3.5 Second Bridge Demolition

An 83 year old bridge over the Ohio River was quickly demolished this week.  The Fort Steuben Bridge was closed in 2009 after the Ohio Department of Transportation declared it “functionally obsolete.” 

The 1,255ft bridge was loaded with 153lbs of explosives, and was splashing down into the water below 3.5 seconds after detonation.  A video, filmed by the ODOT, can be found at the link below. 

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-02-21/news/31081991_1_ohio-river-deadspin-transportation

Interested in teaching your students more about engineering? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, episode Engineering – Bridges by Design.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Interested in speaking to students about engineering? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com

El Puente Baluarte Bridge

With an anticipated completion date anticipated in 2012, El Puente Baluarte Bridge (the Baluarte River Bridge) stands at a towering 1,321ft; so high, the Eiffel Tower could easily fit underneath it.  El Puente Baluarte will relieve drivers of a lengthy drive through the jagged peaks of the Sierra Madre Mountains.  The bridge spans a deep ravine through the mountain chain, and sits on the border between two states in Mexico: Sinaloa and Durango.

The excitement behind El Puente Baluarte Bridge is that it is the greatest bridge and tunnel highway project to ever take place in North America.  It will be a part of the Durango-Mazatlán highway.  The bridge will provide a safer, more direct route through the mountainous chain, and is expected to promote trade and tourism.

Interested in teaching your students more about engineering? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, episode Engineering – Bridges by Design.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Interested in speaking to students about engineering? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com

Source:

http://highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Baluarte_Bridge    

Seamless Feat of Bridge Engineering Turns 75

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge celebrated its 75^th anniversary this week.  At its opening, November 12, 1936, the bridge was the longest in the world.  To this day, it remains one of the busiest bridges in the world.   The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge spans 8.4 miles, and was the longest bridge ever attempted. 

Interestingly enough, the technology in 1933 was not capable of producing a single suspension bridge linking San Francisco and Oakland.  The bridge is actually two separate bridges kinked to a giant concrete anchor in the middle of the bay.  The 75 year old bridge’s connections are so seamless, most drivers hardly notice the anchorage. 

Interested in teaching your students more about Engineering? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, episode Engineering – Bridges by Design.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Interested in speaking to students about Engineering? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com

Source:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/12/MN421LQRN2.DTL

Bridge to Tempe

Tempe, Arizona has a new pedestrian bridge that utilizes contemporary design, in conjunction with functionality, to provide Tempe Town Lake residents a beautiful pathway.  The bridge serves dual functionality.  While its foundation is rooted in the dam, it also shades the Tempe dam’s bladders to prevent them from bursting due to being overheated.  The bridge also features sprinklers underneath the walkway that will cool the dam’s bladders.

The bridge is 12ft wide, 34ft tall, and is suspended by 128 1.375” steel cables that criss-cross each other, contributing to the bridge’s design.  The walkway is shaded with high-tensioned fabric, resembling the sails from a sailboat.  The bridge was also designed to enhance the appearance of the Center for the Arts building.    

Interested in teaching your students more about Engineering? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, Engineering – Bridges by Design.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Source:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/now-open-new-iconic-pedestrian-bridge-over-tempe-town-lake-2011-10-21