Pontoon bridge unprecedented 730-meter, fortified pontoon bridge across the Scheldt river at the Siege of Antwerp in 1584 to close off water access to the city. In the battle of Saraighat in 1671, the Ahoms spanned the river Brahmaputra at Saraighat over an improviso bridge of boats. In the 1670s, the French devised the copper pontoon; after this point, rivers and canals ceased to present significant obstacles. The early modern period in pontoon use was dominated by the wars of the 18th and 19th centuries during which the art and science of pontoon bridging barely changed. This however did not stop all
Suspension (vehicle) Mini. A number of different types of each have been used: Traditional springs and dampers are referred to as passive suspensions — most vehicles are suspended in this manner. The majority of land vehicles are suspended by steel springs, of these types: Automakers are aware of the inherent limitations of steel springs, that they tend to produce undesirable oscillations, and have developed other types of suspension materials and mechanisms in attempts to improve performance: The shock absorbers damp out the (otherwise simple harmonic) motions of a vehicle up and down on its springs. They also must damp out much of