Preview

The Great Bridge: the Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
5178 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Great Bridge: the Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge
THE GREAT BRIDGE: THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
AN NTCP ANALYSIS OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE PROJECT

EM – 612 B Group D
Luigi Ballarinni
David DeBorja
Matthew Gelmetti
Jonathon Lum
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary 3
2. Background 4
3. Statement of Problem 5
4. Project NTCP Analysis 7
5. Project Approach 11
6. Conclusion 16
7. References 19 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The goal of the Brooklyn Bridge was to allow people to cross the East River without waiting for a ferry, which at the time was the only way to travel to from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The new bridge would allow people to walk, ride a carriage, and even ride the rail, so people and goods could easily travel from one side to the other.
This project made groundbreaking revelations; this included using engineering techniques which had not been used in the type of scale to their extent. Two types of engineering practices were the use of caissons for the foundation and a suspension bridge system, both of which had been limited in use before the Brooklyn Bridge. The way in which Roebling approached the Brooklyn Bridge was a critical component of the management project; he had a vision in mind before being granted the project and executed the project according to his elaborate plan. Although the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge was incredibly successful, the approach taken had left the very little room for error for the designers. Much of the success lies in the fact that the Roeblings had gotten most of the characterization correct. However, without any contingencies, the plan lacked much flexibility to adjust to any major setbacks to the project.
The Brooklyn Bridge has progressed history in more ways than just one: even though it was one of the greatest marvels of the 19th century, it seems to have driven us to now always push the limits of engineering to its physical bounds and even past them. The following NTCP chart displays



References: David G. McCullough, The great bridge: the epic story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, Simon and Schuster, 2001 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Bridge

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Brooklyn Bridge was a feat of modern technology. Its construction spanned from 1869 to 1883, or fifteen years over the lives of its three creators. The first, who was also the designer, was John Augustus Roebling. Many thought it impossible for his plan to succeed, as most other suspension bridges had failed under certain circumstances, but he was determined to prove them wrong. In 1867 his plan was approved by New York legislators and just two years later construction began. Throughout the years of construction, many died, including Roebling himself. After his passing, Roebling’s son, Washington A. Roebling, took his place as chief engineer. For most of the time afterwards, he worked well in this place, but after getting what was called…

    • 240 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the time the design and the execution of the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge was revolutionary, however, it’s original design was unable to keep up with the massive surge in transportation and the tremendous increase in the size of…

    • 227 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Quebec Bridge was constructed as a mode of transportation along the St. Lawrence River. During the winter, the river is covered with a thick ice blanket, which is the only time in which trade is able to travel across the river. Additionally, without the thick ice blanket, St. Lawrence River was a barrier between east and west of Canada. The desire to bridge the St. Lawrence River was motivated by Quebec’s need to be active in trade.…

    • 1508 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Since 1915, the University of British Columbia opened for business in a temporary headquarters in McGill University College facilities; it is ranked among the best 40 best universities in the world and considered as public institution for the Ministry of Education in Canada.…

    • 240 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pratt Truss Bridge

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The purpose of this experiment is to study several bridges and build a bridge similar to the one that gave the students the uppermost muse. The students had to research facts about Truss Bridges, including its beginnings during the late 1700’s. Early Truss Bridge builders were first to spread its name throughout the United States, but the name of Truss Bridges soon cultivated across the world. There were numerous reasons as to why the design of Truss Bridges grew so broad. Firstly, the Revolutionary War destroyed the limited transportation the United States had left. The innovative and enhanced United States needed a more advanced form of transportation. For the reason that iron was not freely available, the idea of using…

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nasa Crane Research Paper

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Because we started this project a little too late, we did not bring any bridges to the actual contest, but we still followed most of the guidelines that they came up with. The goal was to make a bridge that could hold the most weight but also it needed to be light.The bridge had to span over 48 inches. My partners were Kat and Ema. At first, we started to think of designs to make a bridge. Our first design, after calculating how much wood it was going to take, came out to be a very large amount of wood that we could not use. Even though we trashed the idea, we kept the base idea that we had because it was pretty efficient. After around two more designs, we came up with a bridge that would not take that much wood and we believed that it would hold a good amount of weight. The first thing we did was cut out all of our pieces that we needed to create the bridge, this took a long time to calculate and to cut the right size pieces. At the same time of us finishing cutting all our of pieces, a new rule came into play that we could create smaller bridges to span over 12 inches. We cut every piece we had into ¼ of the size. We began creating our design but due to the glue not being very good and a lack of time, we did not finish. We still tested our design and it ended up being one of the best bridges that was made in our class. We decided that if we would have tried this again, we would use our time more wisely. I liked how we were able to make our own design, and how we could use a good amount of wood to create it. I also liked that we were not rushed to do this project. One thing that I would change is that we need to focus on one project at a time. This would allow us to make better designs. I would also change the type of glue that we used because it did not hold very well. The last thing that I would change is that I would like to pick my partners in the…

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Big Dig: Analysis

    • 459 Words
    • 3 Pages

    You will provide an analysis of “The Big Dig” construction project (Boston, MA area). You will have to do…

    • 459 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bridges are something that have always fascinated me. In my picture you can see I have the Julien Dubuque Bridge in the background. This bridge is a two lane bridge, it has been debated through the past years on if this bridge will be altered in the future. I think it would be a very interesting lesson for the students to look at adding lanes on the bridge. They could choose to expand the bridge into four lanes, build a second two-lane bridge, or tear down the current bridge and replace with a four-lane. During this project students would need to keep in mind that the Julien Dubuque Bridge is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. They would also have to factor in construction time and possible road detours to decide what would…

    • 141 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Augustus Roebling, who was well known for building bridges in Pennsylvania and Ohio, designed the Brooklyn Bridge. He dies shortly after drawing out the plans, but his wife, Emily Warren Roebling, saved his work of art and worked with engineers herself. She spent the next 11 years supervising the bridge’s construction. She and her husband are still valued today as the forerunners of our modern bridges.…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bayonne Bridge

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages

    This time period introduced a construction boom, or a period of rapid economic growth, which resulted in new and improved structures for society. Manhattan, New York was a highly industrial city, therefore, many citizens of New Jersey found work there, and the only mode of transportation for the workers across the river was by ferry. Due to its rapidly increasing population, New York City was forced to expand outward. Citizens were forced to move to the suburbs of New York, and some even to New Jersey, resulting in a more difficult and involved commute to work. Together, Ammann and Gilbert had the idea of creating a new bridge in order to establish a more efficient mode of transportation for workers whose jobs were across the river. Ammann and Gilbert envisioned that the Bayonne Bridge would connect New Jersey to Staten Island, providing a faster route for…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I have heard many people around me saying that you should go walk the Brooklyn Bridge at least once and I never have a chance to fulfill it. Through this opportunity, I called my friend up to accompany me to walk the Bridge for the first time. Based on the information from the history of the United States, the Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883 and considered as an engineering marvel for that time. It remains as one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. During mid-1800s, the ferries connected Manhattan and Brooklyn. Ferries was a major convenience transportation for us, the people of that day were used to oars and sails to ride boats. These faster, more reliable ferries helped Brooklyn grow until the bridge was build. When…

    • 306 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A Bridge to Wisemans Cove

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages

    1.) “A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove is more than a good yarn. The author shows how people can be rescued from despair.” Comment on this statement using evidence from the book to support your opinion.…

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    I-35w Bridge Essay

    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In conclusion the I-35W Bridge’s design had some flaws which led to the collapse of it in August 1, 2007 and in this paper we spoke about the structural form of the I-35W bridge, some circumstances that led to the collapse, why the bridge fell and some post-effects of the collapse. If the construction company have calculated that the bridge was already in enough stress and not placed the construction material above the design flaws, which were the gusset plates, the collapse would have been…

    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As the 19th century closes and the 20th century begins, different technologies help spur the many changes taking place. What symbolism can we take from the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge?…

    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Five Types Of Bridges

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages

    According to the dictionary, a bridge is a structure carrying a road, path, railroad, or canal across a river, ravine, road, railroad, or other obstacle. Bridges are essential for transportation. Whether it's a canyon, or a body of water, bridges allow travel over those gaps from one part of land to the other. The world would be forever changed without bridges.…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays