Tocama Narrows Bridge Engineering Disaster

Jordan N. Gibson September 4, 2011 CEE 2804 Writing Assignment #1 The Galloping Gertie One of the most massively studied failures in the history of engineering, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a staple in every physics and engineering textbook across the board. From its humble beginnings in September 1938, it took only xix months to construct the third largest suspension span bridge in the world of its time. However, it took a mere four months to inclination (Big Tacoma). knowing by one of the worlds foremost bridge engineers and top-ranked engineering consultants, Leon Moisseiff, how could such a spectacular structure fall? After numerous investigations were completed, it was discovered the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge was due to a combination of: a misconception of extreme flexibility of the structure, habituate of more economical but weaker materials, and the lack of realization of the military strength of aerodynamic forces. The desire for the social structure of a bridge among Tacoma and the Kitsap peninsula dates back to 1889 with a Northern Pacific Railway marriage proposal for a trestle, but concentrated efforts began in the mid-1920s.



Despite Moisseiffs reputation, State and Toll Bridge Authority engineers were more than a little nervous about the behavior of the slender multilane span measuring 2800 feet long and only 39 feet wide (Schlager). And they should live with been. Early

signs of failure began to rise when the bridge was charted as having small-scale oscillations back and forth due to small wind gusts. Hence, the disreputable bridge early on gained its nickname as the Galloping Gertie by people who experienced its wavy effects. Also, complaints of seasickness became very common. The squirm bridge deck caused the wind flow separation to increase. This create a vortex, or swirling wind force, which further lifted and perverted the deck. The coiling caused metal fatigue, and the hangers broke like paper clips that have been bent too often. Another blunder in the construction of...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



If you want to get a full essay, wisit our page: write my essay .