Bought Brooklyn Bridge !

Date 04-29-2016 14:50

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Attended American Society of Civil Engineers NYC presentation last night "Brooklyn Bridge – NYCDOT contract for over $500 million to rehabilitate" . The Brooklyn Bridge had design "complete" 1869 and was completed 1883. Personally drove over as taxi driver 1971 / New York City third party on deck replacement 2000 and City employee involved with to 2014. Many questions asked of me last night.
Information sought ! They going to spend 100 million to blast the 3 - 6 mm of lead paint and the fifty years of about 12 mm long tack welds using medium and high cellulose sticks 1920? to 1970? to "stiffen structure" have cracks out every direction where from said "tacks". The steel is "A6" is a guess. A cost over run of 50 to 100 million is happening. Personally climbing around Brooklyn Bridge inspector etc. I lost interest in old "iron" when I noticed a strap of 3 x 3/4 with a nearly invisible crack covered by paint was noticed. With original iron there is little or no rolled sections. The bridge has a piece count 10 to 100 times that of modern bridge.
Guess computer analysis / UT one percent / go from there. Figure plus fifty tacks has cracks associated with. Bought ? As a tax payer New York City / New York State / United Stated Government definitely bought. At meeting the element said they ( implicit global heroin providers ) would put out of business whoever hires me! Help cheerfully accepted. Job offer greatly appreciated. Look forward to your input.
Sincerely
Len Andersen

By twalker Date 05-04-2016 16:52

Len,
I personally would enjoy talking about the bridge and all its anomalies with you :cool:

If you would be so kind as to single out one or two definite defects in the bridge structure, I'm sure you will find a lot of opinions on this site--including my own. I'm sure that the members of the Society of Civil Engineers have virtual volumes of technical data on this particular bridge. It might be fun if you could attach more of what they have found with the fatigue cracking (there I go assuming it was fatigue) :grin:

Could you also send us some pictures of the tacks? I'm having a hard time getting my mind around why someone would have left tacks on a bridge structure. It might have been those annoying heroin addicts you spoke of, I know that drugs are a big problem in the work force these days :confused:

I'll be looking forward to a repost from you on some particulars. I'm assuming that the bridge is mostly riveted. Can we hear more about the extent of the rework performed in the twenties. What exactly did they do?

By Len Andersen (***)

Date 05-09-2016 17:00

Sir,
Point By Point

I personally would enjoy talking about the bridge and all its anomalies with you :cool:

If you would be so kind as to single out one or two definite defects in the bridge structure, I'm sure you will find a lot of opinions on this site--including my own.
The material of construction "steel" of 1870 - 1880 !
A6 ??
Weld used with war conditions etc. 30's to 60's not "good practice"

Unknown metal fatigue quality control practices. The design engineer John Roebling put 15 % more cable as a control of corruption factor. It proofed accurate.

I'm sure that the members of the Society of Civil Engineers have virtual volumes of technical data on this particular bridge.

Member of ASCE - not that I am aware of.

It might be fun if you could attach more of what they have found with the fatigue cracking (there I go assuming it was fatigue) :grin:

Hard to come up with such. Rebuilds , modifications form about 1900 on. Trolley line on and off , rail on and off and and !

Could you also send us some pictures of the tacks? I'm having a hard time getting my mind around why someone would have left tacks on a bridge structure.

No ! It was a practice to tack weld the rivet to get a "temporary" strengthening.

It might have been those annoying heroin addicts you spoke of, I know that drugs are a big problem in the work force these days :confused:

I'll be looking forward to a repost from you on some particulars.

New York City with Supreme court decisions is challenging !

There were war time pressures and ignorance of welding. We learn a lot from more than 5000 welded ships built in the USA in four years about welding. Said ship were lost in considerable numbers without being analyzed. The bridge did not.

I'm assuming that the bridge is mostly riveted.

As built rivets and pins. When completed the largest man made object outside of Pyramids and Great Wall of China.

Can we hear more about the extent of the rework performed in the twenties.

Unaware of twenties work. War Department did major work 1943 - 1944 . A third of shipped to war went though New York harbor.

Ready for comments !

What exactly did they do?