The Golden Gate Bridge

Presented by:

The Third Row Six

Presenters:

Brett Portner-Kuhlow

Scott Tumm

Important DatesImportant Dates• 1920: A feasibility 1920: A feasibility

Study recommends Study recommends construction of the construction of the Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate Bridge

• 1923: The State 1923: The State Legislature Passes the Legislature Passes the Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District and Highway District Act of California into Act of California into LawLaw

• 1930: Joseph Strauss, 1930: Joseph Strauss, Chief Engineer submits Chief Engineer submits his final plans for the his final plans for the bridgebridge

• January 5, 1933: January 5, 1933: Construction of the Construction of the bridge beginsbridge begins

• February 1933: February 1933: Anchorages are Anchorages are completedcompleted

• June 1935: The June 1935: The towers are towers are completedcompleted

• March 1936: The March 1936: The suspension cables suspension cables are completedare completed

• April 1937: The deck April 1937: The deck surface is completedsurface is completed

•Official Pedestrian Day:

May 27, 1937

•Bridge opens for traffic:

May 28, 1937

Spanning the Golden Spanning the Golden GateGate

• The entrance to San Francisco Bay was The entrance to San Francisco Bay was named the ‘Golden Gate’ by early settlersnamed the ‘Golden Gate’ by early settlers

• One mile wide gapOne mile wide gap• 60 Mph wind tunnel like gusts of wind for 60 Mph wind tunnel like gusts of wind for

much of the yearmuch of the year• 2.5 Million cubic feet of water per second 2.5 Million cubic feet of water per second

pass through the Golden Gatepass through the Golden Gate• CurrentsCurrents• EarthquakesEarthquakes

Project Management Before Project Management Before the Manhattan Projectthe Manhattan Project

James ReedJames Reed

General ManagerGeneral ManagerJoseph Strauss

Chief Engineer

Joseph Strauss: Chief Joseph Strauss: Chief EngineerEngineer

Strauss the ManStrauss the Man

• RudeRude

• Short-temperedShort-tempered

• ArrogantArrogant

• Labeled ‘brilliant bully’ by his peersLabeled ‘brilliant bully’ by his peers

-Strauss thought big. His graduate -Strauss thought big. His graduate thesis proposed a 50 mile long bridge thesis proposed a 50 mile long bridge across the Bering Strait that would across the Bering Strait that would connect Siberia and Alaska.connect Siberia and Alaska.

ScopeScopeBuild a bridge spanning the Golden GateBuild a bridge spanning the Golden Gate

-Must be tall enough for ships to pass underneath-Must be tall enough for ships to pass underneath

TimeTime

There was no real set timetable; managers There was no real set timetable; managers ensured the project progressed as quickly as ensured the project progressed as quickly as

possible.possible.

CostCost

$73,000,000$73,000,000

Financial FactsFinancial Facts• $35 million in bonds$35 million in bonds

• $38 million in interest$38 million in interest

• Bridge completely paid off on June 30, 1971Bridge completely paid off on June 30, 1971

• Bridge completely paid for by tollsBridge completely paid for by tolls

• No state or federal money went into the bridgeNo state or federal money went into the bridge

• Bank of America extended a $5 million line of credit to the Bank of America extended a $5 million line of credit to the bridge projectbridge project

• People put up their homes, farms and businesses as People put up their homes, farms and businesses as collateral for the bridge to generate the $35 million in bond collateral for the bridge to generate the $35 million in bond issue issue

• Presently, bridge still operates only with money collected Presently, bridge still operates only with money collected from tollsfrom tolls

To Build a BridgeTo Build a Bridge

• Strauss spent three years researching his Strauss spent three years researching his first designfirst design

• He assembled a team of engineers to He assembled a team of engineers to create the final designcreate the final design

• Strauss expected that three dozen workers Strauss expected that three dozen workers would die during the construction, about would die during the construction, about one for every one million dollars spent on one for every one million dollars spent on the constructionthe construction

• 11 deaths occurred11 deaths occurred

Black Wednesday: February Black Wednesday: February 17, 193717, 1937

A scaffold slipped off the bridge and A scaffold slipped off the bridge and through the protective netting below, through the protective netting below,

taking ten men to their deaths.taking ten men to their deaths.

Safety Under StraussSafety Under Strauss

• 11stst Mandatory use of hard hats Mandatory use of hard hats• Issuing of safety belts and tie off linesIssuing of safety belts and tie off lines• Dizzy riveters: respirators for burning paint fumesDizzy riveters: respirators for burning paint fumes• Riveters and ironworkers required to wear leather Riveters and ironworkers required to wear leather

glovesgloves• Sun goggles, sun-block lotionSun goggles, sun-block lotion• Field hospital at south end staffed full time; treated Field hospital at south end staffed full time; treated

12,000 injuries by December, 1935.12,000 injuries by December, 1935.• No deaths for the first 3 years and 8 months of projectNo deaths for the first 3 years and 8 months of project

The NetThe Net

$120,000 Safety net $120,000 Safety net suspended 60 feet suspended 60 feet

below the road below the road surface: nineteen surface: nineteen

men savedmen saved

The ‘Halfway to Hell’ ClubThe ‘Halfway to Hell’ Club

• Nineteen official members, some Nineteen official members, some jumped for funjumped for fun

• Named by tabloids looking for a storyNamed by tabloids looking for a story

• First official member hit the ground First official member hit the ground as well, broke four vertebraeas well, broke four vertebrae

Unexpected Delays and Unexpected Delays and ChallengesChallenges

•Temporary trestle knocked over twiceTemporary trestle knocked over twice

•The ten day San Francisco StrikeThe ten day San Francisco Strike

•Fort PointFort Point

Fort PointFort Point

• Located directly under Located directly under south end of bridgesouth end of bridge

• Historians and the Historians and the community in general community in general protested to preserve protested to preserve the fortthe fort

Records held by the Bridge Records held by the Bridge (in 1937) (in 1937)

• Longest bridgeLongest bridge

• Tallest free standing structure in the Tallest free standing structure in the world (over 740 feet)world (over 740 feet)

Golden Gate Fun FactsGolden Gate Fun Facts• Riveting crew held unofficial speed contests; they Riveting crew held unofficial speed contests; they

sometimes threw red-hot rivets distances of 70 feet or sometimes threw red-hot rivets distances of 70 feet or moremore

• 80,000 miles of pencil diameter steel cable in bridge80,000 miles of pencil diameter steel cable in bridge• Steel for the bridge was made in Pennsylvania and Steel for the bridge was made in Pennsylvania and

‘shipped’ to California via the Panama Canal‘shipped’ to California via the Panama Canal• $75,000 paid in tolls each day$75,000 paid in tolls each day• A gold rivet was hammered into place to celebrate the A gold rivet was hammered into place to celebrate the

completion of the bridgecompletion of the bridge• ‘‘International Orange’International Orange’• Blind woman and guide dog the first pedestrians ever to Blind woman and guide dog the first pedestrians ever to

cross the bridgecross the bridge• 1.25 billion cars have crossed bridge since ’371.25 billion cars have crossed bridge since ’37• Bridge ‘Firsts’Bridge ‘Firsts’

First person to cross on stiltsFirst person to cross on stiltsFirst person to cross sticking tongue out all the wayFirst person to cross sticking tongue out all the wayFirst wooden hat to cross the bridgeFirst wooden hat to cross the bridge

• Each anchorage weighs as much as 17,000 elephantsEach anchorage weighs as much as 17,000 elephants

ReferencesReferences

1.1. Barter, James. Barter, James. The Golden The Golden Gate BridgeGate Bridge. San Diego: . San Diego: Lucent Books, 2001.Lucent Books, 2001.

2.2. The Golden Gate BridgeThe Golden Gate Bridge. . Narr. Jack Perkins. Narr. Jack Perkins. Videocassette. A&E Home Videocassette. A&E Home Video, 1994.Video, 1994.

3.3. Strauss, Joseph. Strauss, Joseph. The Golden The Golden Gate BridgeGate Bridge. San Francisco: . San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District, 1938.Highway District, 1938.

4.4. Van Der Zee, John. Van Der Zee, John. The The Gate: The True Story of the Gate: The True Story of the Design and Construction of Design and Construction of the Golden Gate Bridgethe Golden Gate Bridge. . New York: Simon and New York: Simon and Schuster, 1986.Schuster, 1986.

5.5. www.inetours.com/Pages/SFwww.inetours.com/Pages/SFNbrhds/Golden_Gate_BridgeNbrhds/Golden_Gate_Bridge.html.html

6.6. www.goldengatebridge.orgwww.goldengatebridge.org