Air draft

The deck of the Allanburg Bridge on Canada's Welland Canal typically rests only a few metres above the water level. When a ship approaches, the deck is raised to provide sufficient air draft (or draught) for the vessel to pass through. This bridge was involved in a collision with a lake freighter in 2001 as a result of lowering the span before the ship fully cleared the bridge.

Air draft (or air draught) is the distance from the surface of the water to the highest point on a vessel. This is similar to the deep draft of a vessel which is measured from the surface of the water to the deepest part of the hull below the surface. However, air draft is expressed as a height (positive upward), while deep draft is expressed as a depth (positive downward).[1][2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference uscg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ 2104 Connecticut Boater's Guide (PDF). State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. p. 60. Retrieved 2015-02-15.

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