What Happened to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge?
• Use the ‘NOVA’ web site to build a virtual bridge. Tell how well you did. The Internet Resources • NOVA online – On this web site, you will survey 4 different terrains then decide which type of bridge is the best one to build. • Bridge Structure – This web page explains the 4 main types of bridges. • Bridge Basics – Get your basic facts here! • How Bridges Work – Learn about roads, bridges and highway systems and the technology behind them. • Details of Bridges – A detailed explanation of the most common fixed (non-movable) bridge types. • Photo Gallery – Photos of famous bridges. • Tacoma Narrows Bridge – Details of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge failure. • Toothpick Bridge Specifications – You will use this website to complete your final project. The Big Question Summarize what you have learned by answering the following questions in an essay using the writing rubric: Do you think building a bridge is dangerous? What factors would help you decide what type of bridge to build? What facto
On 7 November 1940, the big news of the day was of the total failure and collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington state. The bridge quite simply tore itself apart and fell into the waters of Puget Sound. How and why it happened are questions that have only recently been adequately answered. The Tacoma “narrows” mark the closest point on Puget Sound between the Washington coast and the Olympic Peninsula. A bridge across the narrows meant the state government could open up yet another section of the state for expansion, so they wanted to build a bridge. In 1930s America, the bridge trend, especially for long bridges, was the graceful suspension bridge. Bridge architects and engineers sought the most graceful, lightest weight, slimmest designs. As a result, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, when finished, was 5,939 feet (1,810.2 meters) long and a stick-like 39 feet (11.9 meters) wide. It was also lightweight, due to the shallow plate girders used in construction. Graceful? Undoubtedl
