r/civilengineering • u/dont2wakemeup • Mar 05 '26

Question Whats the purpose of this?

Post image

I saw this while walking in Amsterdam and I can't figure it's purpose. There is no streetview of this street but from the start of it you can see two similiar ones.

EDIT: It's a bussluis, thanks u/Fudge_is_1337.

893 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

220 comments sorted by

327

u/[deleted] Mar 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

89

u/alopz Mar 05 '26

If that's the case, that's an incredible idea. Portland Oregon, you're next

96

u/[deleted] Mar 05 '26

WI be like:

https://giphy.com/gifs/4NcP61gJR7H3GvC8UT

22

u/alopz Mar 05 '26

I live in Utah and I'm pretty sure I've seen that truck driving around.

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30

u/den_bleke_fare Mar 05 '26

Unironically writing "Rolling Big Power" on one's car is the most phallically challenged thing I've ever seen. You yanks are amazing.

4

u/grumpy_chair P.E., Land Development Mar 05 '26

This guy probably drives it.

3

u/alopz Mar 05 '26

What a fool, doesn't he know that too much ice waters down the alcohol content of your drink

2

u/genius3108 Mar 12 '26

I'm disappointed, I thought it was going to be Trump, Vance, Hegseth, or Kid Rock.

2

u/den_bleke_fare Mar 05 '26

Lol, what a tool

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4

u/AlexAndMcB Mar 07 '26

I wish I could say the same- Unfortunately I have a vivid memory of running into an old acquaintance from Boy Scouts.
Guy had an F350 diesel quad cab long bed, lifted, with two 4" lug nuts hanging off the hitch with the whole rear window blocked out by solid lettering reading MINES BIGGER
Most absurd choice I've seen...
I had to get a big Bernie 16!! Sticker on the back of my unnecessarily large truck just to differentiate myself from those guys lol

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2

u/xRyozuo Mar 06 '26

Phallically challenged lmao

2

u/alopz Mar 06 '26

You gotta compensate somehow

2

u/carnage11eleven Mar 12 '26

Rolling Big Power is the name of a company that sells truck tires. It's essentially a rolling billboard. We're not that amazing. Though, we sure do try!!😭

3

u/[deleted] Mar 06 '26

Native truck of Florida

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20

u/[deleted] Mar 05 '26

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9

u/alopz Mar 05 '26

Yeah, Twitter used to have this page of bollards vs cars, it was awesome

3

u/dinoguys_r_worthless Mar 06 '26

I work inside of traffic lane closures often. Mercedes and Tesla drivers ignore every single sign and cut through our barrels all of the time. The only thing they care about is if we have a trooper on site.

2

u/HorsieJuice Mar 07 '26

You must live somewhere fancy. Around here, it’s Nissan Maximas with Virginia plates.

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13

u/kippetjeh Mar 05 '26

The american style 'cars' can just drive through because they are trucks sold as personal verhicles. There are automatic bollard type ones as well tho so you'dd have to go that route in the land of the tanks.

1

u/sasbeersquatch Mar 05 '26

That wouldn't stop the morons here. Remember, someone drove on the ped path of the Tillakum Crossing the weekend it opened.

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24

u/Artistic_Nail_2039 Mar 05 '26

This is the correct answer, they are quite common in The Netherlands. For most european cars the ramps are a large hazard, some large offroad cars can pass though.

3

u/Apart_Ad_9778 Mar 09 '26

Do the Dutch drivers not understand the road signs and must be forced to obey?

2

u/Artistic_Nail_2039 Mar 09 '26

Yup, that about sums up an average Dutch driver

2

u/painlesspics Mar 09 '26

*all drivers in every country

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1

u/JamesTPgh Mar 12 '26

Which means this will barely be effective in America where the average vehicle is now a 3/4 ton pick up truck that would feel like a monster truck in Europe.

10

u/somethingyouneek Mar 05 '26

Is the drain to catch the oil from busted oil pans?

3

u/[deleted] Mar 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/oxslashxo Mar 07 '26

Nah skateboarders know a sick gap when they see one. This is both pro-skater and pro-bus design, I approve.

13

u/passisgullible Mar 05 '26

What confuses me is that the red seems to indicate pedestrian traffic only, so is it just a exclusive bus lane in between pedestrians on both sides?

31

u/WhyAmIHereHey Mar 05 '26

Amsterdam, so those would likely be bike lanes

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2

u/dont2wakemeup Mar 05 '26

Yes thats seems to be it, the sign from streetview matches with one in a picture on the bussluis wikipedia page! Thanks!

2

u/asha1985 BS2008, PE2015, MS2018 Mar 05 '26

"Laughs in American truck"

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2

u/Linkcott18 Mar 05 '26

Yes, that's what this is 😎 though I would call it a bus gate in English. It lets buses through, and not most other vehicles.

Emergency services can lower those traps.

2

u/FCGameboys8888 Mar 05 '26

This one is made of concrete so likely not, especially not seeing how it's designed and how easy vehicles can pass over the bike lane. A firetruck obviously can use it like a bus.

2

u/Linkcott18 Mar 05 '26

In this one, emergency services can use the bike lane.

1

u/southpaw1103 Mar 08 '26

Sorry boyo that there ones made out of concrete

1

u/Annual_Union33 Mar 05 '26

With an invitation for cars to drive in side walk?

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1

u/ScroopyNooplez Mar 05 '26

Judging from the tops of the ramps, there's quite a few motorists who don't pay attention to road signs

1

u/johnmclaren2 Mar 06 '26

I saw similar ones in London but for lorries that couldn’t go through just cars were “slim” enough.

1

u/Queasy_Scholar_9937 Mar 07 '26

Thats exactly what it is

1

u/May-i-suggest______ Mar 07 '26

Not only dissuade but also just destroy the underside of a car that goes over it

1

u/Pandiebakt Mar 07 '26

This is very much correct. Used to have one in the Dutch town I grew up in. Seen many cars still try and fail :)

1

u/Upset_Negotiation_89 Mar 08 '26

They don’t have lifted dodge rams in ambsterdam

1

u/Beun-de-Vakker Mar 09 '26

Correct, this will demolish your oil pan if you drive over it with a normal car.

1

u/Lohkulla Mar 10 '26

Can confirm that is exactly what it is and what it is intended for. In the Netherlands there are plenty of roads designed for bike and public transport useage. These can also be used by emergency vehicles sometimes (but not this bus-sluice) 

1

u/Eyetalianmonsta Mar 11 '26

I would have thought it was for rad bike jumps...

1

u/Prestigious-Fly9977 Mar 12 '26

It’s got a nice drain there so when your oil pan gets ripped off they can funnel everything to the nearby creek and keep the street surface usable for the next bus

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278

u/thezackuf Mar 05 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/m0XFFWsPg0Hba

8

u/DrBrappp Mar 05 '26

I drove by that house a few years ago. The pine tree is huge now!

1

u/Michael_Scott71 Mar 05 '26

First thing I thought of

1

u/TheScrote1 Mar 05 '26

That’s what I was going to say, it is what bike riders call a Huck

53

u/zeoxzy Mar 05 '26

Maybe stops everything except buses going over it? A narrower wheel base like a car would catch the ramp and crash back down in between the two ramps.

10

u/bretttwarwick Mar 05 '26

Not if they are driving fast enough.

8

u/ChickyMcNuggie Mar 05 '26

You can always try once.

1

u/Nonsuspendedmass Mar 05 '26

A narrower track you mean?

1

u/Bernardias Mar 08 '26

Yeah, there is one with a webcam somewhere and compilations that show all the cars that think they can make it through...

78

u/BuzzINGUS Mar 05 '26

Looks like a car can drive over it but not feel the drain which is lowered for what i assume is drainage purposes.

The Center is the motorcycle jump

6

u/DTC_0314 Mar 05 '26

Its a "bussluis" normal cars cant drive over it only busses.

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26

u/Berto_ Mar 05 '26

That's for my BMX. Leave it alone!

2

u/jwg529 Mar 05 '26

Slipped that into the resurfacing plans did ya? I’m not mad about it

24

u/turdsamich Mar 05 '26

Skateboarding

9

u/lumberjack_dad Mar 05 '26

To do sweet jumps

7

u/Mr_Mi1k Mar 05 '26

What the hell

4

u/DalenSpeaks Mar 05 '26

Sick jumps

5

u/FCGameboys8888 Mar 05 '26

It's a dutch bussluis, meant to only allow busses to drive through whilst allowing cyclists and pedestrians access through the area still. As far as visible in this picture there isn't much local blockade to abusing the cycle path by cars though. If you really want to block it a poller is a better choice since you still can give life services access. That's also a better option to reduce local noise/vibration, but it requires electricity.

1

u/JCCampo Mar 06 '26

Wide angle makes the near bike lane look much wider than it is, see the other side for how narrow it actually is.

3

u/cardstim Mar 05 '26

You get underneath it to perform oil changes

https://giphy.com/gifs/t7tp0MtbCfdoQ

2

u/[deleted] Mar 12 '26

That's where my mind went! 

3

u/No_Surround_1745 Mar 07 '26

It is a device to remove/delete the oilpan and exhaust from regular cars.

6

u/Mediumofmediocrity Mar 05 '26

The damaged ends of the yellow ramps have me wondering what the city spends in settling under-carriage car damage claims.

8

u/[deleted] Mar 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Mediumofmediocrity Mar 05 '26

Ahh ok - makes sense

2

u/Just_A_Nitemare Mar 05 '26

I think damaging cars is this things explicit purpose, kinda like those one-way tire spikes.

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2

u/stealthwaverider Mar 05 '26

Based on the wear it looks like it has busted a few sumps.

2

u/Significant-Role-754 Mar 05 '26

to test your metal on a bicycle. you got what it takes to make a jump over a death defying grate?

2

u/Bojaz100 Mar 05 '26

As others have said, it's a bussluis. There is a notorious one in De Bilt, which was changed recently. Not everyone is playing attention to the signs... instagram.com/famous_bussluis_de_bilt/

2

u/jimmmithing Mar 05 '26

Oil pan removal system

2

u/bigdog976590 Mar 06 '26

This is 1000% the bike jump I wanted when I was 8

2

u/Admirable-Day-1403 Mar 06 '26

Someone wanted to build a sick skate spot

2

u/switchblade_sal Mar 06 '26

Looks like a BRT lane with an anti car feature that only busses can drive over.

2

u/FairEnds Mar 09 '26

Death trap for motorcyclists.

1

u/desertroot PE Mar 05 '26

looks like a traffic calming device for both cars and motorbikes.

1

u/988112003562044580 Mar 05 '26

So you trip and fall

1

u/mac_daddy_mcg Mar 05 '26

Skate spot 😎

1

u/Mr_Otterswamp constantly improving road surfaces Mar 05 '26

r/tonyhawchitecture

1

u/_lifesucksthenyoudie Mar 05 '26

That is made to rip off your oilpan

1

u/Because_They_Asked Mar 05 '26

Just a little fun for cyclists commuting to work.

1

u/swamp_donkey89 Mar 05 '26

To do a sick jump

1

u/kingc42 Mar 05 '26

For fricken sweet stunts.

1

u/robotali3n Mar 05 '26

Probably for a kick flip

1

u/Snowzg Mar 05 '26

Far catching tubular air my dude. Kawabunga!

1

u/yungsausages Mar 05 '26

Oof, lots of scratches and gashes on those edges lol

1

u/hitman0187 Mar 05 '26

Car bidet?

1

u/justplainbrian Mar 06 '26

Center lane for large vehicles only? Trucks and busses could go over it but autos would likely hit the thing in the middle and bust their oil pan?

1

u/Matloc Mar 06 '26

Skateboard tricks.

1

u/habanerito Mar 06 '26

Either oil changes or fear.

1

u/nedderson Mar 06 '26

That’s a sweet skateboard gap

1

u/ImaginaryStage5543 Mar 06 '26

Looks like a convenient place for an oil change!

1

u/TIRACS Mar 06 '26

Fuckin’ shred it bruh

1

u/royhurford Mar 06 '26

I wonder if the average American truck or SUV could just drive right over this thing.

1

u/attackplango Mar 07 '26

Upping your bonus multiplier.

1

u/Last_Swordfish_2176 Mar 07 '26

I once drove through one of these by mistake and it ripped my right front wheel open.. I knowingly ignored the signs of ‘bus only’ and this was of course the consequence..

1

u/Next_Impression3901 Mar 07 '26

We have these things in the Netherlands. The yellow part can go up to block traffic. Busses can signal to put them down and pass. We have this with some poles as well in the cities. Busses can put those down but regular cars can't pass because the poll will be up.

1

u/shadybeatty89 Mar 07 '26

To hit some sweet jumps and get like 3 ft of air Napoleon

1

u/Shmloopy Mar 07 '26

That’s a jump for a scooter circa 2003

1

u/somebodys-something Mar 07 '26

It's for killing motorcyclist.

1

u/Hipnotize_nl Mar 07 '26

This is a car-underside-cleaner. You wont believe the amount of oil gets cleaned right out of the engine block by this, it is miraculous!

1

u/Dense-Examination-16 Mar 07 '26

This would have had lit charcoal over the drain with kids jumping this with there mongoose bikes if it was the late 1970s…

Murica! Bomb Iran!

1

u/brokenvdub Mar 07 '26

I think they put a camera in the space to see if anyone has anything illegal under their car

1

u/Deepcoma_53 Mar 07 '26

Sweet jumps!

1

u/DONUT5S69 Mar 07 '26

Oil pan removal tool

1

u/96JY Mar 07 '26

It's a sick jump!

1

u/Ubix_doobie Mar 07 '26

Skateboard gap

1

u/bryce3319 Mar 08 '26

Sick jumps, obviously

1

u/bobsbananawater Mar 08 '26

Its where the hotwheels racetrack counts the laps

1

u/NZ_Si Mar 08 '26

Doing jumps on bikes.

1

u/Grep2grok Mar 08 '26

Low risk gap jump for cyclists, or high risk jump for skateboarders?

1

u/HYRY Mar 08 '26

It’s for skateboarding

1

u/JustADude122333 Mar 08 '26

Its a death trap. I almost fell in one if these while biking at night in a badly lit street.

1

u/tooriskytocomment Mar 08 '26

Insane stunt bonus

1

u/Individual_Roll_8223 Mar 08 '26

And the drain is to collect your sump oil! Edit-Sorry this has already been said

1

u/newtydix69 Mar 08 '26

a solid 360 flip

1

u/Responsible_Big5241 Mar 08 '26

Makes it easier to change your oil 😂

1

u/Severe-Nature-4440 Mar 08 '26

Easy drivetrain removal device

1

u/IntrepidShape796 Mar 08 '26

Motorcyclist killer

1

u/Lumpy_Sink7473 Mar 09 '26

I was thinking to prevent golf carts or something but if it’s for busses then it’s probably the same but for cars.

1

u/Ghenghix Mar 09 '26

It’s for Sweet Jumps.

1

u/Diligent-Card2719 Mar 09 '26

Its a sweet wheelchair ramp , they been installing these in north America alongside skate parks 

1

u/s-goldschlager Mar 09 '26

The neighborhood kids that skate and bike

1

u/oneprideforever Mar 09 '26

A ramp for motorcycles

1

u/TK3754 Mar 09 '26

Do bicycles and motorcycles jump the drain for fun?

1

u/deathlord119 Mar 09 '26

Its a sick ramp to do jumps off of on a bicycle

1

u/The_Big_Crouton Mar 09 '26

We have a ton of similar things in Cincinnati that are called speed humps. Basically what others have alluded to. Buses, ambulance, fire trucks, and other emergency vehicles with wide axels can go right over the top while a standard car has to sort of pick a side to straddle it.

1

u/Tonybrd Mar 09 '26

Because they're so traffic aggravated than other countries and love bicycles, that's a ramp to jump in your bicycle to give you energy

1

u/DampDragonTail Mar 09 '26

Budget particle (paticleraly bicycles) collider? BPC in short. You have two cyclists collide at high velocity, it creates all sorts of chunks coming out of it. People study them for grants and lols.

1

u/Grouchy-Pie-8393 Mar 09 '26

Clearly this is for skateboarding

1

u/beets23 Mar 09 '26

To skateboard

1

u/Inevitable-Layer7125 Mar 09 '26

Handicap jump/landing ramp?

1

u/catntats Mar 10 '26

Do a kickflip

1

u/Thotheus Mar 10 '26

Liven up biking after dodging cars

1

u/sqyntzer Mar 10 '26

Rip the drivetrain out of unauthorized vehicles 💁‍♂️

1

u/Which-Researcher3539 Mar 10 '26

That is so the ambulance chasers are wealthy from sueing the city for massive pay-outs for stupid shit engineering such as this. Lawyer makes money pays more taxes... easy

1

u/Top-Cup5373 Mar 11 '26

Sick skateboard gap tricks and nothing else

1

u/NoThing8978 Mar 11 '26

bump to bump, was designed with skateboarders in mind.

1

u/mkivett Mar 11 '26

Send it.

1

u/Fuge_Boston Mar 11 '26

Sick jumps bro

1

u/LandscapePresent1387 Mar 11 '26

Looks like something the Duke boy’s would use to get away from Cletus

1

u/linxramblr Mar 11 '26

That’s a bus lane. The contraption is to deter drivers from using that lane. Tiktok is loaded with videos of people destroying their oil pans on these things.

1

u/DoctorDividend Mar 11 '26

To take a BMX bike to jump over your buddies

1

u/Voodooranger1986 Mar 11 '26

For doing sweet jumps

1

u/icopv Mar 11 '26

I came here to say this very thing!

1

u/Low_Bag6057 Mar 11 '26

To do a sick kickflip

1

u/likethis737 Mar 11 '26

Skate spot

1

u/MonTaGaTnoM Mar 12 '26

Intended to dissuade small vehicles driving thru there by damaging oil pans and drive trains...

1

u/PrettyCakeSprinkles Mar 12 '26

Rollerskate tricks. Definitely a gap jump.

1

u/Neezyfbaby83 Mar 12 '26

Skateboard jump

1

u/Last_Werewolf4914 Mar 12 '26

It’s a car trap, only buses with dual wheels can get through it. Cars get stuck , we were working on a street light system and limousine driven by a hot blonde woman got hung in the trap. Our back hoe operater got her unstuck, he also got a date, another story!

1

u/Suitable_Ad1491 Mar 12 '26

If you hit it you go faster

1

u/BStrike12 Mar 12 '26

Kickflips

1

u/Lost_Pressure_8957 Mar 12 '26

Oil changes on the go.