On another thread on the Northeast board it was mentioned that the original Tappan Zee Bridge was built during a steel shortage and that corners were cut to expedite construction.
Was it labor strikes that caused the steel shortage, or other factors?
ixnay
Quote from: ixnay on July 03, 2016, 09:44:25 PM
Was it labor strikes that caused the steel shortage, or other factors?
It was this little thing called the Korean War. We were busy using steel to build bombs and such.
Quote from: Duke87 on July 03, 2016, 11:38:35 PM
Quote from: ixnay on July 03, 2016, 09:44:25 PM
Was it labor strikes that caused the steel shortage, or other factors?
It was this little thing called the Korean War. We were busy using steel to build bombs and such.
Thank you.
ixnay
The bridge opened in 1955, right? Didn't the Korean war end in 1953?
Construction started in 1952.
Quote from: vdeane on July 28, 2016, 05:37:45 PM
Construction started in 1952.
Ah, okay. That's what I thought.
It was built cheap.
The Highway 101 bridges from California brought to Iowa in the early 50s are another instance of the steel shortage affecting bridging. When Harrison and Monona Counties needed to replace some bridges due to flooding, the recycled spans from the Buelton CA crossing of the Santa Inez were repurposed. The 4 I'm aware of served longer in Iowa than they did in California, one of the 4 is still being utilized 4 miles west of Dunlap Iowa over Willow Creek. Of the 4, the only one with a cement deck. Had steel been cheap and plentiful I can't imagine the expense of dismantling, transporting and reassembling would have been worthwhile.
I did note at a recent visit that span now has a weight limit of up to 74,000 pounds now, depending on the # of axles. Probably the first indication that bridge is not going to be a perennial feature in that bucolic setting.
Yes, it was built cheaply. Very cheaply. It was only built to last 50 years and that's why it's being replaced.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/17/nyregion/a-bridge-that-has-nowhere-left-to-go.html
*insert bugo comment here* Any bridge can be saved, it's a waste *sademoji*