During ancient times, various indigenous techniques were employed to build simple bridges using materials like wood, bamboo, and ropes. These early bridges were often rudimentary but served the purpose of allowing people to cross rivers and streams.
The Mauryan and Gupta empires (circa 4th to 6th centuries) are believed to have constructed stone and masonry bridges to facilitate communication and trade.
The use of corbelled arches and piers can be seen in ancient bridge constructions, such as the 6th-century Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu, built during the reign of the Pallava dynasty.
The Khasi tribe’s living root bridges as a testament to the prowess that the people have. In recent years, India has continued to invest in bridge construction as part of its infrastructure development efforts. The country has undertaken projects to build longer, more technologically advanced, and environmentally sustainable bridges.
World’s highest railway bridge
The Chenab Bridge is the highest railway bridge in the world. It is located in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, India, and spans the Chenab River at a height of 359 metres (1,178 feet) above the river. The bridge is a steel and concrete arch bridge, and it is 1,315 metres (4,313 feet) long. It was constructed as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, and it was inaugurated in August 2022.
It is an engineering marvel since it was built to withstand harsh weather conditions in the Himalayas, and it is designed to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 8. The bridge is also designed to accommodate the weight of heavy freight trains.
It’s a fact
· 13th-highest3th-highest bridge in the world.
· It is the bridge with the longest span in the 5 feet 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge railway network.
· It took 10 years to construct the bridge.
· The bridge cost an estimated ₹1,200 crore ($150 million) to build.
· The bridge is named after the Chenab River, which it spans.
An engineering marvel
1. The bridge was designed by a team of engineers from the Indian Railways and the RITES Limited.
2. The bridge was constructed using a technique called incremental launching. This technique involves building the bridge in sections on land and then launching the sections into place over the river.
3. It is made up of 28 steel arches. Each arch is 140 meters (460 feet) long.
4. The bridge is supported by 120 concrete piers. The piers are up to 100 meters (330 feet) deep.
5. It is equipped with a seismometer to detect earthquakes. The seismometer will send an alert if an earthquake is detected.
It is also equipped with a wind sensor. The wind sensor will send an alert if the wind speed is too high.
The lifespan of this bridge is 120 years!