Do viaducts get heavier when boats go over them?
Question
If you’re going over a bridge in a canal boat, does the bridge carry any extra weight from the boat? Or would the water displacement affect that?Bill, Fleet
Answer
** Definitive **
Name: Mark, Hammersmith
Qualification: Architect
Answer: Because it’s a viaduct – meaning the ends of the body of water on the bridge can continue running with the canal – the actual weight on the bridge would be reduced. The reason the boat floats is because it displaces water which is heavier than the boat itself and that displaced water will be pushed up- or down-stream and therefore it will weigh less. In a pool or a pond, it would weigh more.
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