Bridges presentation
The loss of 80 lives by failure of a section
of the two-mile-long Tay Bridge resulted in similar inquiries in Britain.
The reasons for these major failures were similar: ignorance of metallurgy resulted in uneven
manufacturing methods and defective castings, and inadequate inspection and maintenance were
inherent at both bridges. For the Tay Bridge, exceptionally strong vibrations due to dynamic wind
stresses under a moving load created a lack of aerostatic stability and eventual failure. It took
engineers another quarter-century to perfect bridge design according to advanced theories of stress
analysis, understanding of material properties, and renewed respect for the forces of nature. A
definitive understanding of the physical oscillations and vibrations of structures did not occur until
the middle of the 20th century after the Tacoma Bridge collapse in the USA in1940.
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