2008-02-20

Water bridge in Germany



This is a channel-bridge over the River Elbe and joins the former East and West Germany as part of the unification project. It is located in the city of Magdeburg, near Berlin. Six years in the making, 500 million Euros, 918 meters long.

Question
Did that bridge have to be designed to withstand the additional weight of ship and barge traffic, or just the weight of the water?

Answer
It only needs to be designed to withstand the weight of the water!

Why?

A ship always displaces an amount of water that weighs the same as the ship,
regardless of how heavily a ship may be loaded.

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