Title text:
Pontoon bridges are just linear open-sided waterbeds.
Transcript:
Bridge Types
[A 4x4 matrix of 16 ways to cross the same rectangular hole in the ground]
Plank [shows a plank laid over the hole]
Rope [shows a rope bridge with rope guardrail]
Truss [shows a truss bridge with a triangular truss above the bridge deck]
Trestle [shows a trestle bridge]
Arch [shows stone arches supporting a straight deck]
Suspended Arch [shows a single arch, with the bridge deck suspended from it]
Draw [shows a truss bridge, with one half opened like an unrealistic draw bridge]
Suspension [shows the bridge deck suspended from a cable strung between two pillars and the shores]
Filler [shows the hole filled with dirt and stones]
Budget Overrun [shows a bridge deck suspended by cables from an artistically shaped pillar]
Jump [shows two ramps at the edges of the hole, and a skateboarder jumping across the hole]
Halfhearted [shows a ramp at each side of the hole that leads down to the bottom]
Waterbed [shows the hole filled with water, two fish and an octopus, a wobbly covering, and two stick figures crossing]
L’Engle [shows the hole warped such that the opposite shores meet]
Fun [shows a loop-de-loop rollercoaster bridging the hole, and a skateboarder using it to get across]
Repurposed Elevator [shows an elevator tower, rotated sideways as a whole, laid across the hole. 2 stick figures using the elevator are also rotated.]
Source: https://xkcd.com/3097/
You must log in or register to comment.
I needed this explanation for “L’Engle”:
References A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle. Characters cross great distances by “tessering”, moving via a tesseract through a higher dimension which essentially brings the two ends of the journey together from the perspective of the traveler. The image shows the two ends of the gap being brought together, with the gap apparently crumpled in between them.
It’s a very iconic scene in the book, it’s still indelibly written in my brain. I really recommend the book.
This brought back a flood of memories. I should reread it.
deleted by creator
Well done.
The elevator thing is actually real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2g4u9F9i90
I recognized the structure in the thumbnail. I clicked the link just to make sure it was the Tom Scott video. Cheers dude.
So sad he stopped doing his regular videos. (Though I totally understand his reasoning.)
Wow, did not see that coming. That is cool as hell.
It’s almost disappointing when the absurdist punchline of an xkcd comic is an actual thing that exists in reality. But then again, it’s cool as hell.
Someone’s been playing PolyBridge.
Guess we need to expand https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:bridge:structure
“Budget overrun” is the cheapest way to build a bridge, the cable stayed bridge. (https://youtu.be/YSQhtlyfPtU)
This. Taiwan has a bunch of these because they can stand it up so quickly and cheaply. Plus it looks great!
Awesome video, I love me some real engineering!
You forgot the trivial case of not building a bridge at all. Just go around the gap.
Missed opportunity for halfhearted to be a halfpipe!
As I started reading I was hoping there would be Planck bridge.
I like when draw bridges become temporary jump bridges
Arch or bust
Really? Searching Bust Linux distro right now…
