In ancient times, the Chinese created some of the earliest floating bridges—and the Persians and Egyptians used them for military conquests.

Today, the pontoon design of the Admiral Clarey Bridge applies techniques similar to the PB-designed Hood Canal Bridge in Washington State. Three pontoons are joined with high-strength bolts; with a barrier top 3 meters (10 feet) above water level, the design prevents waves from washing on the deck. Ballast was added to accomplish necessary trim so that the hollow pontoons float level.

When engineering floating bridges, the dynamic response to wind and wave loading is more structurally significant than traffic load. Because floating bridges are exposed to motion in all directions, anchorage systems and connections with the fixed bridge are particularly important.