Silver Bridge Collapse Essay

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In December of 1967, a Highway bridge that connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Kanauga, Ohio collapsed into the Ohio River (Silver Bridge Collapse). When the failure occurred, all vehicles traveling fell with the bridge. With the outrageous number of fatalities and injuries, one of the most important transportation routes had been demolished (Silver Bridge Collapse). In 1928, The American Bridge Company designed the Silver Bridge as a two-lane eye-bar suspension bridge. It measured at 2,235 feet in length and was specifically structured by the American Society of Civil Engineers (Silver Bridge Collapse). The bridge was named the “Silver Bridge” because it was the first aluminum painted bridge in the nation. It was designed with a twenty-two-foot roadway and one five-foot sidewalk (Silver Bridge Collapse). The Silver Bridge was also the very first eye-bar suspension bridge built In the United States. When the bridge collapsed, all the vehicles fell into the Ohio River. There were so many people who were severely injured and some who had lost their lives. It was a devastating event for the people who commuted back and forth on this bridge. Some who saw the bridge collapse said that it looked like the bridge fell like deck of cards (Silver Bridge Collapse). Imagine the horror people had to go through to try and understand what had happened that afternoon. The cause of the collapsed bridge was unknown …show more content…

Bridge routines and in-depth inspections were put into place after the collapse to prevent another disaster (Silver Bridge Collapse). Engineers are now more informed about corrosion and how it affects the materials bridges are made out of. With increased knowledge, the quality of structures have improved and can now withstand all forms of corrosion and stress (Silver Bridge Collapse). The Silver Bridge was never rebuilt due to the stress and devastation to the

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