Structural Integrity: Silver Bridge - for iPod/iPhone
16 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 14 years ago -The 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River was an engineering mystery and a human tragedy - 46 people died. Why did a suspension bridge built to last a century not make 40 years? Built in 1928, it was a slimmer version of similar bridges built in nearby Pittsburgh. The slimming down was deemed to be safe because of the use of a tougher steel and ‘silver coloured anticorrosion paint’. The tracks in this album look at the factors which led to the catastrophic failure of one of the eyebars which supported the deck, and the subsequent forensic investigation which led to the creation of the National Bridge Inspection Standards to inspect the 1 million bridges of the USA. This material forms part of the course T357, Structural integrity: designing against failure.
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Episodes
Structural Integrity: Silver Bridge
February 11, 2010 03:11 - 1 minute - 1.08 MBA short introduction to this album.
Transcript -- Structural Integrity: Silver Bridge
February 11, 2010 03:11 - 18.6 KB application/pdfTranscript -- A short introduction to this album.
The Silver Bridge Disaster
May 11, 2009 01:28 - 5 minutes - 30.5 MB VideoHow the Silver Bridge and the Hi-Carpenter Bridge differed from other suspension bridges in one crucial aspect.
Transcript -- The Silver Bridge Disaster
May 11, 2009 01:28 - 26.1 KB application/pdfTranscript -- How the Silver Bridge and the Hi-Carpenter Bridge differed from other suspension bridges in one crucial aspect.
The Three Sisters Bridges
May 11, 2009 01:27 - 2 minutes - 15 MB VideoWhy it's safer to incorporate more eyebars than are actually needed, to bear the weight of the bridge.
Transcript -- The Three Sisters Bridges
May 11, 2009 01:27 - 23.9 KB application/pdfTranscript -- Why it's safer to incorporate more eyebars than are actually needed, to bear the weight of the bridge.
A New Wonder Material - or Not?
May 11, 2009 01:26 - 2 minutes - 10.5 MB VideoHow the use of a new high-strength steel led to mistaken assumptions about safety.
Transcript -- A New Wonder Material - or Not?
May 11, 2009 01:26 - 20.7 KB application/pdfTranscript -- How the use of a new high-strength steel led to mistaken assumptions about safety.
The Weakest Link
May 11, 2009 01:25 - 2 minutes - 12.3 MB VideoHow an investigation identified where the failure had occurred. A recovered eyebar is examined up close.
Transcript -- The Weakest Link
May 11, 2009 01:25 - 20.8 KB application/pdfTranscript -- How an investigation identified where the failure had occurred. A recovered eyebar is examined up close.
Trigger Factors
May 11, 2009 01:24 - 3 minutes - 15.8 MB VideoHow increasing traffic and freezing temperatures triggered the failure. An eye-witness account of the collapse.
Transcript -- Trigger Factors
May 11, 2009 01:24 - 21.4 KB application/pdfTranscript -- How increasing traffic and freezing temperatures triggered the failure. An eye-witness account of the collapse.
The Failure of Eyebar 330
May 11, 2009 01:23 - 2 minutes - 11.6 MB VideoHow an undetected 3mm crack formed over 39 years weakened the eyebar, and a forensic deconstruction of what happened during the accident.
Transcript -- The Failure of Eyebar 330
May 11, 2009 01:23 - 20.6 KB application/pdfTranscript -- How an undetected 3mm crack formed over 39 years weakened the eyebar, and a forensic deconstruction of what happened during the accident.
The Aftermath
May 11, 2009 01:22 - 4 minutes - 25.4 MB VideoThe legacy of the Silver Bridge Disaster.
Transcript -- The Aftermath
May 11, 2009 01:22 - 26 KB application/pdfTranscript -- The legacy of the Silver Bridge Disaster.