Blog

Jul 15, 2023

Wire Rope Built Landmarks

The First Steel-Wire Suspension Bridge. Last month I had the privilege of traveling to New York State to attend AWRF's General Meeting in Brooklyn. During my stay I walked across one of New York's

The First Steel-Wire Suspension Bridge.

Last month I had the privilege of traveling to New York State to attend AWRF's General Meeting in Brooklyn. During my stay I walked across one of New York's famous bridges several times to take in its beauty and innovative construction.

In the top picture you see the symphony of intricate detail between some of the steel-wire ropes which make up and support this suspension bridge.

The second picture was taken from the top of the 102 - floor One World Observatory in New York City. This picture clearly demonstrates the magnificence of the Brooklyn Bridge, which links Manhattan to Brooklyn over the East River. Note the two enormous granite piers which stand 276.5 feet above high water.

In the third picture you begin to appreciate the immense detail and engineering involved. Completion of the two bridge piers took 3 years. The bridge deck is made up of a steel truss which suspends from four main cables. The four main cables are 15.75 inches in diameter and 3,578.5 feet in length. Fifteen hundred twenty (1520) galvanized steel wire ropes along with four hundred (400) diagonal stays work in concert with the four main cables.

John Augustus Roebling, a German immigrant who had been trained as an engineer in Berlin designed The Brooklyn Bridge in 1867. During early construction Roebling's toes were crushed between pier piles and beams by an incoming boat. Following amputation of his crushed toes Roebling resorted to his own form of medical treatment and died 24 days later from infection.

Roebling's son, Washington assumed the role of chief engineer and ensured that his father's legacy was completed over the next 13 years. Stricken with caisson disease a.k.a. "the bends", Washington Roebling directed and managed construction of The Brooklyn Bridge from his apartment with the assistance of a telescope and his wife Emily. Emily dedicated eleven years of her life caring for Washington and personally supervising bridge construction.

The Brooklyn Bridge officially opened on May 24, 1883.

In picture four you see a close up of one of the painted steel-wire ropes used in construction, galvanized steel wire ropes with diagonal stays and the One World Observatory in New York City. Pictures five and six give another perspective from The Brooklyn Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge was the very first major steel suspension bridge to be built in the world and its still a magnificent landmark today.

Be sure to check out my next post "Inspection Is In The Detail - Master Links."

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