Construct of the Week: The Bosphorus Bridge

WHY THIS CONSTRUCT?

On 20th February 1970, the construction of the Bosphorus Bridge began. It was the first of three suspension bridges spanning the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey. The Bosphorus strait is a historically contested body of water bisecting Turkey, dividing the European and Asian side of the country. So, the Bosphorus Bridge not only serves as an important transport route – it literally connects two continents.

The Bridge united the two banks of Istanbul, at Ortaköy (Europe) and Beylerbeyi (Asia). It was the first road crossing the Strait and upon completion in 1973, it was the longest suspension bridge outside the U.S. Bridge-making not only requires effective collaboration between those involved in its construction; collaboration and camaraderie is also needed on cultural and political fronts, gradually fostering stronger ties for the future.

 

ABOUT THE BRIDGE

The idea to bridge the gap between the two land masses dates back to around 400 BC when a floating pontoon bridge was built under the rule of Darius I in an attempt to expand the Persian Empire further into the Balkans. The decision to build a permanent, modern bridge was taken in 1957 by the Turkish government. The design of the Bridge was the work of renowned British civil engineers Sir Gilbert Roberts and William Brown, who also designed the Humber Bridge, the Severn Bridge and the Auckland Harbour Bridge. By 1968 a contract had been signed with the British firm Freeman Fox & Partners for the steel engineering work, who teamed up with Turkish construction cooperation Enka. With 35 engineers and 400 construction workers on the project, the Bridge was completed in 3 years and now has daily traffic of about 200,000 vehicles.

Bosphorus Bridge on the 1000 lira banknote (1978 – 1986)

Suspension bridges can withstand a surprising amount of weight but they are known to be swayed by environmental change. They can move subtly from side to side in strong winds and the Bosphorous Bridge is said to sag about 90cm in the middle of its span when at its traffic capacity. The Bridge was built with this in mind and has an aerodynamic deck – enabling it to withstand weather changes.

 

BRIDGING THE GAP

Since the Bosphorous Bridge opened, two more bridges have been constructed to cross the Strait and plans for a second underground ‘Eurasia’ tunnel are underway. The bridges have eased trade and commute routes but they also help strengthen intercontinental relations between the two sides of the country – connecting people and cultures, despite terrestrial separation!


The Construct Series is here to explore the industry in a wider, cross-disciplinary sense, to champion the creativity of the past, as we drive the future of construction. We’ll be foregrounding innovation which is at the heart of BaseStone’s technology.

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Image attributions

Bosphorus Bridge aerial view

Bosphorus Bridge on 1000 lira banknote

View of Istanbul


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Constructing BaseStone: February

 Prepare for super slick drawing review with BaseStone’s new features…

 

Welcome to Constructing BaseStone, our blog series dedicated to all of the updates we’ve made to BaseStone. We always look forward to releasing new features to you, but we are extremely excited to reveal our new review experience; prepare for fast and intuitive drawing review in your very own web browser.

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Scroll to zoom

Our users and industry partners told us that speed is important when reviewing drawings back at the office. You can now scroll to zoom in and out of your drawing on the web platform. Navigating around your drawings is now super slick.

 

Markup with meaning

Have you ever done a piece of markup and forgotten what it means later down the line? On the web, you can now add multiple pieces of markup for each issue created. This allows you to capture and describe issues more effectively using the web interface.

multiplemarkup

Try it out on BaseStone!

 

Select issues more easily

Issues contain critical project information captured from the site. Click on any piece of markup on the drawing to see the issue in more detail.

 

Improved photo gallery

We know that your photos are important for capturing what’s on site and conveying information. We have improved the way that photos are displayed on the web and added the ability for you to download photos straight to your computer.

 

manyphotos

 

App version 2.0 and earlier are no longer supported

As a final note, app versions 2.0 and earlier are no longer supported. Please update your app to the latest version to get the best experience from BaseStone.

 

Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy using these new features.

Try them on BaseStone!

Construct of the Week: The Washington Monument

 

March_on_Washington_edit copy

WHY THIS CONSTRUCT?

The work of engineers, architects and construction workers becomes the world we live in and affects the way we relate to specific geographic locations. Even indirectly, they form the backdrop to our collective histories – especially in the case of today’s Construct of the Day.

Friday marked the release of Selma, a film about the march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama, 1965, conducted by civil rights activists demanding racial equality and voting rights. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most prominent figures at the march and much of the support he had gained was due to his unforgettable “I Have A Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, two years earlier. The enduring images depicting tens of thousands of civil rights supporters listening to King’s speech, are marked by the 169.29 metre-high Washington Monument, rising from centre of the crowd.

ABOUT THE MONUMENT

The soaring monolith became the world’s tallest structure upon completion in 1884 – surpassing the 157 metre-high Cologne Cathedral. It was dedicated to the first President of the United States, George Washington, and the design criteria stated that it should reflect Washington’s character and patriotism: “unparalleled in the world” and “wholly American”. The construction was a national effort. Funds of $28,000 were gathered from across the country, and marble and granite was brought in from each state.

Architect Robert Mills was commissioned to head the construction of the Monument in the style of an obelisk, a tall four-sided stone pillar that tapers as it rises – originally seen in ancient Egyptian architecture. Construction halted for almost 20 years because of the lack of funds and political unrest, but after the Civil War, there was renewed interest in the Monument, evidencing the important role it plays in national solidarity.

The foundations were reinforced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the construction progressed quickly after sufficient funding was obtained from the Congress, opening it to the public in 1888.

LAYING FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE 

75 years later, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech in clear sight of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, giving American society a strong message about the misalignment of their racial prejudice and the values upon which the country was founded.

The Monument stands today as a reminder of a revolutionary history and the construction efforts, though slowed by economic and political upheaval, became a symbol of American tenacity.


The Construct Series is here to explore the industry in a wider, cross-disciplinary sense, to champion the creativity of the past, as we drive the future of construction. We’ll be foregrounding innovation which is at the heart of BaseStone’s technology.

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Image attributions

Crowd at Washington March 1963

Mid-construction photograph, c. 1860

Monument plans and construction timeline, c. 1885

Aerial view of Washington Monument


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Introducing The Construct Series

As the inaugural post, we decided this would be the perfect opportunity to unveil BaseStone’s new blog series. Twice a month, you’ll notice that the banner image on the BaseStone website changes and with a click, it will take you to The Construct Series, where we’ll be exploring the dynamic, groundbreaking construction scene. What’s really happening behind that construction work you see on your way to work every morning – beyond the high vis and helmets?

 

We’re passionate about championing engineering and promoting the positive image of construction and the innovation behind it.

 

In The Construct blog series, we’ll be updating our website with different images of engineering, construction and architectural projects – from around the world and across time, bringing construction out of the construction sites and discovering the stories on the other side.

 

By doing this, we hope to fulfil one of our main objectives – to champion construction by foregrounding the innovation and creativity behind the structure and demonstrating the importance of the built environment to our daily lives.


The work of engineers, architects and construction workers shape the modern world and form the backdrop to our memories and collective histories – keep your eye on our changing banners and click through to stay updated with the The Construct blog series!


Image attribution

The Colosseum, Rome


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