“Venice marathon”: participation of female Master Athletes shows a constant increase from 2003 to 2019

The marathon is the most classic Olympic running event. In several cities worldwide it has become very popular with participation increasing during the last 20 years, particularly by Master Athletes. There are evidences that long-distance running could provide considerable health benefits for older runners, specifically risk reduction of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, depression, and falls. Several studies have focused on the distribution of participants and their performance on famous marathons such as those of Berlin, Boston and New York. In this preliminary study we have analyzed data from several editions of the Venice marathon, a famous Italian race that attracts people from every corner of the world. The Venice marathon is listed in Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group World Ranking and is Bronze Label certificated by IAAF, and Gold Label by FIDAL. The marathon starts outside Venice near Stra, then runs along the Brenta Riviera to Venice where the runners cross the canals over floating bridges set up for the race. For this study we analyzed data of the Venice marathon describing gender distribution in 17 editions (2003-2019), but groups of age-categories and their nationality only in 13 editions from 2007 to 2019. The analysis shows a steady increase in female participation, from 2003 to 2019.

Comparative Study of the Floating Bridge Components

Floating bridge is a set of specialized shallow draft boats or floats hyperlink collectively to cross the river or canal or lake. With a track or deck most early floating bridge had been built for the features of the battle. There are numerous kinds of floating bridges relying on the conditions of the land and the type of barriers to cross. The principle behind floating bridge concept is the Archimedes’ principle of buoyancy. This study was made to review previous studies concerned about the floating bridges. Almost all the study concerned with floating bridge components and their suitability with the given condition. only limited information is available for floating bridges in many aspects. In this study we have covered the different types of pontoons, access to bridge, navigational openings, mooring systems, etc. are the most important parts of floating bridge.

FOUNDATION OF THE NEW RAILWAY BRIDGE OVER THE NOSICKÁ DAM ON THE RIVER VÁH

The new railway bridge over the Nosická dam is a part of the complex modernization of the railway corridor from Púchov to Žilina. Our company participated on the project using a wide variety of special foundation techniques on artificial islands for piers P6, P5, P4 and P3 and the pillar foundations. We applied the many years of experience gained by our company through working on projects involving water. Bored piles, as well as vibrated sheet piles, welding and assemblage work have all been carried out from a floating pontoon platform and also there was jet grouting applied to stabilize embankments. At the same time we provided active assistance with temporary floating bridges and platforms for the kind of transfer on water required by our client.

Control system for installation and position keeping of interconnected flexible floating bridge

We propose an approach for floating bridge installation and operation. A floating bridge aims to carry heavy vehicles, trucks, and people over a body of water. However, bridge installation and operation are mainly performed by humans regardless of adverse conditions, such as active combat or disaster occurrence. For installing and operating floating bridges under such conditions, we devised a solution based on control system design and automatic installation. The floating bridge system is controlled and positioned by a power propulsion system that is attached to floating units of the bridge. An optimal control system based on state estimator, which is designed using a robust control framework, is applied to install and operate the bridge. A simulation analysis and experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed method on a bridge system model comprising five floating units.

Numerical Modelling and Dynamic Response Analysis of Curved Floating Bridges with a Small Rise-Span Ratio

As a potential option for transportation applications in coastal areas, curved floating bridges with a same small specified rise to span ratio of 0.134, supported by multiple pontoons, are investigated in this paper. Two conceptual curved bridges are proposed following a circular arc shape with different span lengths (500 and 1000 m). Both bridges are end-connected to the shoreline without any underwater mooring system, while the end-connections can be either all six degrees of freedom (D.O.F) fixed or two rotational D.O.F released. Eigen value analysis is carried out to identify the modal parameters of the floating bridge system. Static and dynamic analysis under extreme environmental conditions are performed to study the pontoon motions as well as structural responses of the bridge deck. Deflections and internal forces (axial forces, shear forces, and bending moment) are thoroughly studied with the variation of the span length and end support conditions in terms of the same specified small rise-span ratio. The ratio of axial force to horizontal bending moment are presented. From the study, it is found that the current parameters for the bridge are relatively reasonable regarding responses. However, the small rise-span does not provide enough arch effects. A higher rise-span ratio or stiffer bridge cross-sectional property is preferred, especially for the long bridge. In addition, the flexible end connections are preferred considering the structural responses at the end regions.

The Choice of Materials for the E39 Fjord Crossing Project

In the studies for crossing the long and deep Norwegian fjords along the E39 road, on the west coast of Norway, some challenging structures have been evaluated. Some of them are known structures, like floating bridges, and some others are structures never built before, like suspension bridges on tension leg platforms and submerged floating tube bridges. In the development of the feasibility studies for these crossings, the choice of materials has played an important role. The materials influence not only the design and the cost, but also the behaviour of the structure towards the environmental loads and some particular loads as the ship collision. The article illustrates the different solutions proposed for the fjord crossings and discusses the influence in the choice of the material, with special regards to the type of concrete. The pros and cons of the application of the light weight concrete are discussed.