Popular Science

The latest issue of Popular Science Magazine featured a section entitled "Best of What's New 2009 - Best Innovations of the Year". Intrigued, I flipped through and found some truly remarkable innovations. Cameras, phones, cars, gadgets, the article covered everything. As a civil engineering student, however one innovation caught my eye. An inflatable bridge. Yes you read that right, and inflatable bridge.

Polymer tubes are inflated and positioned over the valley or river then concrete is poured into the tubes to strengthen the infrastructure. Once this concrete has hardened more concrete is poured between the tubes to create the flat bridge platform. The article stated that the entire process can be done in 11 working days compared to the several months it takes to build a conventional bridge. Other positive aspects of these inflatable bridges is the added strength. The polymer reinforcements add stability if the concrete inside were to crumble, avoiding potential bridge collapse disasters. Also, the lifespan of these bridges is said to be over 100 years. Although new to the market and still under much testing, if these bridges catch on they could be the solution to America's current infrastructure needs. With the recent bridge collapse in Minnesota, the government is taking many precautions to prevent future collapses, including replacing and reinforcing many deteriorating pieces of infrastructure. These inflatable bridges could provide a cheap, fast alternative to current building practices and really make an impact.