A suspension bridge is a bridge whose deck hangs below suspension cables on vertical suspenders, a form distinct from the older, simpler rope suspension bridges long built in mountainous regions worldwide without vertical suspenders. James Finley patented the modern configuration in the United States in 1808 after building the Jacob's Creek Bridge in Pennsylvania in 1801, the first iron-chain suspension bridge in the Western world, complete with a suspended deck carried on trusses. The design matured rapidly in the following decades: Thomas Telford's Menai Bridge of 1826, spanning 176 meters in Wales, is described as the first important modern suspension bridge, wire-cable construction developed through Marc Seguin's and Guillaume Henri Dufour's bridges in France in the 1820s, and Charles Ellet Jr.'s 1842 Fairmount wire bridge in Philadelphia brought wire-cable suspension construction to the United States.
Facts
Patent or First-Use Date SignificanceJames Finley is widely recognized as the first designer and builder of the modern suspension bridge. 3 FAQs
How long did an early American chain suspension bridge last?
It collapsed in 1810 after about one year.
Not long. The Schuylkill Falls chain suspension bridge of 1809, built to James Finley's patented design, was a small bridge with a central span of only 70 feet, a deck 12 feet 6 inches wide and towers 14 feet high. Its chains were hand forged wrought iron loops. The bridge collapsed in 1810, after being up for only about one year.
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Associated With
Source Bedřich Schnirch (Wikipedia)
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In Field
Source Suspension bridge, Wikipedia
Invented By
His 1826 Menai Bridge, spanning 176 meters in Wales, is described as the first important modern suspension bridge, matured from James Finley's earlier 1808 patented configuration.
Sources
1. Schuylkill Falls Chain Suspension Bridge (1809), STRUCTURE magazine
Article body, patent award sentenceQuote, Article body, patent award sentence
He was awarded a patent on the bridge on June 17, 1808 as patent no. X883.
2. Suspension bridge, Wikipedia
Chain bridges section, Jacob's Creek Bridge sentence
The first iron chain suspension bridge in the Western world was the Jacob's Creek Bridge (1801) in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, designed by inventor James Finley.
In Field: Civil Engineering, Categories
Bridges by structural type
In Group: Bridge Types, Introduction
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders.
View the Source3. James Finley (engineer), Wikipedia
Lead section, opening sentenceQuote, Lead section, opening sentence
James Finley (1756-1828), aka Judge James Finley, is widely recognized as the first designer and builder of the modern suspension bridge.
Bedřich Schnirch (Wikipedia)
Associated With: Bedřich Schnirch, Lead sentence [associated-with]Quote, Associated With: Bedřich Schnirch, Lead sentence [associated-with]
primarily known for designing chain bridges
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