The Collapse Of The 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge
The collapse of the 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge stunned everyone, especially engineers. How could the most "modern" suspension bridge, with the most advanced design, suffer catastrophic failure in a relatively light wind?
The State of Washington, the insurance companies, and the United States government appointed boards of experts to investigate the collapse of the Narrows Bridge. The Federal Works Administration (FWA) appointed a 3-member panel of top-ranking engineers: Othmar Amman, Dr. Theodore Von Karmen, and Glen B. Woodruff. Their report was the Administrator of the FWA, John Carmody and became known as the "Carmody Board" report.
In March 1941 the Carmody Board announced its findings. "Random action of turbulent wind" in general, said …show more content…
In general, leading suspension bridge designers like David Steinman, Othmar Amman, and Leon Moisseiff determined the direction of the profession. Very few people were designing these huge civil works projects. The great bridges were extremely expensive. They presented immensely complicated problems of engineering and construction. The work was sharply limited by government regulation, various social concerns, and constant public scrutiny. A handful of talented engineers became pre-eminent. But, they had what has been called a "blind …show more content…
The failure of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge effectively ended Moisseiff's career. More importantly, it abruptly ended an entire generation of bridge engineering theory and practice, and the trend in designing increasingly flexible, light, and slender suspension spans.
Othmar Amman said of the collapse of the 1940 Narrows Bridge, "Regrettable as the Tacoma Narrows Bridge failure and other recent experiences are, they have given us invaluable information and have brought us closer to the safe and economical design of suspension bridges against wind action."
Aerial view of 1950 Narrows Bridge WSDOT
Aerial view of 1950 Narrows Bridge WSDOT Suspension Bridge Design Since 1940
"Mere size and proportion are not the outstanding merit of a bridge; a bridge should be handed down to posterity as a truly monumental structure which will cast credit on the aesthetic sense of present generations." ---- Othmar H. Amman,
The State of Washington, the insurance companies, and the United States government appointed boards of experts to investigate the collapse of the Narrows Bridge. The Federal Works Administration (FWA) appointed a 3-member panel of top-ranking engineers: Othmar Amman, Dr. Theodore Von Karmen, and Glen B. Woodruff. Their report was the Administrator of the FWA, John Carmody and became known as the "Carmody Board" report.
In March 1941 the Carmody Board announced its findings. "Random action of turbulent wind" in general, said …show more content…
In general, leading suspension bridge designers like David Steinman, Othmar Amman, and Leon Moisseiff determined the direction of the profession. Very few people were designing these huge civil works projects. The great bridges were extremely expensive. They presented immensely complicated problems of engineering and construction. The work was sharply limited by government regulation, various social concerns, and constant public scrutiny. A handful of talented engineers became pre-eminent. But, they had what has been called a "blind …show more content…
The failure of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge effectively ended Moisseiff's career. More importantly, it abruptly ended an entire generation of bridge engineering theory and practice, and the trend in designing increasingly flexible, light, and slender suspension spans.
Othmar Amman said of the collapse of the 1940 Narrows Bridge, "Regrettable as the Tacoma Narrows Bridge failure and other recent experiences are, they have given us invaluable information and have brought us closer to the safe and economical design of suspension bridges against wind action."
Aerial view of 1950 Narrows Bridge WSDOT
Aerial view of 1950 Narrows Bridge WSDOT Suspension Bridge Design Since 1940
"Mere size and proportion are not the outstanding merit of a bridge; a bridge should be handed down to posterity as a truly monumental structure which will cast credit on the aesthetic sense of present generations." ---- Othmar H. Amman,