Peljesac Bridge New Project

The future Peljesac Bridge may be bascule bridge! Cool ! 🙂

The Croatian newspaper Jutarnji list, just published this image:

as a possible solution for the Peljesac Bridge.

The good thing about it is that this kind of bridge will allow large ships to sail underneath of it, so the Bosnian port of Neum will not be affected by its presence.

About Bascule Bridges:

A bascule bridge is a drawbridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or “leaf”, throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic. Bascule is a French term for seesaw and balance, and bascule bridges operate along the same principle. They are the most common type of movable bridge in existence because they open quickly and require relatively little energy to operate.

Although the bascule bridge has been in use since ancient times, it was not until the 1850s that engineers developed the ability to move very long, heavy spans quickly enough for practical application. Nikolaevsky Bridge across Neva in Saint Petersburg was the first large bascule bridge, opened 1850. Since then, all bridges across Neva and other major rivers in the city (total 21) were bascule, to provide navigation, and not allowing city inhabitants to travel across the river at night (this remained so until 2003 when the first cable-stayed bridge across Neva was open).

Probably the most famous bascule bridge in the world is Tower Bridge across the Thames in London. Originally, the Tower Bridge was a hydraulically operated bridge, using steam power from coal-burning boilers which was stored in six accumulators so that power was readily available when required. The water for the boilers was provided by a well. The steam accumulators fed the engines, which powered the bascules. Today, the bascule mechanism is driven by oil and electricity rather than by steam.

The variant that has below deck counterweights and no superstructure is called a Chicago bascule as this type was developed there and is used for many of that city’s river crossings.

( text and bridge animation source “about bascule bridges” : Wikipedia )

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