Culture – Page 5 – AllDifferences

Here is another difference that seems minimal when speaking or writing, but do you know the real difference?Could you explain to someone in which cases he should use "bridge" or "viaduct"? As a general rule, a bridge is a small structure, built to avoid an obstacle (valley, river, etc.). A viaduct is generally a bigger structure, by its size, height or width. I will explain more deeply this difference, with details and images to be sure everything is clear for you. A bridge Definition A structure carrying a pathway or roadway over a depression or obstacle (such as a river)Merriam-Webster Please note that the obstacle that the bridge allows us to avoid doesn't matter with the structure's name.You can have a bridge over a river, a road, a specific relief, etc. Pictures Here are a few pictures of famous bridges: SydneyParisLondon Note about old structures You may also notice that all historical structures, built before the 20th century, are generally called "bridges".Even the San Francisco Golden Gate, with almost 9,000ft (2.74 km) is considered as a bridge. Bridge classes I'll now give you some categories we have created to differentiate bridges. By materials Resources used to build bridges can be very different between a bridge and another. It mostly depends on the construction date: Stone bridges: We find examples dated of prehistorical times, they are the first bridges we know (with wooden bridges)Metal bridges: Even if there are some ancient bridges in metal, most of them were built with the railways developmentConcrete or reinforced concrete bridges: The most recent bridges are now built in concrete By construction type We can also find a category for each bridge, depending on the construction type: Ark bridges: As the name says, these bridges are built with several small arches (like the Paris bridge I share in the pictures)Arch bridges: Same thing, but this time with only one archBeam bridges: Most modern bridges are beam bridges, with pillars spread over the entire length to support the bridgeHanging bridges: You probably have in mind the most dangerous monkey bridges and wooden bridges. But the Golden Gate is also a hanging bridgeCable-stayed bridges: Close to the hanging bridges on which there are pylons (above the roadway) supporting the rest of the bridge through cables The Golden Gate bridge, San Francisco A viaduct Definition A long elevated roadway usually consisting of a series of short spans supported on arches, piers, or columnsMerriam-Webster dictionary As I said in introduction, a viaduct is a larger structure.This quote insists on the structure length. Pictures Maracaibo, VenezuelaRibblehead, England Everyday language Some people, mainly in specific jobs, can have different rules to use the viaduct word rather than bridge. For example, in some countries, the railway companies are always using "viaduct". A train never pass on a bridge, but on a viaduct.Same thing for the road, employees from the road networks have their definition. They use "bridge" for a structure that is over a river, and "viaduct" to cross an entire valley or a dry area. So even if you know the theoretical difference between a bridge and a viaduct, you can still find people using them differently :) Viaduct and aqueduct The last thing I need to explain you is the difference with an aqueduct Finally, would the good definition not come from the Latin origins of the word?Indeed, in this case the difference is simple: Aqueduct = aqua (water) + duc (drive): it's a structure conveying water between two pointsViaduct = via (road) + duc (drive): this time, we talk about a structure allowing to have a road over an obstacle So, and the bridge?Good question :)I will come back to this at the end of the post. Differences between a bridge and a viaduct We can now try to compare everything we saw, and summarize everything here. Definition When we only read the dictionary, the main difference between a bridge and a viaduct is their structure sizes, mainly their length.A viaduct should be longer than a bridge. Everyday language When we watch how people how these two words (bridge and viaduct), we can see that everyone has a different definition.So we can't really find the solution here. Bridge, viaduct and aqueduct The problem seems even more complex when we add the aqueduct word into the discussion. For Wikipedia, the difference is that a viaduct is to allow human beings to pass an obstacle, and the aqueduct is to convey water over an obstacle. So the bridge is a structure category, including viaduct and aqueduct.A viaduct is a bridge, and a bridge can be a viaduct or an aqueduct. Synonyms I even saw dictionaries saying that viaduct and bridges as synonymsAnd why not?If a bridge is either a viaduct or an aqueduct, but we don't use aqueduct anymore now, is there still a difference between both? Conclusion I think that's it for this difference, we have seen many things today.The official difference seems simple (they are not comparable), but the words usages make the explanation a bit difficult.