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Claire O’Loughlin
Year 8
Suspension Bridges
Suspension bridges are my favorite bridge in the whole world! Why? Because they look so sophisticated, modern and pretty!
A Suspension bridge is a roadway bridge suspended from steel cables, that hang between the towers. To take the strain from the compression and tension of the load, these cables are anchored at the ends of the bridge
The suspension bridge is aesthetic, light, and strong. They are the best bridge for large spans. Suspension bridges can span distances from 2,000 to 7,000 feet – far longer than any other bridge. But they are the most expensive to build.
The forces on the bridge are:
The cables are tensed because they are stretched (but not attached) over the towers to help stabilize the towers.
The towers and the cables hold the weight of the bridge and it’s traffic load.
The longest suspension bridge in the world is the Humber Bridge, England. Its main span is 1,410 metres.
My liking for suspension bridges is because there is one in New Zealand that crosses over the Auckland harbour. I love the view from it. One side of the bridge looks into Auckland city, the other side looks out into the open sea. But the real reason I like it is because I like to look down from the bridge into Westhaven Marina (the harbour marina) because I was born in that marina on our first yacht, “Gipsy”. So I think suspension bridges are cool!