Floating Bridge

For those of you who may not know, floating bridges made from concrete are actually used quite some time ago. source "->The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, officially the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point, is the longest floating bridge in the world at 7,578 feet (2,310 meters).^[1] It carries Washington State Route 520 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Medina and is often called the "520 bridge" by locals.^[1] Microsoft programmers often call it the "Evergreen Floating Point Bridge", a pun based on a term for numbers with decimal points often used in computers.-<" The particular buidge in question uses a light weight aggregate to make the concrete lighter than water. Ordinary concrete is heavier than water and would require pontoon a like structure to float in the water, while light weight concrete would also be pontoon like but would also float on top of the water without being structurally designed as such.

With such recent disaster as the bridge in Minnisota crossing the Mississippi carrying traffic from Interstate 35W which collapsed (see video).

The only problem with floating bridges is that they represent a major problem for floating traffic. The whole point of rivers and lakes for people is their ability to be used as major arteries for the transport of goods or for pleasure traffic. Most floating bridges have a section that will allow this traffic to pass. The Dubai floating bridge does not. It relies instead on timing whereby a section of the bridge will be moved out and floating traffic allowed to pass. This is why the bridge is opened from 6am to 10pm.

The main reason for this stop gap measure was to provide additional traffic bearing capacity accross the Dubai creek, which itself is partially an artificial waterway. Typically many areas in the gulf region where somewhat false bays and inlets. They were partially navigable during high tide and where very shallow or empty during low tide. These areas were called "subtra" where they were either permanently wet or at peak tides had water cover. The Dubai Creek was internally such a formation. In1963 it was dredged and we have today what appears to be a river of sorts.


So now with a floating bridge, what is next? I believe that the floating bridge will be removed in years to come or it will have a section replaced. Floating bridges are more appropriate for very wide waterways where a significant portion of the bridge can be floating while one section can be higher and allow for water based traffic.

The floating bridge in Dubai is hearalding a new era in the Middle East where non-traditional building concepts are gaining acceptance.