Crossing the Tacoma Narrows bridge on a windy day, in an empty tractor trailer

dash riposki

dash riposki

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I'm not scared often in a truck, but today was different. :)
Excuse the bad words...actually WORD, same one, over and over.

You can get an idea of how much the truck was moving with the wind gusts.

 
There is a proof how a man can get a sea sickness in a truck:D
 
Well that was quite a ride. I can only imagine what the trailer was doing with that much movement in the cab and the bit of looseness at the kingpin letting the trailer move even more :eek: I'm glad you weren't there 77 years ago when those same winds took the bridge which used to be there down: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge_(1940) ;)

Stay safe my Highway friend :)
Phil
 
I couldn't remember which bridge that was, thanks for reminding me. (Remember seeing the films)

 
Hmm. New bridge design looks suspiciously like the old one. :-O

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
The Tacoma Narrows is windy but there are much windier places with suspension bridges which are quite stable. Some of what became known about airflow and about natural and mechanical frequency because of this failure contributed greatly to the designing of airplanes for super-sonic flight a few years later. This also allowed skyscrapers to be built much higher than had ever been thought possible before. And some of what was learned here even goes into the design of your car's frame and suspension ;) None of the calculations of the old bridges design were wrong, and had any one of several dimensions or design elements been slightly different in 'Galloping Gerties" the old bridge might still be in use today :rolleyes:

Even as simple as it looks to us, bridge engineering is extremely complex and most of the many older suspension bridges in the world have escaped a similar fate only through sheer luck, not through their design :eek: This is widely considered to be the point where modern engineering truly began and the video of the failure is shown in almost every mechanical engineering course worldwide today as a lesson of how badly things can go wrong because of not understanding that every tiny little thing can matter hugely in the end when it is all put together :D

Phil
 
Hehe galoping Gertie 2.0

We had problems on the great belt bridge too lately, and its fortunate its build east/west and prevailing wind here is west

But get the wind a little southern or northerly and one of the worlds 3 longest suspension bridges start to be a adventure.

The picture don't really tell, but there is a little over a mile between the 2 large pylons.
But this sucker only see about 10 hours every year where its closed for traffic according to google, i was expecting a few days at least every year.

Storeb%C3%A6lt
 
Most bridge closures for high winds are done because the vehicles can't handle them. Almost none are because of the bridge movement although some few are, and those were designed to be flexible in that way so that they don't simply break apart instead :cool:

Nothing we yet have in this world is so solid and strong that it can take on anything that nature can dish out through brute strength. We have to be flexible like Mother Nature or she will teach us another lesson the hard way :rolleyes:

Phil
 
SawMaster said:
Most bridge closures for high winds are done because the vehicles can't handle them. Almost none are because of the bridge movement although some few are, and those were designed to be flexible in that way so that they don't simply break apart instead...
Click to expand...
The Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Bridge connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan is an example of that. One of the design features incorporated into the bridge deck was using steel grating versus concrete/asphalt for one traffic lane in each direction to reduce the effect of winds on the bridge itself.

The winds get high enough at times that even if the bridge is not closed to traffic certain high profile vehicles are prohibited (campers, trucks with empty trailers, etc.) and others are only allowed to cross when 'escorted' (as in driving alongside) other larger, heavier vehicles like loaded trucks.

mackinacbridge.jpg
 
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O yeah, i am not aware of any of our bridges moving in wind, its solely the things driving on them that's a problem.

O BTW just like you can walk that bridge in Sydney, so can you do on the old bridge across the little belt here.
Its not many bridges you can walk like that, just proof how progressive us Danes and the Aussies are. :D

But i must admit the Sydney bridge look a lot better than the old little belt bridge.

http://www.bridgewalking.com/
 
Yes but that's just walking on the bridge, i am talking about walking on the superstructure of a bridge.

I don't think the little belt bridge was ever open for pedestrians, i think it was trains and cars only.
 
kamkar1 said:
...i am talking about walking on the superstructure of a bridge.....
Click to expand...
If you're interested I'm sure they would consider your application to work on bridge maintenance: :D

mackinac_bridge_walkers.jpg

But it's probably not quite as nice working in the winter: :eek:

bridge_walk_winter.jpg
 
I do heights fairly decently but that's more than I can deal with, plus the coffeemaker is too far away during break-times :rolleyes:

Phil
 
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