Posted on 02/24/2007 7:17:13 AM PST by aculeus
Yes, if the proposed pedestrian bridges were built as moment frames (rigidly connected at the ends). If the bridge ends were allowed to move at the ends it could work.
I'd be more worried about the extra weight on the structure and foundations. They would have been designed for a certain dead load, and these bridges would add extra weight the structure had not been designed to carry. But there is a fair margin of safety, and if the bridges were only a small fraction of the total building weight, it would be Ok. But highways, rail lines ... probably too much extra weight.
Still, interesting ideas.
I'm not trying to rain on your parade....but, I think you'd find MOST people terrified of venturing out on such structures.
Just for fun, what's the highest such example YOU can find which now exists...???
....Dubai (400)Welcome to Babel. The language is English, the units are metric, the know-how is mostly American,....
This week I had an experience worthy of comment here.
I contracted with the Houston office of a Swiss company to keep an eye on materials being procured for a Saudi company project. At the French owned large American company doing the work, I met up with an Egyptian customer's engineer working for the French owned sister Saudi company and his assistant, a very bright and hard charging young Saudi.
Also there were two German engineers who represented the German fims doing the design and procuremnet.
The American manufacturing company provided several applications and customer engineers to host and oversee the meeting.
Three languages were being spoken but the common tie was English, Windows , Word and Adobe PDF. All the computers, and everyone had a laptop always on and in action spoke windows, word and Adobe PDF. These three are the babel fish, the universal language translators that enabled the diverse technical language to be used by all.
Moreover, the plant had wireless internet so the computers were also connected to home by instant e mail. As an old timer remembering telex, fax and DHL, the ability to communicate fantastic volumes of data with e mail and USB drives with those gathered from all over allowed speed unthinkable just a few years ago.
See my post 43
I don't know if this qualifies, but the bridge is 44 stories up. It's over 150 feet long and people wait in line for hours and they have to give out tickets to manage to crowds. Sounds like they aren't too afraid. I imagine the cost of building them is why there aren't too many around.
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I have given up guessing what God will or won't direct Pat to do . . . |
I once leaned over the edge of the roof of the John Hancock Center in Chicago to take a picture straight down to the street. Held the camera in one hand outstretched, pointing straight down. The other hand outstretched in the other direction, holding onto the window washing rail.
Unfortunately, I didn't know until later that I had not properly threaded the film onto the takeup spool, so I didn't get any pix.
"I once leaned over the edge of the roof of the John Hancock Center in Chicago to take a picture straight down to the street. Held the camera in one hand outstretched, pointing straight down. The other hand outstretched in the other direction, holding onto the window washing rail."
...OK...and, I once flicked the ear of a lion in a zoo in Spain....but I never wanted to do it a SECOND time....YOU win.
Is that Kuala Lumpur...???
Not exactly the same, but a similar "rush" is looking straight down from the "vee shaped" cross section of the St. Louis arch....I think it's 630 feet if I remember correctly.....
PLENTY high...the slant in the walls allows you unobstructed view to the ground.
I understand some Indian tribe is going to build a glass bottomed walkway over a portion of the grand canyon.....yipes.....!!!
And, if THAT doesn't cause palpitations for you there's a roller coaster in Vegas at the TOP of some tower. Scares ME just looking at the track.....
How'd you get outside?
The observation tower
is enclosed by glass . . .
I wasn't in the observation center, I was on the roof.
Another good one is the glass floor up in the CN tower in Toronts. It's fun to watch people put a foot on it and pull back and then they put a bit more pressure on it and keep repeating that until they feel it is safe.
As I stepped out on it, I had visions of "Man Falls to His Death from CN Tower!" for the headline in the paper.
That thing looks like it was built by a kindergarten class.
Buildings should be limited to single floor or less to prevent terrorist attacks.
That's not how we live. By living in fear.
Thanks in advance.
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