Folding bridge
 | |
| Ancestor | Plate girder bridge |
|---|---|
| Related | Lift bridge, submersible bridge, retractable bridge |
| Descendant | None |
| Carries | Automobiles, pedestrians |
| Span range | Short |
| Material | Steel |
| Movable | Yes |
| Design effort | High |
| Falsework required | No |
A folding bridge is a type of moveable bridge engineered to fold. This allows ship traffic to pass through the waterway that the bridge spans.[1]
An example of a folding bridge is the Hörnbrücke (Hörn Bridge) in the city of Kiel in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. When the bridge is down it spans 25.5 metres (84 ft) across the Kiel Fjord, known as the Hörn. The three-segment bascule bridge folds up into the shape of the capital letter N to allow for ship and boat traffic.[2]
Two of the thirst folding bridges were build in Chicago by Shailer & Schniglau out of steel. The first stood between 1891 to 1899 at the Weed Street.[3] The second was built in 1893 but was demolished 10 years later due to it being repeatedly out of service and two boat collisions in 1900.[4] It had a 89 foot span and a width of 35 feet.[5]
See also
- Bascule bridge
- Double-beam drawbridge
- Drawbridge
- Moveable bridges for a list of other moveable bridge types
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References
- ^ McMahon, Mary (January 10, 2024). "What is a Folding Bridge?". All the Science. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ "Hörnbrücke – Kiel, Germany - Atlas Obscura". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ^ "North Branch Bridges". chicagology.com. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ^ canalman (2017-11-17). "Canal Street Bridge over the South Branch of the Chicago River". raddoc1947. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ^ "Canal Street Bridge - HistoricBridges.org". historicbridges.org. Retrieved 2025-08-21.