Rabindra Setu, popularly known as Howrah Bridge links the cities of Howrah and Kolkata.
Whenever we look at the Howrah Bridge, a long and heavy bridge, the only question struck on our mind is that how Howrah Bridge works without pillars and support in the centre. What holds it up?
Howrah Bridge is a 705-metre long cantilever bridge. A cantilever is a structure that juts out way beyond its base. The branch of a tree is a natural cantilever; a beam of metal jutting out from a wall to support a balcony is a cantilever; the diving board of a swimming pool may be a cantilever.
In all these examples, the support exists only at one end. In a cantilever bridge, the cantilever juts out over the river from a supporting structure known as a pier. A similar cantilever juts out from a supporting structure on the opposite side of the river.
credit: third party image reference
The two arms meet to form the span of the bridge. The piers at either end of the bridge support the load that a cantilever bridge has to carry, so there is no need for a support in the center.
credit: third party image reference
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