CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES, OR VIADUCTS

**Definition:** This place covers:

Spanning structures, e.g. railway bridges, for allowing traffic, e.g. pedestrians, automobiles, trains, to travel across naturally occurring obstructions, e.g. gorges, bodies of water, or over man-made obstacles, e.g. roads, canals. Each spanning structure including obstruction or obstacle traversing structure that provides a passageway for traffic and links or is held up by:

Spanning structures used for purposes other than carrying traffic, e.g. aqueducts, that are structurally similar to spanning structures for traffic and traverse the same types of obstructions and obstacles.

Specially adapted components for use in spanning structures, e.g. suspension cable clamps.

Accessories or ancillary devices specially adapted for use with spanning structures. e.g. drawbridge gates that are actuated when the span moves.

Methods specially adapted for constructing spanning structures, e.g. specially adapted bridge erecting or assembling techniques.

Methods specially adapted for restoring damaged, e.g. replacing dilapidated decking, or structurally augmenting, e.g. strengthening existing component to allow increased traffic load, existing spanning structures.

Methods specially adapted for demolishing or dismantling spanning structures.

Apparatus specially adapted for constructing, restoring, augmenting, or demolishing spanning structures.

**Limiting references (this place does not cover):** - Highways or trackways for toys that may include bridges -> A63H18/00 - Model railway bridges -> A63H19/34 - Arrangement of ship based onboard ramps or gangways -> B63B27/14 - Bridges extending between terminal buildings and aircraft for embarking or disembarking -> B64F1/305 - Loading ramps -> B65G69/28 - Supports that may include structure for spanning a road and supporting electric lines or communication cable going to overhead road signs or traffic signals -> E01F9/696 - Floating tunnels or submerged bridge-like tunnels -> E02D29/067 - Laying or reclaiming pipes; Repairing or joining pipes on or under water -> F16L1/00 - Supports for pipes, cables or protective tubing -> F16L3/00 - Floating power or information cables -> H01B7/12 - Overhead installations of electric lines or cables -> H02G7/00 - Installations of electric cables or lines in or on the ground or water -> H02G9/00 - Installations of electric cables or lines in or upon bodies of water that are supported by floats -> H02G9/12