Lego bridges

Jasonhouse · #1 Posted **Dec 22, 2008, 8:40 PM**

Does anyone else here try to build bridges out of Lego? My longest span built as a kid that didn't touch the ground was 6, maybe 7 feet tops... I bet I could do waaay better now....

Quote:

Originally Posted by DecoJim

Not bad though, you have layered plates and possibly some technick beams addition to its strength.

I should try to build one now... After doing structural engineering work for the past year, my guess is that I could whip one up that would utterly slaughter this old one.

1ajs · #2 Posted **Dec 22, 2008, 11:08 PM**

i have built a bridge or 2 from 2x2 for the deck and 2x4 for the gurters

i had like 5 power aids on it and a like 6 things of plastersean ontop of them...

then i beefed it up with some side rails

then i built this after i tore it apart

scalziand · #3 Posted **Dec 23, 2008, 12:59 AM**

Here's the last large bridge I built. Wish I had a better pic of it. It's a cable stay bridge that ended up about 7 feet long. Unfortunately, due to the limits of my room, I can't build them any longer.

1ajs · #4 Posted **Dec 23, 2008, 1:30 AM**

how did u atach the cables?

scalziand · #5 Posted **Dec 23, 2008, 2:02 AM**

At one end of each stay, the string was tied around a 1x4 brick embedded in the deck; at the other end it was wound around another 1x4 brick and then clamped with two 2x2 bricks to make it length adjustable.

1ajs · #6 Posted **Dec 23, 2008, 2:11 AM**

makes some sens got any detailed pics?

scalziand · #7 Posted **Dec 23, 2008, 6:28 AM**

Ok, here's a mock up.

Here you can see how the stay is attached. The deck is also stiffened a bit to keep it from sagging.

scalziand · #8 Posted **Dec 23, 2008, 6:32 AM**

oh, BTW, I dug up another pic of a bridge I did a long time ago(real long, like 10 years ago).

This was when I had a lot less pieces.

1ajs · #9 Posted **Dec 23, 2008, 2:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by scalziand

Ok, here's a mock up.

Here you can see how the stay is attached. The deck is also stiffened a bit to keep it from sagging.

txs interesting design will have to play around one day

Jasonhouse · #10 Posted **Dec 24, 2008, 6:17 PM**

Oh wow.. I always just used a bunch of deck plates, some trusses I had from my several space sets, and then long pieces like 2x12, 2x8, 1x8 and 1x4 to make beams underneath, and a side rail on each side. It was just Lego. No strings, glue or anything like that. It would usually go from my bed to a closet shelf (about 4 feet), but one time I managed to get it to go from my bed to my dresser (about 6-7 feet).

If I had enough Technics beams and rivets, I could probably make a truss bridge that would span 8 feet, maybe even 10 feet... I wonder if someone out there on the web has tried it?

DecoJim · #11 Posted **Dec 24, 2008, 6:57 PM**

Here are a few examples of LEGO built bridges. I did not build any of them but I may build a replica of Detroit's Ambassador Bridge someday.

This is an almost three foot span truss bridge built by Steve Ringe of MichLTC (Michigan Lego Train Club*):

Photo by "Zephyr": http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2640581
(the large white building in the background is my replica of Detroit's Fisher Building - see Lego Skylines thread).

* I am also a member of MichLTC.

Here is a LEGO replica of a cable stayed bridge in Florida built by Duane Collicott of MichLTC being displayed at Ann Arbor's "Brickbash".

Photo by "Bubbaden": http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3081113

The largest LEGO bridge I am aware of is this model of the hypothetical Gibraltar bridge (a plan to connect Europe and Africa at the straights of Gibraltar):

Photo by "Stanely Efu". More pictures: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=150410

The description claims a main span of over 12 meters.

If you go to www.brickshelf.com and search on bridges, you will find many examples.

Jasonhouse · #12 Posted **Dec 24, 2008, 10:04 PM**

^I wonder if that's all just Lego, with no other materials used... More importantly, I wonder if the pieces used are easily accessible to the general public, or if they used specialized pieces that can only be ordered online or whatever...

Either way, that's amazing...