Tacoma Narrows Bridge
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is the tallest and most terrifying construction in the world. At 2,800 feet tall, it was taller than any other bridge on Earth at its completion. The bridge is one of only four suspension bridges ever constructed that are over 1000 feet high. It’s also no wonder why this bridge has made so many lists for scariest places to travel through or live near- it does look like something out of a horror film.
The bridge is located in Tacoma, Washington, and was opened to the public on July 1, 1940. No one thought this structure would do very well when it finally got completed- after all, it had been built during a time of uncertainty for America (the Great Depression) and then put into service at perhaps the most uncertain moment in history: World War II.
However, its construction proved that bridges could be made strong enough to withstand wind speeds much higher than engineers assumed they could handle; if only someone had mentioned how high those winds reached. The original design height threshold of 97 miles per hour turned out not nearly high enough once people saw what sort of forces came through the area with stronger gusts.
On the day of the disaster in 1940, winds were recorded at 42 miles per hour. However, a local weather station had been shut down for the weekend, and there was no natural way to know just how strong those gusts got that morning on the bridge. It wasn’t until construction workers started noticing strange sounds coming from across the water that they became nervous about crossing over; by then, it was too late, though!
At approximately ten in the morning, during rush hour traffic, wind speeds picked up considerably around this time all around Puget Sound. However, even so, drivers still didn’t think much of it when their cars began bouncing up and down as if driving over speed. These people failed to realize that they were on a bridge being pushed sideways by hurricane-level winds.
This wasn’t precisely an easy realization to come across, but of course, people started freaking out as soon as the first car went flying off one of the side rails into Puget Sound below. People began running from their cars and screaming for help, which is actually kind of surprising considering how far down it was from even a tiny portion of the road onto the water. One man stayed in his car, though; he never panicked at all and kept driving until he too fell over the edge.
I guess you could say this disaster changed peoples’ perspective on what risks are worth taking when crossing massive spans like bridges or rivers. After all, no matter how solid or tall a bridge is, it’s still going to be at the mercy of Mother Nature from time to time.
Facts about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is located in the state of Washington. It is also known as “Galloping Gertie.” They were able to build it so quickly due to access: there was no major city nearby that would need to be connected with traffic flow through the area. This allowed construction workers and engineers to not worry about disrupting normal daily activities or needing permission from local businesses or homes. No such thing as permits is required here! Construction started at both sides simultaneously using steel trusses placed onto concrete piers sunk into the river bed.
The bridge became known as Galloping Gertie during construction due to its movement when the wind would blow past it at high speeds. The fact that they were able to build this marvel so quickly is truly astonishing!
This shows how motivated these men were to put into action their visions for what could be possible with engineering technology during that era. It’s also interesting that no one questioned or raised concerns about placing a suspension bridge over such an inconsistent body of water like Puget Sound, even though previous bridges in Seattle built not too long before collapsed because of corrosion from saltwater exposure.
The bridge cost a total of 786 million dollars to build and, at the time, was considered one of the “engineering wonders” in America. It was the third-longest suspension bridge of its time and took just four months to build.
There is no doubt that the Tacoma Narrows Bridge has been a local landmark for many years. It is a fantastic engineering feat, and it connects two significant bodies of land like Commencement Bay and the Kitsap Peninsula. It’s also interesting to think about how much this bridge has impacted local business growth over time; without it, those cities probably wouldn’t be nearly as big or famous with tourists and travelers!
The bridge has been known for its resonance because of how it moves heavily during high winds. This movement earned it the name Galloping Gertie due to its tendency to sway from side to side under certain conditions. Current records show that the highest wind speed ever recorded at the site was 90 miles per hour, while another source says 100 mph gusts can be expected every 40 years or so! That’s quite impressive considering there are only about four days with such high levels of wind per year.
The bridge was closed during the first three months of its opening, but it still managed to attract thousands who came to see and experience this intense building for themselves! It became a trendy destination, mainly because people could walk along with it as they marveled at their surroundings. There were even special events held on the bridge, such as dances and car shows since guests didn’t need any permits or approvals from authorities to do so. However, these events stopped after the collapse, which saw many physically and emotionally injured due to what happened that day.
Who died on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse?
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse killed no one. The bridge’s failure was so quick and violent that it didn’t give anyone time to fall off or even get injured. Also, thousands of people watched as the collapse happened live on TV and none were in danger because they knew where to stand to watch safely from a distance away.
However, the dog named “Tubby” was the only casualty of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse. The dog was a stray who lived in the area and would often wander to different construction sites looking for food scraps. It is believed he got stuck on one of his adventures, frightened by something as workers were headed home from work during their lunch break right before they came across him trapped under debris where he could not escape. He was the only life lost on this historic day.
The collapse stopped traffic in its tracks, delaying travelers up and down the West Coast until a new bridge could be built to replace it. The 1940 Narrows Bridge Collapse also changed how bridges were designed after engineers realized that poor design had caused the failure of one of the largest suspension bridges in history. Today, there are no longer any exposed trusses that they saw break off during this incident, so they don’t cause another disaster like this ever again.
There were no cars on the bridge when it collapsed, so there was nothing to be damaged by falling debris. Also, only one person died during the bridge’s construction because a worker fell from a catwalk and landed in wet cement below that had just been poured for an abutment footing. He survived with broken bones, though!
Tacoma Narrows Bridge Rebuilt
For several decades, there was a bridge that spanned the Tacoma Narrows in Washington State. And for almost as many years, it stood as one of the most remarkable structures on Earth; and not because of how beautiful it was but rather what happened to its construction: It swayed with such intensity that cars traveling across would bounce like toys and people could stand at either end and lean into each other until they touched. The swaying continued with little help from the wind even when all vehicles were removed from the roadway. This natural phenomenon became known as “Galloping Gertie.” Finally, this incredible piece of engineering collapsed after only four months due to high winds (which is ironic since no structure can be built taller than half the wind speed, which is common in the Tacoma Narrows).
The bridge was rebuilt and opened to traffic on October 14 of 1950. Although it stood for over forty years (until another storm brought its demise), this new version stood with a stiffer suspension system that prevented so much as a flutter from ever occurring again. It held until mid-November when an earthquake snapped one of the cables holding everything together–the only casualty being a section of guardrail.
Replacement Cost
The replacement cost came close to $849 million but now stands as a part-time tourist attraction thanks to those who live nearby or visitors who have been captivated by its history. Its design remains controversial, with some engineers claiming Galloping Gertie’s sway would have been impossible to predict without extensive testing. It is even rumored that the German engineer who designed this bridge was sentenced to prison for failing to consider all design factors before construction took place–an error many believe should never be repeated on a project of similar magnitude, especially since more efficient options are available today thanks in part to his mistake.
Today, there are no longer any bridges crossing over the Tacoma Narrows. Still, instead, one has been built at its widest point so cars can drive directly across with little fear of ever swaying beyond what they would expect from going over any other straight stretch of road. If you want something fun, though, park your car and walk out onto it during high winds! There’s nothing quite like feeling as though you are standing on a flag blowing in the breeze. You will have no choice but to hold onto something, so not only can your car shake, but so too could you if it wasn’t for that sturdy guardrail.
Design & Construction Timeline
– Construction on the bridge began in 1938.
– The design was finished and construction completed by September 1940.
– On November 7, an intense wind hit Tacoma Narrows Bridge unexpectedly, which saw it collapse into the water below within just a few minutes of it happening due to resonance that kept swaying its deck back and forth until eventually snapping it in half.
– It was rebuilt with a more robust design that could withstand high winds and eventually reopened in 1950. However, it no longer had any real purpose for car traffic since the new bridge connecting Tacoma to its neighboring city of Gig Harbor opened up around this time, which made the crossing between them much easier than before.
Bridge Collapse
A wind speed of 42 mph was recorded before people saw pieces being blown off from the side, and they were eventually thrown into Puget Sound once parts started snapping away altogether! No casualties were reported, but many injuries could have been prevented if weather reports had informed drivers about how strong high winds were that day.
It took only 40 seconds from the time the first cable snapped until everything came crashing down! The disaster was captured on film and became a viral documentary in 1941 which also showed how people had to escape once they started seeing more of the structure come undone. Even during construction, heavy wind speeds were recorded. Still, engineers ignored these data due to their lack of reliability since there weren’t any other comparable bridges nearby for them to compare readings with at the time. It is believed by many historians today that this mistake led authorities into underestimating what could happen if high winds hit Galloping Gertie’s side-to-side motion, which made it less stable over time as pillars bent under pressure instead of stretching as suspender cables did.
Design & Construction
Engineers took a lot of time and effort to make the Tacoma Narrows Bridge as safe as possible, but they failed to consider how high winds would affect its design. Overlooking such crucial information led them to make costly mistakes that could have been prevented if they had done their research correctly beforehand! As for Galloping Gertie, it was repaired once after being knocked down to avoid other problems from arising due to its damaged state. Today, people can visit this historic site by taking a ferry or helicopter. Driving across is no longer allowed since safety measures need to be met first before letting anyone on the bridge again.
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