The advancements in bridge construction technology have led to the development of various modern bridge structures that have improved transportation and made people's travel more convenient.
From the early stone arch bridges to the modern steel and concrete arch bridges, the evolution of bridge structures is driven by economic growth and the continuous improvement of bridge construction materials.
With the rapid development of the economy, the transportation industry has also greatly benefited from it, making transportation more accessible and smoother. However, bridge engineering has always been a challenging aspect of transportation work.
Nevertheless, with the joint efforts of collective wisdom, many unimaginable difficulties have been overcome, leading to the completion of many great feats. These achievements are inseparable from the rapid development of bridge construction technology.
With people's increasingly high-quality requirements for bridge construction technology, new challenges have emerged. One of these challenges is waterproofing in bridge engineering. Polymer materials have become popular waterproofing materials used in bridge construction, providing excellent technical support for waterproofing construction.
In addition, flexible waterproofing has gradually become a common practice and is welcomed by everyone, becoming the director of development for bridge waterproofing engineering construction.
There are many new waterproofing materials available, which can be classified into four categories: asphalt waterproofing membrane, waterproof coating, polymer sheet, and adhesive sealing materials.
Let's take a look at some of the world's famous modern bridges. The Great Belt Bridge connects the Danish island of Zealand with the non-British island and spans the Great Belt. It consists of three parts: the West Bridge, the Cross Harbour Tunnel, and the East Bridge.
These are divided into two sections, East and West, with the artificial island of Spooo as an intermediate station in between. The West Bridge is 6.6 kilometers long, stretching from Fearing Island to Spouaux Island.
The East Bridge is a road suspension bridge, with a total length of 6,790 meters. The longest span of the bridge is 1,624 meters, the width of the bridge deck is 31 meters, and the height of the bridge tower is 254 meters, which is the highest point of fixed structures in Denmark.
The Cross Harbour Tunnel is a twin-bore tunnel structure with a length of 8 km, with passages connecting the two parallel main tunnels at 250 m intervals. The railroad control equipment is installed in the connecting tunnel and also serves as an emergency escape route in case of an accident.
Another famous modern bridge is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which is located in the deepest bay in the eastern United States in the Atlantic Ocean, stretching between the states of Maryland and Virginia. The bridge was constructed to facilitate traffic between the two sides of the bay and to allow domestic and foreign tourists to visit.
It opened to traffic in 1964 and has an artificial island in the middle of the bridge, which offers a spectacular view of the mouth of the Atlantic Bay, the world's busiest shipping lane. The island also provides an opportunity to fish, dine and buy souvenirs.
The bridge is open once a year for public tours on foot or by bicycle. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is the world's longest bridge and tunnel complex, spanning 4.3 miles. It has been called "one of the seven wonders of the modern world".
The future development of bridges will be in the direction of cross-sea, cross-international, lightweight, multi-purpose, and environmental protection. Chinese bridge experts predict that in the 21st century, the world's bridges will have larger spans, be lighter, more sensitive, and meet new international bridge development standards.
Moreover, advanced materials such as high-performance concrete, fiber-reinforced composites, and shape-memory alloys will be utilized in the construction of modern bridges.
