Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse "Gallopin' Gertie"

Added: Dec 9, 2006

Duration: 5:56

Watch the amazing "Gallopin' Gertie" November 7, 1940 video clip. 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge Slender, elegant and graceful, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge stretched like a steel ribbon across Puget Sound in 1940. The third longest suspension span in the world opened on July 1st. Only four months later, the great span's short life ended in disaster. "Galloping Gertie," collapsed in a windstorm on November 7,1940. The bridge became famous as "the most dramatic failure in bridge engineering history." Now, it's also "one of the world's largest man-made reefs." The sunken remains of Galloping Gertie were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992 to protect her from salvagers. A dramatic tale of failure and success The story of the failure of the 1940 Narrows Bridge and the success of the Current Narrows Bridge is a great American saga. When Galloping Gertie splashed into Puget Sound, it created ripple effects across the nation and around the world. The event changed forever how engineers design suspension bridges. Gertie's failure led to the safer suspension spans we use today.

Channel: Travel

Tags: adventure bridge collapse destination disaster engineering gallopin gertie gig harbor landmark log nature puget sound tacoma travel washington

Rating: 4.80 (1000 ratings) Views: 849772' favoriteCount='2236 Comments: 1246

kuroroisok Says:

Jan 3, 2009 - the worm

chris565758596061626 Says:

Jan 4, 2009 - This bridge has an existing "sister bridge" very like it (but reinforced) from Sedgwick to Deer Isle in Maine. It too flexes, but has been reinforced, and is used every day.

michaelpont Says:

Jan 4, 2009 - i know that this actually happened, but i just dont believe it... how on earth is it possible... the road doesnt even crack.

visceralgristle Says:

Jan 4, 2009 - It probably does crack but you can't see it from this far away. The brige is reinfored with steel supports from above and below, so that's what's holding it together wile it bends, and the concrete isn't like stone... it has a little more ability to be flexible. Also, bridges, like buildings, are designed to sway and bend a bit, since they're constantly in the wind. Skyscrapers are designed to do bend and sway a bit without cracking up, especially ones in Los Angeles.

krisiswatweaim4 Says:

Jan 4, 2009 - its not fake, if you read you will find that this actually happened the bridge was called the Tacoma Narrows bridge in Tacoma, Washington, in the year 1940... retards

primarkopolop Says:

Jan 4, 2009 - lol its not fake, i learnt about it in physics. the gales made it "vibrate" to it's natural frequency, but its obviously didnt vibrate cos its sooo big, it just wobbled.

krisiswatweaim4 Says:

Jan 4, 2009 - it was designed by the same guy who designed the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco

primarkopolop Says:

Jan 4, 2009 - nah i dont think it was an engineering mistake either, i think it was just unlucky, but im no bridge designer... are they meant to measure the natural frequency of the bridge before they pass it? :S

DeviateRazo Says:

Jan 4, 2009 - yes, in general they must make sure the wind blowing on the bridge doesn't make it enter in a resonance.

siy22366 Says:

Jan 4, 2009 - looks fake but why would it rocking for so long it would not rock for that long till it broke

chocolate45689 Says:

Jan 4, 2009 - DANM!

BiscuitDogMama Says:

Jan 5, 2009 - Not fake. I learned about it in school some thirty years ago. Had forgotten the name of the bridge though. Glad to have stumbled upon this vid.

CodyDeLaney69 Says:

Jan 5, 2009 - this is real i live in tacoma if you think its fake your an idiot

SLIAEVRERCAK Says:

Jan 5, 2009 - we learned about this in tech. they didnt calcualate the needed stuff cuz there was the wind HEY RETARDS ITS FUCKING REAL Y THE FUCK WOULD THEY TEACH IT IF IT WASNT REAL

MasterGuinness Says:

Jan 5, 2009 - Did anyone else see the Mothman right before it collapesd?

laSKJDFNA Says:

Jan 5, 2009 - I really like the sign saying "closed" in the end :D Tacoma has served as an example for engineers all over the world. I learned about it at university (Sweden) ten years ago.

charliemac64 Says:

Jan 6, 2009 - The bridge didn't get rebuilt for some time as all the raw materials were going for the war effort even before the war. The fact it opened in 1940 must be held in check that it took a couple of years to build the bridge, and that appropriations therefore were from several years before that. That, and I think they had to go back to the drawing board. :) I drive over the replacement, and the new sister bridge, frequently.

charliemac64 Says:

Jan 6, 2009 - I think you are thinking of the Hood Canal Bridge, about 60 miles north of this bridge. It is a different type of structure, a floating concrete pontoon bridge. Half of it was destroyed in February 1979 during a hellacious storm.

KookyMonster14 Says:

Jan 7, 2009 - now that my friends is how NOT to build a bridge!

bigjr872 Says:

Jan 7, 2009 - how did they put tht old video in color

CrazedSquirrel Says:

Jan 7, 2009 - No. Where in the video?

BackfallGenius Says:

Jan 7, 2009 - Lol @ people thinking its a fake. It is real, the vibration frequencies of the steel in the bridge just so happened to exactly match the wind frequencies on that day, which altered the normal frequency rate of the bridge itself, causing it to sway and eventually collapse. The chances of this actually happening were very rare so the engineers of this bridge forgot about it, but it did happen, as seen in this video.

FretBoardPlayGround Says:

Jan 8, 2009 - RIP Spot.... haha a dog died in this shit... fuckin mut

yodaballs1 Says:

Jan 8, 2009 - i watched this at school during Industrial Tech =) were building a bridge tomorrow made of wood but who cares

diamondbackseye Says:

Jan 9, 2009 - Salvagers? People actually had to be outlawed from diving into the water and swiping souvenirs from this? Gertie's (that is such a lame nickname) designer must have looked like Rodney Dangerfield the rest of his life---"Whoa!!! tough crowd here!!