The Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

The collapse of the Tacoma Channel Bridge and the Tacoma Channel Bridge is probably the most notorious failure in the engineering field. It collapsed on November 7, 1940, several months after the start of business on July 1, 1940. It was designed by Leon Moisseiff, the world's third largest suspension bridge with a center span of more than half a mile. The bridge is very narrow, stylish and elegant in appearance, but this design is very flexible in the wind. The Tacoma Strait Bridge called "Galloping Gertie" attracted the attention of drivers seeking cheap excitement due to their ups and downs.

The collapse of the Tacoma Strait Bridge on the morning of November 7, 1940 was the most representative example of modern spectacular bridge failure. As the world's third largest suspension bridge, following George Washington and the Golden Gate Bridge, it was open to the public on July 1, 1940, connecting Tacoma and the whole Kisap peninsula of Puget Sound. Only four months later, under the correct wind conditions, the bridge was moved at its resonance frequency, causing it to vibrate and infinitely distort. After an undulating wave of more than an hour, the central part collapsed and the bridge was destroyed. It proved the power of resonance and since then it has been used as a classical example of national physics and engineering course. Unfortunately, this story is a perfect myth

When opening in 1940, the Tacoma Bridge was the third longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge crosses the Tacoma Narrows and goes to the Gig Harbor Peninsula, replacing the ferry pedestrian commuting from Tacoma and takes 3 years with a total length of 2,800 feet. Time will be created. To save cost, the lead engineer Leon Moisseiff designed a very thin frame that is 39 feet long and has only two lanes. The Tacoma Channel Bridge opened on July 1, 1940. The flow of people in the Tacoma Channel has increased significantly, but many drivers are attracted to paid bridges through not only convenience but also abnormal features of the structure. As they do in the Tacoma Channel, the bridge will swing horizontally as it strikes the wind, sometimes it will experience excessive vertical rise.