How Bridges Are Made Over Water

No matter where you travel each day across the country, you’re likely to pass bridges. They’re a key connecting link across the country and throughout the world. Ever stop to marvel at this fantastic accomplishment? Ever wonder exactly how bridges are made over water, particularly when that body of water is incredibly large? It’s a long, fascinating process, and often it involves scaffolding docks.

Many Methods, One Result

Bridge creation typically involves different methods, and they depend a bit on the level of water and the quality of the soil under the water. For example. in low depths, the foundations of a bridge are usually laid when you fill a given location for a temporary period of time to build piers. This is perhaps the easiest form of bridge construction.

However, when the water depth is deeper or the soil is not very favorable, scaffolding docks get involved. Temporary docks are built, then piles are created deep into the water. The bridge is then created by taking support from the piles.

In even deeper waters, typically those involving rivers or the ocean, the Cofferdam technique is used. In this situation, a scaffolding dock is constructed so a team can build a wall to enclose a given area of the water. Once the wall is in place, water is pumped out of the area, and the foundation of the bridge is built inside that space. Continual monitoring is required from the scaffolding dock to ensure the tides of the water don’t change. Once the foundations are built, the walls can be removed, and the bridge itself can be constructed.

In really difficult situations, case drilling is used to create a bridge. In this technique, scaffolding docks are created to install a watertight chamber in the water. That watertight chamber uses air pressure to keep the water out, then a sealed tube is installed. At this point, a long drill is put inside the tube and drilling begins. Any water that fills the tube during the drilling process is pumped out and a case is pushed into the resulting hole to create the support for a bridge. That case is filled with concrete to form the pillars, and the bridge is created.

Scaffolding Docks Must Meet Key Requirements

Many of these bridge-building processes rely on the use of scaffolding docks, so requirements for these docks are incredibly strict. Guided by OSHA standards, these docks must be constructed to help prevent any potential dangers that might befall employees as they move equipment onto those docks and work from them day after day. They must be structurally sound enough to support their weight as well as four times the maximum intended load without any settling. Additionally, they have to be equipped with guardrails to protect employees aboard.

Across the world, bridges are constructed using many different methods, but often scaffolding docks are a key piece of the puzzle. If you or your company needs a scaffolding dock give the experts at AccuDock a call!