusive use of steel, combined with its latticework appearance have made some people refer to it as the "Eiffel Tower of Scotland."
Here’s a clever illustration of the engineering principles this structure employs –
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/5876/forthhumanmodel8ry.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=forthhumanmodel8ry.jpg)
Like most grand dames, the Forth Bridge also demands some fairly extravagant upkeep. In particular, keeping rust under control requires re-painting it on a regular schedule, and it’s no simple task. Check out the scaffolding in this shot –
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/4258/forthscaffolding6ol.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=forthscaffolding6ol.jpg)
And here’s why they go to all the trouble:
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/3538/forthbridgerust3gc.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=forthbridgerust3gc.jpg)
One thing is for sure; if this bridge was in Texas, you would never see men with furry purses wearing short skirts and white high-tops prancing around in front of it. :ponder: :wary:
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/1193/forthold7vh.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=forthold7vh.jpg)
(O.K., this sort of thing might happen in Austin :-P ;-))
Finally, just to insure that there’s a motorcycle tie-in to all this –
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/5131/firthforths3med2ud.th.jpg (http://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=firthforths3med2ud.jpg) Ahhh... British engineering at it’s finest! :mrgreen:
(Now I'll just sit back and wait for the inevitable Triumph maintenance jokes... :duck: )