Those expansion joints also doubled asearthquake protection, allowing the bridge to...
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Those expansion joints also doubled as
earthquake protection, allowing the bridge to move
with the shockwaves. [narrator] At each joint,
dozens of massive bolts would allow movement but prevent the decks from
sliding off their shelves. At this location,
we could accommodate between four and six inches
of movement, so that should
an earthquake happen, we're gonna be okay. That's a pretty big span for steel to just
expand and contract. [narrator]
But when the biggest quake
in 80 years struck, six inches just wasn't enough. Once the motion of the bridge
caused it to go beyond that, the bolts just weren't
strong enough to hold the bridge together
earthquake protection, allowing the bridge to move
with the shockwaves. [narrator] At each joint,
dozens of massive bolts would allow movement but prevent the decks from
sliding off their shelves. At this location,
we could accommodate between four and six inches
of movement, so that should
an earthquake happen, we're gonna be okay. That's a pretty big span for steel to just
expand and contract. [narrator]
But when the biggest quake
in 80 years struck, six inches just wasn't enough. Once the motion of the bridge
caused it to go beyond that, the bolts just weren't
strong enough to hold the bridge together
Full Transcript
00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:02.234
Those expansion joints
00:00:02.301 --> 00:00:04.701
also doubled as
earthquake protection,
00:00:04.701 --> 00:00:07.534
allowing the bridge to move
with the shockwaves.
00:00:08.601 --> 00:00:11.001
[narrator] At each joint,
dozens of massive bolts
00:00:11.001 --> 00:00:12.501
would allow movement
00:00:12.501 --> 00:00:15.934
but prevent the decks from
sliding off their shelves.
00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:18.999
At this location,
we could accommodate
00:00:18.001 --> 00:00:21.999
between four and six inches
of movement,
00:00:21.001 --> 00:00:22.401
so that should
an earthquake happen,
00:00:22.401 --> 00:00:23.601
we're gonna be okay.
00:00:23.601 --> 00:00:25.401
That's a pretty big span
00:00:25.401 --> 00:00:28.301
for steel to just
expand and contract.
00:00:28.301 --> 00:00:31.801
[narrator]
But when the biggest quake
in 80 years struck,
00:00:31.801 --> 00:00:35.134
six inches just wasn't enough.
00:00:35.201 --> 00:00:38.999
Once the motion of the bridge
caused it to go beyond that,
00:00:38.001 --> 00:00:39.834
the bolts just weren't
strong enough
00:00:39.834 --> 00:00:41.000
to hold the bridge together.
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Movie Summary
With access to all phases of design and a large cast of experts, some of the great failures of engineering history are uncovered.
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