Brooklyn Bridge - Construction
- The Brooklyn Bridge was considered the Eighth Wonder of the World due to its amazing portrayal of engineering in the nineteenth century; it officially opened in 1883.
- John Roebling thought up the initial design for the bridge after forming the New York Bridge Company in 1869. Unfortunately, he was involved in an accident that took his life shortly after, so his son, Washington Roebling took over the construction project with the help of his wife, Emily Warren Roebling.
- The method for which the workers set the foundation for the bridge was dangerous for its time; objects known as caissons--large, wooden boxes open at the bottom--were sunk into the river bed, and workers would risk their lives to plunge underwater and dig away at the river bed so that the caissons could be placed firmly; to prevent the caissons from flooding, they were pumped with compressed air. As these workers, or "sand hogs", did this, the others began construction on the bridge's towers. Once the sand hogs reached bedrock and could not dig anymore, the caissons were filled with concrete and the foundations were formed.
- Upon completion, the bridge was the first to use steel as cable wire; this was to reinforce strength into the support cables. It is 3460 feet in length, and it was fifty percent longer than any other suspension bridge at the time of its opening. In terms of height, it is 276.5 feet above the water at high tide.
How long did this remain the eighth wonder of the world?
ReplyDeleteI think it is really interesting how the Brooklyn Bridge was the tallest structure of it's time. Its hard to believe that people were fascinated by the Brooklyn Bridge and came to see it as a tourist attraction.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the Brooklyn Bridge was the most beautiful sight ive seen because of the architecture and the scenery around it. It's hard to say that it was the highest building in the city at the time it was being built.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was cool how this bridge used to be a pinnacle of architectural and engineering prowess. Now we look at the bridge as sort of a decrepit structure that seems to be in the process of falling apart were it not for the work thats being done to keep it up. Interesting how things change.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it's kind of like the Eiffel Tower: a marvel and symbol of an earlier age. We can still admire these structures, even as the technology that once made them "wonders of the world" has long since been surpassed.
ReplyDeleteI herd somewhere that a treasure was found in the base of one of the towers. Is this true?
ReplyDeleteAs someone with a prominent interest in civil engineering and architecture, I'm extremely intrigued by such massive and gorgeous structures. To me, they represent the combination of my two favorite disciplines - mathematics and design. Even though it has been surpassed technically because of all of the new advancements, the fact that it was possible to create this bridge 128 years ago is astounding.
ReplyDeleteI also really loved the architectural structure of it and looking at the pictures, and seeing the bridge on the tour, I can see why it used to be one of the wonders of the world.
ReplyDeleteI find the bridge to be my favorite in NYC. It is so beautiful when it is night, and one can see the bridge all lit up. I find that is one of the reasons that makes NYC so special is all of the lights. It's hard to imagine that such an amazing bridge could be created so long ago. It still amazes me how such a long, tall, and beautiful thing can be made over water.
ReplyDeleteTreasure?? Tyler, have you been watching "National Treasure" reruns? (-;
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