Know your bridges!

Fort Pitt Bridge at night.

The students and I have been examining the bridges of the tri-state area. With the region's rich collection of bridges, this activity seemed to be interesting to the students. The students have been puzzled about how some of the bridges appear to be at multiple locations. For instance, there is a large, shared resemblance of the Fort Pitt and the Fort Duquesne Bridges due to their similar tied arch through truss design. Also it is very noticeable that the I-79 crossing at Neville Island looks very similar to the bridge Birmingham Bridge that goes from the South Side to West Oakland. The template for bridge design seems to be reusable or at least adaptable to multiple locations.

Many of the bridges of Pittsburgh have a detailed profile on the Pittsburgh Bridges and Tunnels website. Not only does the site tell you the type of construction used in the bridge, but it also has historical pictures and detailed maps. Looking up a bridge is as easy as clicking on the map or looking up the name in the list.


What is your favorite Pittsburgh Bridge? Let me know with a comment!

Update:

Homework:

Past Due: F6 Homework: Understanding Forces!
Due Early Next Week: Part 2 - Pittsburgh Bridges Scavenger Hunt