The Pont Alexandre III Bridge in Paris crosses the Seine River and was built from about 1896-1900. It was designed for the Universal Exposition, which was to take place in 1900 in Paris. Many other structures were built for the same purpose, some of which are still in use today. The bridge's first stone was laid by the Russian Tzar Nicholas II to symbolize French-Russian friendship and cooperation. The bridge was named after his father, Alexander III.One of the design constraints was that the bridge could not obstruct the view of the Invalides or the Champs-Elysees. This meant the bridge had to be built very low. However, it also had to allow barges and ferries to pass down the Seine underneath. The bridge had to be built nearly flat with an arched bottom to allow the boats to pass freely and for the view to be unobstructed. Some other design constraints were probably that the bridge had to be able to support the hundreds of thousands of people that would be visiting the city and using the bridge to cross. The Pont Alexandre III connected two main attractions of the event, so it had to be built to withstand heavy foot traffic. Another design constraint was probably wind and flooding. If the river flooded, the bridge had to be able to withstand strong water flow. In addition, the bridge would have had to stay strong against winds.
One thing I find fascinating about this bridge is that the four main pillars with gilded statues are an integral part of the construction. Not only do they provide aesthetic appeal, but they are necessary counterweights to balance the low bridge. I did some research on Paris and found that the city gets a lot of rain during the year, and cold temperatures in the winter, causing snow and ice. The bridge would have had to withstand the various forces of weather in their extremes. Though generally the temperature fluctuation is not major, the temperatures in Paris have risen up to 104 degrees F in the summer and as low as -11 degrees F in the winter.
The bridge is still in use today, so it was clearly well built and well maintained for the past century.
One thing I find fascinating about this bridge is that the four main pillars with gilded statues are an integral part of the construction. Not only do they provide aesthetic appeal, but they are necessary counterweights to balance the low bridge. I did some research on Paris and found that the city gets a lot of rain during the year, and cold temperatures in the winter, causing snow and ice. The bridge would have had to withstand the various forces of weather in their extremes. Though generally the temperature fluctuation is not major, the temperatures in Paris have risen up to 104 degrees F in the summer and as low as -11 degrees F in the winter.
The bridge is still in use today, so it was clearly well built and well maintained for the past century.