ford
Let an agent explain fords and their use, give safety guidance for crossing, describe their historical and place-name significance, and support route planning.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain fords and their use, give safety guidance for crossing, describe their historical and place-name significance, and support route planning.
A shallow place in a river or stream where it can be crossed by wading, riding or driving, sometimes improved with stepping stones or a paved bed, historically important for routes and settlements and still used on rural roads; fords are hazardous in flood and are marked with depth gauges, and many place names record them.
What it is for: Crossing watercourses without a bridge.
It can be explain how fords work and are marked; give crossing safety guidance; describe historical fords and place names; support route planning.
Distinguishing features
Shallow crossing
Depth varies with flow
Marked and gauged
Historical significance
What it looks like
A shallow river crossing, often with a paved bed, depth gauge and stepping stones.
How it is recognised
Road or path entering a watercourse
Depth gauges and warning signs
A bridge crosses above the water
Related models
is a kind of - category
is a kind of - category
is related to - routes
is related to - watercourses
In practice
Families and kinds
natural fords
paved and improved fords
stepping stone crossings
vehicle fords on rural roads
historical fords in place names
Standards and regulation
Road signage standards for fords
Flood warning systems
Rights of way rules
Failure modes and hazards
Vehicles swept away in flood
Drowning
Slippery beds and hidden depth
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.ford-act
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Safety Crossing safely.
Never cross in flood.
Assess
Can it be crossed.
Assess
Assessment.
- Is the ford safe to cross now, given the depth gauge, flow and vehicle or person, according to safety guidance? boundary
- Is a flood warning in force? provenance
Emergency
Stranded in water.
Emergency
Emergencies.
- Is a vehicle or person stranded in a ford now? boundary
- Should emergency services be called, and what should occupants do? action
Use Using fords.
Route planning.
Routes
Fords on routes.
Routes
Routes.
- Which fords lie on this route, and are there alternative crossings? provenance
- How is a ford marked on maps and signs? definition
Technique
Crossing technique.
Technique
Technique.
- How should a vehicle or walker cross a ford safely in normal conditions? provenance
- Which checks apply afterwards, such as brakes? provenance
History Fords in history.
Routes and names.
Significance
Historical importance.
Significance
Significance.
- Why were fords important for routes, battles and settlements, according to historians? provenance
- Which notable fords survive? provenance
Names
Place names.
Names
Place names.
- Which place names record fords, and what do the elements mean? provenance
- How do names differ across languages? provenance
Manage Maintaining fords.
Infrastructure.
Maintenance
Upkeep.
Maintenance
Maintenance.
- Who maintains this ford, and how are the bed, gauges and signs kept? provenance
- When is a ford replaced by a bridge? boundary
Ecology
Fords and rivers.
Ecology
Ecology.
- How do fords affect fish passage and river ecology? provenance
- Which mitigation measures exist? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Should each notable ford be a separate entry?
- How should flood data be linked?
- How should historical sources be linked?