bridges_+project


 * Bridges Project **

The Golden Gate Bridge. A Modern Wonder of the World.  Bridges are technological tools that aim to solve the problem of crossing an obstacle cutting down the effort and time needed to do so

Some benefits of bridges are: supplies of food and traded goods can get across an obstacle in a shorter time, other longer-term payoffs from easier travel, which is crucially dependent on good bridges, come as a result of increased opportunities to share ideas,international trade and travel depend on shipping and air routes, but efficient distribution networks depend on bridges.

There are different types of bridges: The beam bridge, Truss strength, The arch bridge, Suspension bridge

 The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge located on U.S. Highway 101 that provides a vital link between the City of San Francisco and the counties to the north. Here are Some views of the bridge:
 * 1) The first photo was taken the from Golden Gate Park. It includes the palace of fine arts near the intersection of Vallejo and Fillmore streets.
 * 2) In the second photo you can get a decent view of the bridge all along the shore until you get to the it.
 * 3) In the third photo you can see a bus stop on the side of the bridge, and the trails that take you down to the shore for photos right next to the water.
 * 4) The forth photo shows that if you venture over to the north side of the bridge, you can get great views of the Golden Gate Bridge with the San Francisco skyline as a backdrop.
 * 5) The fifth and last photo shows the walking trails that continue along the bluff on the other side of the bridge.

Now, why was this bridge built? Before the bridge was built, the only practical short route between San Francisco and what is now Marin County was by boat across a section of San Francisco Bay. Ferry service began as early as 1820, with regularly scheduled service beginning in the 1840s for purposes of transporting water to San Francisco Although the city was served mostly by ferries, it lacked a permanent connection with the surrounding communities. This significantly affected trade, and as a result, the rate of its growth was not as par with the national average. Consequently, many people felt the need to connect San Francisco with Marin County. And so, the Golden Gate Bridge was built.

Its design.

Charles A. Ellis Vice President in Strauss Engineering Corporation, was in charge of bridge design and construction supervision. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Strauss’s original plans for a symmetrical cantilever-suspension hybrid bridge found it to be practical from an engineering standpoint and capable of being built. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The suspension span concept did not immediately became the leading design for the bridge as Strauss continued to campaign for a bridge using his original symmetrical cantilever-suspension hybrid design as late as 1929. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The timing of the change from the original Strauss proposal to a suspension bridge design is not precisely known, but it was accomplished sometime between November 1925 and August 1929. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Ellis was responsible for directing the thousands of calculations required, for the computation of stresses, the preparation of stress sheets, as well as the development of the specifications, contracts and proposal forms.

How is it made of?

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The weight of the roadway is hung from two cables that pass through the two main towers and are fixed in concrete at each end. Each cable is made of 27,572 strands of wire. There are 80,000 miles of wire in the main cables. The bridge has approximately 1,200,000 total rivets. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The center span was the longest among suspension bridges until 1964 when the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was erected in New York City. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The color of the bridge, despite its red appearance, is officially the international orange. It was selected by consulting architect Irving Morrow because it complements the natural surroundings and enhances the bridge's visibility in the fog.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">However, nowadays there are some issues with the bridge:
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The Golden Gate Bridge is the most popular place to commit suicide in the entire world. The deck is approximately 245 feet above the water. After this fall jumpers hit the water at some 76 miles per hour, at such a speed water has been determined to take on properties similar to concrete.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Also, on September 2008, the auto cash toll for all southbound motor vehicles was raised from $5 to $6, and the Fas Trak toll was increased from $4 to $5. Bicycle, pedestrian, and northbound motor vehicle traffic remain toll free
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In March 2008, the Golden Gate Bridge District board approved a resolution to implement congestion pricing at the Golden Gate Bridge, charging higher tolls during peak hours, but rising and falling depending on traffic levels

===<span style="color: #750675; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This is one of the most beautiful bridges in the world, and is the most photographed one. The Golden Gate is not only a bridge, it's an American landmark expected to overcome us so our future generations can learn and enjoy from our achievements. ===

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