Name: Date: 09 04, 2017

Subject:

Recognize a decision problem:

The bridges construction took 14 years, involved 600 workers and cost $18 million (more
than $320 million in todays dollars). At least two dozen people died in the process,
including its original designer.
At the time were widely used but known to fail under strong winds or heavy loads.
The workers in the caisson were uncomfortablethe hot, dense air gave them blinding
headaches, itchy skin, bloody noses and slowed heartbeatsbut relatively safe.

Define the goals and objectives:

TOURIST ATTRACTION
TO connect two different cities.
cultural sensation.
Symbolize American progress
To be iconic feature of New York city skyline

Collect all the relevant information:

Location: Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York, USA
Completion Date: 1883
Cost: $18 million
Length: 3,460 feet
Type: Suspension
Purpose: Roadway
Materials: Steel, granite
Longest Single Span: 1,595 feet
Engineer(s): John A. Roebling, Washington A. Roebling

It was the first suspension bridge to use steel for its cable wire. It was the first bridge to use
explosives in a dangerous underwater device called a caisson.
Brooklyn Bridge was also crowned the longest suspension bridge in the world.
 John Augustus Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridges creator, was a great pioneer in the design of
steel suspension bridges.
Roebling is credited with a major breakthrough in suspension-bridge technology: a web
truss added to either side of the bridge roadway that greatly stabilized the structure.
before construction began in 1869, Roebling was fatally injured while taking a few final
compass readings across the East River. A boat smashed the toes on one of his feet, and
three weeks later he died of tetanus. His 32-year-old son, Washington A. Roebling, took
over as chief engineer. Roebling had worked with his father on several bridges and had
helped design the Brooklyn Bridge.
Although he was physically able to leave his apartment, Washington Roebling refused to
attend the opening celebration honoring his remarkable achievement.
The bridge opened to the public on May 24, 1883, at 2:00 p.m. A total of 150,300 people
crossed the bridge on opening day. Each person was charged one cent to cross.
The bridge opened to vehicles on May 24, 1883, at 5:00 p.m. A total of 1,800 vehicles
crossed on the first day. Vehicles were charged five cents to cross.
Today, the Brooklyn Bridge is the second busiest bridge in New York City. One hundred
forty-four thousand vehicles cross the bridge every day.
With its unprecedented length and two stately towers, the Brooklyn Bridge was dubbed
the eighth wonder of the world. For several years after its construction, it remained the
tallest structure in the Western hemisphere.

Identify a set of feasible decision alternative:

A web truss added to either side of the bridge roadway that greatly stabilized the
structure.
To achieve a solid foundation for the bridge, workers excavated the riverbed in massive
wooden boxes called caissons. These airtight chambers were pinned to the rivers floor by
enormous granite blocks; pressurized air was pumped in to keep water and debris out.
the caissons inched closer to the bedrock. When they reached a sufficient depth44 feet
on the Brooklyn side and 78 feet on the Manhattan sidethey began laying granite,
working their way back up to the surface.

Select the decision criterion to use:

(1) A plan of the site is needed in order for the engineer to see all of the
obstacles that has to be bridged, such as rivers, streets, contour lines of valleys and the
desired alignment of the new traffic route.

(2) The requirements of the bridge itself such as the width of the bridge, including the
width of the lanes, safety rails, medians and walkways.

(3) Weather and environmental conditions such as length of flood periods, high and low
tide levels, length of flood or drought periods.
(4) The topography of the environment.

(5) The soil and substrata conditions of the planned site based on the results from the data
collected from borings and the soil mechanics data.

(6) Local conditions like the accessibility for the transport of equipment, materials and
structural elements that must be used for construction.

(7) The environmental requirements regarding the aesthetic quality of the bridge which is
about to be built.

(8) Health and safety requirements such as noise, vibrations and it compatibility with
adjacent sites surrounding the bridge.

Select the best alternative:

Beam Bridges

A beam bridge is basically a rigid horizontal structure that rest on two piers, one located at
each end of the bridge. A simple beam bridge is flat across and supported by two ends or
abutments. The beam bridges can be made longer by placing piers or towers in the middle
of the bridge to support the beam structure and extending the support into the solid
substrata below the surface.

Another way engineers make the beam bridge longer or have more span and
accommodate more weight is to allow the deck to set upon a truss system. A truss system
is composed of triangles and can support heavy loads with its relatively small weight. The
beam must be strong enough so that it doesn't bend under its own weight and the added
weight of the traffic crossing it. When the load pushes down on the beam the top edge is
pushed together or compressed, while the bottom of the beam is stretched or is under
tension. The force of compression on the upper side of the beam causes it to shorten
because of the load pushing the beam inward. The result of the compression on the on the
topside of the beam causes tension in the lower part of the beam. Tension causes the
lower part of the beam to lengthen. The middle of the beam bridge experiences very little
tension and compression.