General Information
Project Type
| Structure: |
Tubular bridge |
|---|---|
| Function / usage: |
Railroad (railway) bridge |
| Material: |
Iron bridge Structurae Plus/Pro - Subscribe Now! |
Location
| Location: |
Montreal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada |
|---|---|
| Crossed: |
|
| Replaced by: |
Victoria Bridge (1898)
|
| Coordinates: | 45° 29' 29.86" N 73° 31' 45.37" W |
Technical Information
Dimensions
| main span | 100 m | |
| total length | 2 009 m | |
| number of tracks | 1 | |
| abutments | width | 8.53 m |
| height | 13.19 m | |
| embankment 1 | length | 365.76 m |
| embankment 2 | length | 243.84 m |
| pier shafts | width | 4.88 m |
| depth | 10.06 m | |
| piers | dimensions at base | 4.88 m x 28.04 m |
Materials
| piers |
stone
|
|---|---|
| girder |
wrought iron
|
| abutments |
stone
|
Chronology
| April 1854 | Start of construction. |
|---|---|
| 1855 | Only three piers are built. |
| 1856 — 1858 | With the introduction of steam-powered machinery by Benjamin Chaffey, Canadian contractor, both abutments, 20 piers and 12 tubes are erected. |
| January 1858 | The centre tube is erected off the ice. |
| 1859 | The last pier and the remaining 12 tubes are erected. |
| 12 December 1859 | The first freight train passes through the tubular bridge. |
| 25 August 1860 | Official opening by the Prince of Wales. |
| 1897 | The tubular superstructure is replaced by a double-track bridge. |
Notes
The bridge of more than 2 km in length consists of 24 wrought iron tubes supported by 24 heavy cut stone masonry piers and two abutments. Two earthen embankments at either ends serve as approaches.
Participants
Owner
- Alexander Ross (chief engineer)
- Robert Stephenson (chief engineer)
- James Hodges (chief engineer)
Design
- Thomas Coltrin Keefer (designer) (foundations)
- Alexander Ross (designer)
Consulting
- Robert Stephenson (consultant)
General contractor
Contractor
- Benjamin Chaffey (superstructure)
Relevant Web Sites
Relevant Publications
- (1997): L'architecture et les ingénieurs. Deux siècles de réalisations. Moniteur, Paris (France), pp. 97.
- (2005): Case Study in Engineering History Education: Robert Stephenson's "Last Great Work"—The Victoria Bridge in Montréal. In: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, v. 131, n. 1 (January 2005), pp. 32-40.
- (2001): Construction of the Victoria Tubular Bridge. In: Canal History and Technology Proceedings, n. 20 ( 2001), pp. 5-52.
- (1999): Tierra sobre el agua. Visión histórica universal de los puentes. Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Madrid (Spain), pp. 416.
- (1990): The Victoria Bridge - The Vital Link. McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal (Canada).
- About this
data sheet - Structure-ID
20002276 - Published on:
11/11/2001 - Last updated on:
10/01/2020
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