Bridges have always been a testament to human innovation, pushing the boundaries of engineering and connecting distant lands. Among the diverse array of bridge designs, the vertical lift bridge stands out as a true marvel of ingenuity. With its distinctive ability to raise and lower a section of the bridge deck to accommodate maritime traffic, the vertical lift bridge combines functionality, elegance, and practicality in a single structure.
Vertical lift bridges serve as vital lifelines, spanning waterways and connecting communities while allowing both water and land traffic to seamlessly coexist. Their design allows large vessels to pass underneath, eliminating the need for long detours or disruptions in transportation. By employing a counterweight system and powerful machinery, these bridges can lift and lower with remarkable precision, offering a spectacle of mechanical prowess.
The project involves the creation of a visual representation of a vertical lift bridge which is a type of movable bridge that can be raised or lowered to allow the passage of boats or ships underneath and in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck. It consists of a fixed tower on each end of the bridge and a span that can be lifted vertically by cables or chains attached to the towers. Its a design of lifting bridge for road and/or rail traffic where the span is lifted at both ends, remaining horizontal and not tilting. Vertical lift bridges use a system of counterweights and cables to move an interior lift span section that remains horizontal as it is raised up and down like an elevator, allowing river traffic to pass beneath the structure. Vertical lift bridges are commonly used in places where there is a high volume of water traffic and a low clearance requirement for road or rail traffic.
We aim to design and simulate a vertical lift bridge and also demonstrate the working of the bridge by simulating its lifting and lowering mechanism using computer graphics and visualization techniques. We use OpenGL as the programming platform and C as the programming language. Open GL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-platform graphics API (Application Programming Interface) that is used to create 2D and 3D graphics for computer applications. It provides a set of functions and procedures for rendering graphics, such as drawing primitives (points, lines, and polygons), applying textures, and performing transformations (scaling, rotation, and translation) to create a realistic and interactive model of the bridge. We will also demonstrate the working of the bridge by simulating its lifting and lowering mechanism.