Wooden Bridges

June 2, 2009 by kris de decker Filed Under: Bridges, Civil engineering, Construction, Random, Travel, Wood

wooden bridge new

This wooden bridge (length 32 metres, width 12 metres, height 16 metres) was inaugurated on April 15th in Sneek, the Netherlands. The “Krúsrak” is the first wooden bridge in the world that can support the heaviest load class of 60 tons. Its life expectancy is 80 years.

Thanks to a chemical treatment of the softwood, the bridge can withstand insects, fungi and the harsh weather conditions in the most northern province of the Netherlands (Friesland). Wooden bridges require much less energy to construct than steel or concrete bridges.

Only the road-surface of the “Krúsrak” is made of steel – originally it was planned to be of wood, too, but then it should have been 2 metres thick. More information here (in English) and here (in Dutch).

Related: Covered bridges – how to build and rebuild them. Also: wooden pipelines.

Wooden pipelines

April 22, 2009 by kris de decker Filed Under: Pipelines, Wood

“All those things that make wood so good for building houses and boats apply to pipes”. See & read. More here and here. Related: wooden bridges.

Tigchel heaters and finovens

March 23, 2009 by kris de decker Filed Under: Heating appliances, Wood

Tigchel heater

Picture gallery. Previously: Sunbathing in the living room: oven stoves and heat walls.


The woodmobile

March 19, 2009 by kris de decker Filed Under: Cars, DIY, Low-tech cars, Travel, Wood

Woodgas volvo

Who needs gasoline or batteries? John Dutch’s Volvo 240 is powered by wood.

“After 2000 kilometers on woodgas everything worked properly. Top speed is 120 km/h. Cruising speed 100-110 km/h. Fuel consumption approximately 30 kilos of wood for one hundred kilometers, which is also one effective filling of the fuel bin. The back seat loaded with sacks of wood make the total range approximately 400 kilometers.”

Update: “Wood gas vehicles: firewood in the fuel tank“.