Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: redcatcherb412; FreedomPoster
Any engineer will tell you that any type of span, roof, floor, bridge etc. if it is hit with rhythmic waves of vibration will develop a sympathetic sway or bending movement that will take out pretty well anything holding it together. Enough weight of bodies with feet moving in a synchronized rhythm will just start the floor joists a bouncing.

This is also why military troop formations are never, ever marched in stride across bridges. For almost two centuries, troop leaders have been taught that the rhythmic motion of a formation marching in unison can destroy a bridge, and to order their formations to break stride into "route step" with independent footfalls.

42 posted on 10/21/2018 11:15:17 AM PDT by Always A Marine ("When you strike at a king, you must kill him" - Ralph Waldo Emerson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]


To: Always A Marine

Yep, I remember route step over the bridge at the Navy recruit training center, otherwise known as “boot camp” at San Diego in ‘62. Next door to the Marine camp in those days as you no doubt know. They used to tell us that if we thought we had made a mistake joining the Navy we could cross the fence and see how we liked the Marine corps.


47 posted on 10/21/2018 11:32:21 AM PDT by RipSawyer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies ]

To: Always A Marine

...the soldiers, who were marching four abreast, felt it begin to vibrate in time with their footsteps. Finding the vibration a pleasant sensation some of them started to whistle a marching tune, and to “humour it by the manner in which they stepped”, causing the bridge to vibrate even more.[8] The head of the column had almost reached the Pendleton side when they heard “a sound resembling an irregular discharge of firearms”.[8] Immediately, one of the iron columns supporting the suspension chains on the Broughton side of the river fell towards the bridge, carrying with it a large stone from the pier to which it had been bolted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broughton_Suspension_Bridge


62 posted on 10/21/2018 1:13:04 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT (So what!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson