Floating Bridges: Past and Present

This paper describes the worldwide development of floating bridges. The history of floating bridges can be dated back to 2000 BC. Floating bridges make the best use of buoyancy force instead of regarding water a barrier with certain limitations on the site such as the tranquillity and the abundance of water. The bridges introduced in this paper include: Galata Bridge (1912), Istanbul, the First 81940), the Second (1963) and the Third Bridge 81989) on Lake Washington, Hood Canal Bridge (1961) near Seattle, Bergsoysund Bridge (1992) in Norway, Nordhordland Bridge (1994) also in Norway, a pedestrian bridge in the London Docklands (1996), Admiral Clarey Bridge in Hawaii (1997), and a new swing floating arch bridge, Yumemai Bridge of Osaka (2000).