Firth of Forth Bridge in Edinburgh

Photo of Firth of Forth Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland
Photo of Firth of Forth Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland
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Photo of Firth of Forth Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland
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Firth of Forth Bridge
Also known as:Forth Rail Bridge

Spanning the Firth of Forth between South Queensferry and North Queensferry., Edinburgh, Scotland, Queensferry KY11
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This structure is a great undulating steel monster rising out of the estuary that is formed by the Forth river as it slowly spreads out toward the North Sea. "Monster" is an appropriate word, because this bridge has the looks of a beast, and the strength to back it up. It is considered one of the strongest, most stable, and most expensive bridges in history. That came out of necessity. The bridge was built after the span across the Firth of Tay collapsed, killing 75 people on a train in the middle of the night. Engineers and planners needed to cross the Forth, but had to do it in a way that would be acceptable to a public still shocked by what was then the worst bridge disaster in history. What they came up with wasn't merely another cantilever-truss bridge. What they put together was a marvel of Victorian engineering, and a span so overbuilt that it barely moves in even the heaviest wind, even though a certain amount of sway is expected in most large structures. This is achieved by using steel plate tubes with internal braces. The most stout of these building members are 12-feet in diameter. Its nearly exclusive use of steel, combined with its latticework appearance have made some people refer to it as the "Eiffel Tower of Scotland."

Quick Facts
Notes
    >1883 - Construction begins on the bridge 4 March,
    >1890 - The then-Prince of Wales drives the last rivet into place. It was gold plated and is inscribed. He would later go on to become King Edward VII.
    >57 people lost their lives building the Forth of Firth bridge.
    >The bridge is held together by nearly 7,000,000 rivets.
    >The bridge is made from 54,000 tons of steel.
    >The bridge is made from 194,000 cubic yards of granite.
    >The bridge is made from 21,000 tons of cement.
    >The bridge rests on three piers, 70-feet in diameter.
    >Each of these piers descends up to 90 feet into the earth before resting on bedrock.
    >The bridge is designed to stand up to wind forces as high as 56 pounds per square foot.
Rate This Bridge
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Your Thoughts

There are eight comments.

  I am from the County of Fifeand have gone over the bridge many times on the steam trains.On the middle span we through a penny into the water or good luck.I have been in Australia for 37 years but stll consider the Forth Railway Bridge the milestone in engineering and the best in the world.

James A Taylor - Saturday, October 10th, 2009 @ 2:28am  

  I have riden across the bridge 5 times. If I am lucky enough to get to my favorite overseas city, Edinburgh. I would love to visit it from the shore in North Queensferry and visit Inchgarvie if possible. In my opinion the two most impressive bridges in the world are the Great Forth Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge.

James Anderson - Saturday, February 21st, 2009 @ 7:38am  

  I visited the bridge in 1970 and i'm still fascinated by the vast of it....excellent achievement

robert ledger - Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 @ 10:20am  

  My brothers and I were born in a little cottage underneath the Forth Bridge on the North side. We think of this Bridge as the Best in the World. It is magic!!

Avril Hylton - Sunday, January 1st, 2006 @ 12:57pm  

  good bridge

india - Thursday, July 7th, 2005 @ 5:24am  

  To view this bridge in the mist with just the tops rising above in the sunshine is a dream.

Mal Walker - Sunday, March 13th, 2005 @ 1:51am  

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