The Tacoma Narrows Bridge CollapseThe Tacoma Narrows Bridge is perhaps the most well-known failure in the engineering world. It collapsed on November 7, 1940, a few months after its opening on July 1, 1940. It was designed by Leon Moisseiff and at the time was the third largest suspension bridge in the world with a central span over half a mile long. The deck was very narrow and elegant and gave it a graceful appearance, but this design made it very flexible in the wind. Nicknamed “Galloping Gertie,” due to its undulating behavior, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge has attracted the attention of motorists looking for a cheap thrill. Drivers felt like they were riding a roller coaster, as they would disappear from sight in the trough of the wave. The last day of the bridge's existence gave a clear warning that its destruction was imminent. Not only did it swing up and down, but it rotated from side to side in a corkscrew motion. After hours of this violent movement with wind speeds reaching forty and fifty miles per hour, the bridge collapsed. With such a catastrophic failure, many people wonder why such a seemingly well-thought-out plan could have failed so badly? (This rhetorical question clearly creates a position of inquiry, which begins all inquiry.) The bridge is still controversial, but three theories reveal the basis of an engineering explanation. (Jason then directly states what he found to be a possible answer to his question.) The bridge was designed at a time when America was moving towards lean products, this included bridge design. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge was an elegant and graceful looking suspension bridge. Suspension bridges consist of many cables anchored... in the center of the paper... suspension bridges (pp. 13-102). Seattle: University of Washington Press French, C. & Lorentz, T. (1995). Corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete: effects of materials, mixture composition and cracking. ACI Materials Journal, 92, 181-190.Koughan,J. (1996, August 1). The collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the assessment of its demise, and the disaster effects of subsequent bridge projects [Online] Available: http://www.me.utexas.edu/~uer/papers/paper_jk.htmlO'Connor, C. (1971). Superstructure drawings. New York: Wiley and Sons Petroski, H. (1992). Engineer is human. New York: Vintage Books Troitsky, M. S. (1994). Bridge planning and design. New York: Wiley and SonsWashington State Department of Transportation. (1999). A brief history of the "gallopinggertie" [Online]. Available: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/solve16/history.html