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Criteria
This section contains notes on my criteria for the suspension bridge inventory and insight into my process.
My criteria is admittedly very subjective. I encourage discussion of the criteria, but I have been stubborn. They tend to evolve slowly.
- Cable-stayed suspension bridges are omitted. If a bridge has catenary or parabolic cables aided by stays,
I usually include the bridge as long as the stays are clearly not the primary means of support.
- Catwalk, gangway, ribbon, sagging, drooping, and simple suspension bridges (where the deck sags along the curve of
the cables) are generally omitted unless they have historical importance.
Such suspension bridges are
those that have a deck that droops, or those where the deck rests directly on the cables. A well-known example of
this type of bridge is the Capilano Suspension Bridge near Vancouver, British Columbia. The Capilano
bridge is omitted from the inventory.
- If the bridge has a level deck and reasonably sturdy towers I generally include it on the list
regardless of how small it is, however, I do impose limits that are highly subjective for the smallest of
suspension bridges.
- I like to see a drawing or image of the bridge before I include it. This isn't a strict rule,
but it helps me weed out duplicate entries where one bridge may be known by different names and
also helps me make sure it's really a suspension bridge. I come across a lot of bridges described
as suspension bridges that are not really suspension bridges. For example, the 19th-century
Connellsville, Pennsylvania suspension bridge was replaced with a multispan truss that was referred to as
"The New Suspension Bridge". Through arches (the former bridge at Bellows Falls, Vermont, for example) are often
referred to as suspension bridges.
- I do not add entries directly from other published historical suspension bridge lists without some kind of
independent confirmation for each bridge. One of the most widely circulated historical
suspension bridge lists was included as an appendix in the
second edition of David Steinman's A Practical
Treatise On Suspension Bridges. This inventory has several inaccuracies. Unfortunately,
later lists started with Steinman's and perpetuated the inaccuracies. The consensus
is that A. A. Jakkula's A History Of Suspension Bridges
In Bibliographical Form (1941), is the most accurate list ever published.
- I currently exclude Gisclard (e.g. Ponts Cerdagne and Bourret) and Ordish (e.g. Singapore's
Cavenagh Bridge and London's Albert Bridge) suspension bridges, but I have been considering
including them.
- I have been including more pipeline and conveyor bridges lately, but I am still reluctant to add
small industrial structures.
- There are many suspension bridges pictured on this site that are not listed in the inventory. You can browse
these excluded bridges here: Excluded Suspension Bridges
Conventions
Most of the unnamed bridges are designated (suspension bridge),
(swinging bridge),
and (footbridge).
If a bridge is described as a "swinging bridge" but it is not clear it was locally referred to as Swinging Bridge (as a proper noun), then I use (swinging bridge). Otherwise, if it's clear the bridge was only ever used as a pedestrian footbridge, I use (footbridge). Usually, I reserve (suspension bridge) for more substantial structures (e.g. vehicular bridges) but it
is the catchall when I am unsure of how the structure was used or what it was called. Other unnamed designations like
(pipeline bridge),
(snowmobile bridge), and
(chain bridge)
are more immediately clear.
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