The

Brooklyn
Bridge
Zack High
Bryan Steckler
Andrea Fraser
Zach Lewis
Where is it?
New York
City


New York City
What area are we talking about?

What is it?
Steel suspension bridge
Revered engineering achievement
Integral facet of New Yorks infrastructure
Nationally celebrated landmark
Important cultural symbol of the U.S.
A national monumenta great work of art.


What is its purpose?
Connect boroughs of Manhattan & Brooklyn
Provide fast, easy commute across the East River



How big is it?
Main span of 1,595 feet
Total length of 6,016 feet
Width of 85 feet
Total area of 511,360 ft
2
(.06 the size of the
National Mall)
Clearance of 135 feet below bridge
Tower height of 276 feet (almost 28 stories)
By whom was it designed and built?
Designed by John Roebling in late 1850s
Bridge plan wasnt approved until 1869
Tetanus infection from a surveying injury resulted in
Roeblings death in 1869
His son, Washington Roebling, became chief
engineer of the bridge
Roebling and his team began construction in 1870


John
Roebling
Why was it built?
John Roeblings frustrations with the ferry across
the East River
Efficiently move goods (and people) between
Manhattan and Brooklyn.

When was it completed?
Completed in 1883
Opened on May 24, 1883 (celebrations followed)
Called the Great East River Bridge and the Great
Suspension Bridge


How much did it cost?
Total cost was $15.1 million (double the original cost)
Enactment of 3 toll to cross the bridge until it had
been paid for (free today)

To whom does it belong?
66.7% public property
33.3% owned by Borough of Brooklyn
Currently maintained by New York City
Department of Transportation


Engineering Successes
The worlds first steel-wire suspension bridge
The worlds longest suspension bridge upon
completion
One of the oldest suspension bridges still in
existence today
Great functionality coupled with impressive and
aesthetically pleasing architectural design
Inspired engineers to design and build successively
more ambitious bridges

Social & Economic Successes
Brought prestige to New York
Realty in Brooklyn soared
Immense economic prosperity for Brooklyn
First glimpse of consolidation into Greater New York
Great source of inspiration for authors, artists, and
photographers

Whom does it benefit?
Essentially benefits the residents of both
Manhattan and Brooklyn
Allows people to live in Brooklyn and commute to
Manhattan easily
Is anybody disadvantaged?
Incredibly expensive (temporary toll)
Repairing, upgrading, and rehabilitating it
-Diversion of Manhattan-bound traffic
Nobody specifically is truly disadvantaged

Any environmental impacts?
Increased Traffic
Conversion from public transit to use for motor
vehicles
Increased Noise
Brooklyn Bridge Park: rehabilitation of Brooklyns
post-industrial waterfront
Engineering Challenges
Construction of tower
caissons
Construction of steel
cables
Surveying of abutments
and digging beneath
riverbed
Development of steel
cabling, a new idea at
the time.


Soil Type
Parent Rock of Glacial Origin
Construction of the Brooklyn caisson hit bedrock after around 44 feet and was
filled with concrete to create the base. The plan for the Manhattan Caisson was
originally to lower it 106 feet to hit the bedrock, but as they got lower and lower,
and the dangers became more apparent. By taking soil samples William Roebling
discovered that the soil hadn't shifted in millions of years, and so he decided that
it was stable enough itself to hold the bridge.
To this day one tower of the Brooklyn Bridge rests on bedrock, while the other
rests on sand.
The Evolution of The Suspension Bridge
Iron chain
The Evolution of The Suspension Bridge
Iron wire rope
The Evolution of The Suspension Bridge
Steel wire rope
Towers and Caissons
Weight of Brooklyn tower: Approx. 370,181 tons
Weight of Manhattan tower: Approx. 409,390
tons
Footing area: 15,351 square feet
Brooklyn foundation: 24 tons per square foot
Manhattan foundation: 27 tons per square foot
Caissons constructed of wood, then filled with
concrete once sunk.
The Manhattan caisson is not resting on bedrock,
which was found to be deeper than expected.
Just a little trivia
Upon completion, was the worlds longest bridge
Originally, it carried streetcars and elevated trains
First of the four major East River bridges
Carries six lanes of traffic, plus walkways for
pedestrians and cyclists
Approximately 145,000 vehicles cross per day
National Historic Landmark in 1964; National
Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972
Robert Emmet Oldum: first person to jump from the
bridge; died of internal injuries sustained from fall
May 2008: The 125
th
Anniversary