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사용자:REVINE/타워브릿지

REVINE/타워브릿지
Tower Bridge from the North Bank at dusk
관리Bridge House Estates
설계Bascule bridge,
suspension bridge
길이61 미터 (200 ft)
개통일30 June 1894
위치런던 Boroughs:
– north side: Tower Hamlets
– south side: Southwark

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, which gives it its name[Name]. It has become an iconic symbol of London. Tower Bridge is one of several London bridges owned and maintained by the City Bridge Trust, a charitable trust overseen by the City of London Corporation.

The bridge consists of two towers which are tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways which are designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge to the left and the right. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. Its present colour dates from 1977 when it was painted red, white and blue for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Originally it was painted a chocolate brown colour.[1]

Tower Bridge is sometimes mistakenly referred to as London Bridge, which is actually the next bridge upstream.[2] A popular urban legend is that in 1968, Robert McCulloch, the purchaser of the old London Bridge that was later shipped to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, believed that he was in fact buying Tower Bridge. This was denied by McCulloch himself and has been debunked by Ivan Luckin, the seller of the bridge.[3]

The nearest London Underground station is Tower Hill on the Circle and District Lines.
틀:Nearest DLR

Design[편집]

Elevation, with dimensions
Tower Bridge under construction, 1892

In the second half of the 19th century, increased commercial development in the East End of London led to a requirement for a new river crossing downstream of London Bridge. A traditional fixed bridge could not be built because it would cut off access to the port facilities in the Pool of London, between London Bridge and the Tower of London.

A Special Bridge or Subway Committee was formed in 1876, chaired by Sir Albert Joseph Altman, to find a solution to the river crossing problem. It opened the design of the crossing to public competition. Over 50 designs were submitted, including one from civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette. The evaluation of the designs was surrounded by controversy, and it was not until 1884 that a design submitted by Horace Jones, the City Architect (who was also one of the judges),[4] was approved.

Jones' engineer, Sir John Wolfe Barry, devised the idea of a bascule bridge 800 feet (244 m) in length with two towers each 213 feet (65 m) high, built on piers. The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers was split into two equal bascules or leaves, which could be raised to an angle of 83 degrees to allow river traffic to pass. The bascules, weighing over 1,000 tons each, were counterbalanced to minimize the force required and allow raising in five minutes.

The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each 270 피트 (82 m) long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways. The pedestrian walkways are 143 피트 (44 m) above the river at high tide.[5]

Construction started in 1886 and took eight years with five major contractors – Sir John Jackson (foundations), Baron Armstrong (hydraulics), William Webster, Sir H.H. Bartlett, and Sir William Arrol & Co.[6] – and employed 432 construction workers. E W Crutwell was the resident engineer for the construction.[5]

Two massive piers, containing over 70,000 tons of concrete,[4] were sunk into the river bed to support the construction. Over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the towers and walkways.[4] This was then clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone, both to protect the underlying steelwork and to give the bridge a pleasing appearance.

Jones died in 1887 and George D. Stevenson took over the project.[4] Stevenson replaced Jones' original brick facade with the more ornate Victorian Gothic style, which makes the bridge a distinctive landmark, and was intended to harmonise the bridge with the nearby Tower of London.[5]

The bridge was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII), and his wife, The Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark).[7]

The bridge connected Iron Gate, on the north bank of the river, with Horsleydown Lane, on the south – now known as Tower Bridge Approach and Tower Bridge Road, respectively.[5] It largely replaced Tower Subway, 400 m to the west, the world's first underground railway (1870). Until the bridge was opened, the subway was the shortest way to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street in Southwark.

The total cost of construction was £1,184,000.[5]

Hydraulic system[편집]

One of the original steam engines: a 360 hp horizontal twin-tandem compound engine, fitted with Meyer expansion slide valves

The original raising mechanism was powered by pressurised water stored in six hydraulic accumulators.

The system was designed and installed by Sir W. G. Armstrong Mitchell & Company of Newcastle upon Tyne. Water, at a pressure of 750psi, was pumped into the accumulators by two 360 hp stationary steam engines, each driving a force pump from its piston tail rod. The accumulators each comprise a 20-inch ram on which sits a very heavy weight to maintain the desired pressure.

In 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system, designed by BHA Cromwell House. The only components of the original system still in use are the final pinions, which engage with the racks fitted to the bascules. These are driven by modern hydraulic motors and gearing, using oil rather than water as the hydraulic fluid.[8]

Some of the original hydraulic machinery has been retained, although it is no longer in use. It is open to the public and forms the basis for the bridge's museum, which resides in the old engine rooms on the south side of the bridge. The museum includes the steam engines, two of the accumulators and one of the hydraulic engines that moved the bascules, along with other related artefacts.

The third steam engine[편집]

During World War II, as a precaution against the existing engines being damaged by enemy action, a third engine was installed in 1942:[9] a 150 hp horizontal cross-compound engine, built by Vickers Armstrong Ltd. at their Elswick works in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It was fitted with a 9 feet diameter flywheel weighing 9 tons, and was governed to a speed of 30 rpm.

The engine became redundant when the rest of the system was modernised in 1974, and was donated to the Forncett Industrial Steam Museum by the Corporation of the City of London.

Navigation control[편집]

To control the passage of river traffic through the bridge, a number of different rules and signals were employed. Daytime control was provided by red semaphore signals, mounted on small control cabins on either end of both bridge piers. At night, coloured lights were used, in either direction, on both piers: two red lights to show that the bridge was closed, and two green to show that it was open. In foggy weather, a gong was sounded as well.[5]

Vessels passing through the bridge had to display signals too: by day, a black ball at least 2 피트 (0.61 m) in diameter was to be mounted high-up where it could be seen; by night, two red lights in the same position. Foggy weather required repeated blasts from the ship's steam whistle.[5]

If a black ball was suspended from the middle of each walkway (or a red light at night) this indicated that the bridge could not be opened. These signals were repeated about 1,000 야드 (910 m) downstream, at Cherry Garden Pier, where boats requiring to pass through the bridge had to hoist their signals/lights and sound their horn, as appropriate, to alert the Bridge Master.[5]

Some of the control mechanism for the signalling equipment has been preserved and may be seen working in the bridge's museum.

Reaction[편집]

Although the bridge is an undoubted landmark, professional commentators in the early 20th century were critical of its aesthetics. "It represents the vice of tawdriness and pretentiousness, and of falsification of the actual facts of the structure", wrote H. H. Statham,[10] while Frank Brangwyn stated that "A more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river".[11]

Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected the bridge as one of his four choices for the 2002 BBC television documentary series Britain's Best Buildings.[12]

Incidents[편집]

In December 1952, the bridge opened while a number 78 double-decker bus was on it. At that time, the gateman would ring a warning bell and close the gates when the bridge was clear before the watchman ordered the lift. The process failed while a relief watchman was on duty. The bus was near the edge of the south bascule when it started to rise; driver Albert Gunter made a split-second decision to accelerate the bus, clearing a three-foot drop onto the north bascule, which had not started to rise. There were no serious injuries.[13]

On 5 April 1968 a Hawker Hunter FGA.9 jet fighter from No.1 Squadron RAF, flown by Flt Lt Alan Pollock, flew under Tower Bridge. Unimpressed that senior staff were not going to celebrate the RAF's 50th birthday with a fly-past, Pollock decided to do something himself. Without authorisation, Pollock flew the Hunter at low level down the Thames, past the Houses of Parliament, and continued on to Tower Bridge. He flew the Hunter beneath the bridge's walkway, remarking afterwards it was an afterthought when he saw the bridge looming ahead of him. Pollock was placed under arrest upon landing, and discharged from the RAF on medical grounds without the chance to defend himself at a court martial.[14][15]

In May 1997,[16] the motorcade of United States President Bill Clinton was divided by the opening of the bridge. Thames sailing barge Gladys, on her way to a gathering at St Katharine Docks, arrived on schedule and the bridge was duly opened for her. Returning from a Thames-side lunch at Le Pont de la Tour restaurant, with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Clinton was less punctual, and arrived just as the bridge was rising. The bridge opening split the motorcade in two, much to the consternation of security staff. A spokesman for Tower Bridge is quoted as saying, "We tried to contact the American Embassy, but they wouldn't answer the 'phone."[17]

On 19 August 1999, Jef Smith, a Freeman of the City of London, drove a "herd" of two sheep across the bridge. He was exercising an ancient permission, granted as a right to Freemen, to make a point about the powers of older citizens and the way in which their rights were being eroded.[18]

Before dawn on 31 October 2003, David Crick, a Fathers 4 Justice campaigner, climbed a 120 ft (37 m) tower crane near Tower Bridge at the start of a six day protest dressed as Spider-Man.[19] Fearing for his safety, and that of motorists should he fall, police cordoned off the area, closing the bridge and surrounding roads and causing widespread traffic congestion across the City and east London. The Metropolitan Police were later criticised for maintaining the closure for five days when this was not strictly necessary in the eyes of some citizens.[20][21]

On May 11, 2009, six persons were trapped and injured after an elevator plummeted 10 ft inside the north tower.[22][23]

Tower Bridge today[편집]

Tower Bridge connects Borough to the heart of the City of London Financial District with The Gherkin at 30 St Mary Axe on the right.
Tower Bridge in its river setting, looking east from the viewing platform of The Monument. City Hall is the building shaped like a motorcycle helmet, and below it is HMS Belfast.

Road traffic[편집]

Tower Bridge is still a busy and vital crossing of the Thames: it is crossed by over 40,000 people (motorists and pedestrians) every day.[24] The bridge is on the London Inner Ring Road, and is on the eastern boundary of the London congestion charge zone. (Drivers do not incur a charge by crossing the bridge.)

In order to maintain the integrity of the historic structure, the City of London Corporation have imposed a 20 마일 매 시 (32 km/h) speed restriction, and an 18 tonne weight limit on vehicles using the bridge. A sophisticated camera system measures the speed of traffic crossing the bridge, utilising a number plate recognition system to send fixed penalty charges to speeding drivers.[출처 필요]

A second system monitors other vehicle parameters. Induction loops and piezo-electric detectors are used to measure the weight, the height of the chassis above ground level, and the number of axles for each vehicle.[출처 필요]

Bridge open to admit
HMS Northumberland (F238)
Interior of high-level walkway (used as an exhibition space)

River traffic[편집]

The bascules are raised around 1000 times a year.[25] River traffic is now much reduced, but it still takes priority over road traffic. Today, 24 hours' notice is required before opening the bridge. In 2008, a local web developer created a Twitter feed to post live updates of the bridge's opening and closing activities.[26]

A computer system was installed in 2000 to control the raising and lowering of the bascules remotely. Unfortunately it proved less reliable than desired, resulting in the bridge being stuck in the open or closed positions on several occasions during 2005, until its sensors were replaced.[24]

Tower Bridge Exhibition[편집]

The high-level walkways between the towers gained an unpleasant reputation as a haunt for prostitutes and pickpockets and were closed in 1910. In 1982 they were reopened as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, an exhibition now housed in the bridge's twin towers, the high-level walkways and the Victorian engine rooms. The walkways boast stunning views of the River Thames and many famous London sites, serving as viewing galleries for over 380,000 tourists[출처 필요] who visit each year. The exhibition also uses films, photos and interactives to explain why and how Tower Bridge was built. Visitors can access the original steam engines that once powered the bridge bascules, housed in a building close to the south end of the bridge.

2008–2012 facelift[편집]

In April 2008 it was announced that the bridge will undergo a 'facelift' costing £4m, and taking four years to complete. The work entails stripping-off the existing paint and repainting in blue and white. Each section will be enshrouded in scaffolding to prevent the old paint falling into the Thames causing pollution. Starting in mid-2008, contractors will work on a quarter of the bridge at a time to minimise disruption, but some road closures are inevitable. The bridge will remain open until the end of 2010, but is then expected to be closed for several months. It is hoped that the completed work will stand for 25 years.[27]

London Bridge Tower / The Shard[편집]

Plans emerged in 2000 for the building of a skyscraper close to London Bridge, called London Bridge Tower or 'The Shard'. English Heritage, in particular, protested against the plans, claiming that the 385 metre-high structure would destroy the views of St Paul's Cathedral and adversely impact the setting of the historic areas around Tower Bridge. A later design of The Shard, at a reduced height of 310m, still attracted criticism, and English Heritage claimed that the Tower of London's status as a World Heritage Site would be threatened. English Heritage's opposition was unsuccessful, and development on the site started in 2008.[28][29]

Gallery[편집]

See also[편집]

Notes[편집]

^ Name: The bridge takes its name from its location, not its design: the name Tower Bridge was in use before the towered design was decided upon. An article in The Engineer, from March 1878, refers to it as "Tower Bridge" while discussions were still underway as to whether it should be a high-level bridge, or a low-level bridge with a means of opening.[30] This usage predates the Horace Jones design of 1884, from which the current 'towered' structure was built, by at least six years.

References[편집]

  1. Brian Cookson. Crossing the River. Mainstream Publishing. Edinburgh and London. 2006. p.304.
  2. “Image Search for 'London Bridge'. Google. 
  3. “How London Bridge was sold to the States”. This Is Local London. 2002년 3월 27일. 2008년 10월 31일에 확인함. 
  4. Roberts, Chris, "Cross River Traffic", Granta, 2005
  5. “Tower Bridge”. 《Archive – The Quarterly Journal for British Industrial and Transport History》 (Lightmoor Press) (Issue 3): p47. 1994. ISSN 1352-7991. 
  6. The Times, 2 July 1894
  7. Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide
  8. Hartwell, Geoffrey. “Tower Bridge, London”. 2007년 2월 27일에 확인함. 
  9. “The Tower Bridge Engine”. Forncett Industrial Steam Museum. 2007년 2월 27일에 확인함. 
  10. Statham, H.H., "Bridge Engineering", Wiley, 1916.
  11. Brangwyn, F., and Sparrows, W.S., "A Book of Bridges", John Lane, 1920.
  12. Cruickshank, Dan. “Choosing Britain's Best Buildings” (영어). BBC History. 
  13. “Tower Bridge, London, UK”. www.bbc.co.uk. 2008년 11월 11일에 확인함. 
  14. p.157, Shaw, Michael 'No.1 Squadron', Ian Allan 1986
  15. “Hawker Hunter History”. 《(scroll down half-way)》. Thunder & Lightnings. 29 February 2004. 2008년 4월 8일에 확인함. 
  16. “Presidential visits abroad”. 《(William J. Clinton III)》. US Department of State. 2007년 9월 25일에 확인함. 
  17. Shore, John. “Gladys takes the rise out of Bill”. Regatta Online (Issue 100, July 1997). 2007년 9월 25일에 확인함. 
  18. “Protest Freeman herds sheep over Tower Bridge”. BBC News. 1999년 8월 19일. 2007년 9월 25일에 확인함. 
  19. “Spiderman protest closes Tower Bridge”. BBC News. 2003년 10월 31일. 2008년 10월 31일에 확인함. 
  20. “Spiderman cordon criticised”. BBC News. 2003년 11월 3일. 2008년 10월 31일에 확인함. 
  21. 'Spiderman' cleared over protest”. BBC News. 2004년 5월 14일. 2008년 10월 31일에 확인함. 
  22. Six injured after Tower Bridge lift plummets 30ft, The Times, May 11, 2009.
  23. Six injured in Tower Bridge lift, BBC News, May 11, 2009.
  24. “Fix to stop bridge getting stuck”. BBC News. 2006년 1월 17일. 2007년 9월 25일에 확인함. 
  25. “Bridge Lifts”. Tower Bridge Official Website. 2007년 9월 25일에 확인함. 
  26. “Twitter stream”. Tower Bridge Twitter stream. 2008년 9월 8일에 확인함. 
  27. “Tower Bridge to get £4m facelift”. BBC News Online. 07 April 2008. 2008년 4월 8일에 확인함. 
  28. ENGLISH HERITAGE - VIEW OF ST. PAUL'S IN DANGER IF TOWER GOES AHEAD
  29. English Heritage response to Planning Committee
  30. “Tower Bridge”. The Engineer (p224+). 1878년 3월 29일. 2008년 12월 5일에 확인함. 

External links[편집]

틀:Crossings navbox

틀:Bridges of Central London 틀:LB Tower Hamlets 틀:LB Southwark 틀:London history