Tacoma Narrows Bridge

Royalty Free

SS2737992

JB8226

Tacoma Narrows bridges compared. Diagrams and text prepared by the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) project in 1993 to document the differences between the two Tacoma Narrows bridges of 1940 and 1950. The 1940 bridge spanned 1810 metres across the Tacoma Narrows strait in Puget Sound, in the US state of Washington. It collapsed on 7 November 1940 (right) due to aeroelastic flutter in gale-force winds. The replacement 1950 design included extra bracing, space for wind to pass through, and dampers, to prevent a repeat of the collapse.

LOC / Science Source

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