koh pich

Bridge truss is a steel lattice to distribute the load on the bridge

The type of bridge that was built in Koh Pich is known as “suspension bridge” and its construction technique differs somewhat from the conventional approach described above. In fact, the first concept of such bridge design dated back to 1595 and was attributed to Fausto Veranzio, an inventor and a catholic bishop from Croatia. However, the construction of such bridge did not really take place until the early 19th century.

To build a suspension bridge, first, two pylons or tower-like structure are constructed near both ends of the bridge. These pylons serve as vertical support for the suspension cables. The suspension cables are very strong cables anchored (attached) to solid ground (or rock) on both ends of the bridge. Next suspenders (vertical support cable) are attached to the suspension cable. The bottom of each suspender is attached to the bridge deck and suspends the latter over the body of water.

One advantage of such bridge design is to minimize the number of the support foundation (the foundation for the pylons) and thus cutting down the construction cost due to the wide spacing between the pylons. One of the most spectacular example of suspension bridge is no other than the Golden Gate Bridge linking the city of San Francisco to Marin County, California.

The Golden Gate Bridge in California is one of the most spectacular example of "suspension bridges" in the world.