British Universities Film & Video Council

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Story of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, The

Synopsis
The Tacoma Narrows is near Seattle, Washington, and is exposed to westerly winds from the Pacific Ocean. The construction of a suspension bridge across the narrows began in November 1938 and in July 1940 the bridge was opened to traffic. On 7 Novermber 1940 in ‘moderate winds’ the bridge developed a resonant torsional oscillation and after 70 minutes the central span collapsed. The collapse was captured on 8mm film by an amateur cameraman. This version includes sequences of the building and opening of the bridge, details of its dimensions, and the development of the resonant osciallation that led to its collapse.
Language
English
Country
United States
Medium
Film; Film. 16mm. sd. col. 7 min.
Technical information
Black-and-white / Sound
Year of production
1940
Availability
Free loan
Notes
See also COLLAPSE OF THE TACOMA NARROWS SUSPENSION BRIDGE.
See also THE FAILURE OF THE TACOMA NARROWS SUSPENSION BRIDGE.
See also THE TACOMA NARROWS BRIDGE COLLAPSE.
See also OSCILLATIONS OF A MODEL SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN WIND & THE STORY OF THE TACOMA NARROWS BRIDGE 1938-1940.
Uses
Engineers, physicists, architects, applied mathematicians.
Subjects
Engineering
Keywords
bridges; civil engineering; stress in materials; structural components; Tacoma Narrows Bridge

Distribution Formats

Type
Film
Format
16mm

Production Company

Name

Camera Shop

Address
Tacoma
Washington
USA

Distributor

Name

Institution of Civil Engineers

Email
library@ice.org.uk
Web
http://www.ice.org.uk External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7665 2251
Fax
020 7976 7610
Address
Library
1 Great George Street
London
SW1P 3AA
Notes
The ICE library has hundreds of VHS tapes and a growing collection of DVDs for loan to members and lecturers interested in the work of professional engineers. Audio recordings of a range of recent lectures held at the ICE are available for free online playback.

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