In the land of shitposts and the home of tags (Posts tagged Bridges)

1.5M ratings
277k ratings

See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

Sounds perfect Wahhhh, I don’t wanna
chaotic-archaeologist
ofruinsandmyth

image
image
image

In 3807 BC, the Neolithic Britons of the Brue Valley came together to construct an elevated, single-plank walkway over a reed swamp. Stretching nearly two kilometres, it would have provided a vital link for communities on the Somerset Levels, and is the second-oldest timber trackway discovered in the British Isles.

image
image

The track was a walkway consisting mainly of planks of oak laid end-to-end, supported by crossed pegs of ash, oak, and lime, driven into the underlying peat; the length, straightness, and lack of forks or branches in the pegs suggest that they were taken from coppiced woodland—one that they appear to have been managing for at least 120 years.

The total timber used in the track’s construction weighed approximately 200,000 kilograms, yet estimates suggest just ten men could have assembled it in just one day. The track was operational for only about ten years before rising water levels likely submerged and rendered it unusable.

History Civil engineering Bridges When there's a will there's a way (sorry but you understand I had to make that one) I wonder how I would have done with something like that I could use a balance beam at school and human being is highly adaptable so I think I would have done alright I'm amazed by the amount of knowledge you need to deduce history from artefacts
pokingcactus
crystalmaster333

image
derryderrydown

On the off-chance that people don’t know this...

This style of bridge dates from the days when barges were towed by horses. When the towpath switched to the opposite side of the canal, the horse would, obviously, clippy-clop over a bridge and happily plod off again. Now, the automatic way to do this would be like this:

image

However, note that rope (black line) between the horse (brown blob) and the barge (red blob). If you cross the bridge the automatic way, it all goes a bit....

image

However, if you cross the bridge like THIS

image

it all works out fine!

Now, sure, you could trust people to remember how to cross a bridge. But there are a lot of numpties out there, and people were working extremely long days and were extremely tired. Also, the canals were BUSY. One boat getting snarled up was the equivalent of the Ever Given.

So, instead, the canal companies built Numpty-Proof Bridges.

They also had the benefit that the horse could be left to plod along on its own, rather than needing human guidance. (I have no idea how this worked. My horse would have her nose buried in the grass and wouldn’t go anywhere, if I left her to it.)

Architecture Civil engineering Bridges Bridges and horses (because this is a tag I already had) Knotting (sorry - couldn't resist) I can't think in 3D so I will believe this without checking However at the second sketch my mind tried to help by proposing the barge just had to vault over the bridge