Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge 5 667 votes The Golden Gate Bridge is a technical masterpiece that can only be described in superlative terms. When the bridge was completed in 1937 it was the world's longest and tallest suspension bridge. Golden Gate Bridge But above all this masterly example of engineering is a magnificent monument set against a beautiful backdrop. Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge started in 1933. The bridge, which was designed by engineer Joseph Strauss was built to connect San Francisco with Marin County across the 1600 meter (+5000ft) wide strait known as the Golden Gate which links the San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean. Building the bridge The construction of what was to become the world's largest suspension bridge was a colossal task. At the time many people did not believe it was technically possible to span the Golden Gate. View from Marina district But despite the disbelief, opposition and the Great Depression, Joseph Strauss was able to find sufficient support and financial backing to go ahead with the project. It would take thousands of workers, four years and 35 million dollars to complete the structure.

On May 27, 1937 the Golden Gate Bridge was inaugurated by 18.000 people who walked across the bridge. The next day the bridge officially opened to motorized traffic. Today more than 120,000 cars cross the bridge each day. Facts and figures The dimensions of the bridge defied all imagination. The total length of the bridge is 8,981ft or 2,737 m. The main span between the two enormous towers is 4,200 ft or 1,280 meters long, making the Golden Gate Bridge the world's largest suspension bridge, View from Baker Beach a record that would stand until 1964 when the Verrazano-Narrows bridge in New York was completed. The two beautiful Art Deco towers are almost 820ft or 250 meters tall, of which more than 20 meters is below the sea level. The road, six lanes and 90 ft / 27m wide is an amazing 220 ft or 67 meters above the water level.

It is supported by enormous cables, anchored in hundreds of bars locked into concrete blocks with a pulling power of 25 million kg. The two cables have a total length of 2,332 meters and a diameter of 90 centimeters. They are woven from 27,572 threads of steel with a total length that equals three times the earth's circumference. A world famous landmark View from Lincoln Park Soon after its completion the Golden Gate Bridge already enjoyed worldwide fame, not only because the bridge was breaking records, but also thanks to the elegant Art Deco design of the two huge towers and the magnificent surroundings near the Pacific Ocean. The eye catching orange-red color of the bridge also helped its popularity. The color was suggested by engineer Irving Morrow, who thought the traditional gray color was too boring. The Golden Gate Bridge has now long lost its record of the longest bridge, but it is still one of the world's most famous structures. Crossing the bridge Even though there is a sidewalk on the Golden Gate Bridge, it's quite a challenge to cross the bridge. Not only is it almost 3km long, but it is a breathtaking 67 meter (220ft) above sea level.

In extreme circumstances the bridge can sway almost 28ft (8 meter). This makes the bridge less sensible to external forces such as strong winds and earthquakes but it can make the crossing rather unpleasant. The views however are amazing. An alternative to Bridge Tower crossing the bridge on foot is driving by car - but don't forget you'll have to pay toll - or you can take one of the busses that connect San Francisco with Marin County. There is a bus stop right at the start of the bridge. Getting to the bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is located at the Presidio Park and can easily be reached by bus or car. The most pleasant way to reach the bridge however is by walking either from the Marina District to the east or from Baker Beach to the west of the bridge. Both routes will lead you through a park, and especially the route along the east is very popular. The best views The Golden Gate Bridge is a spectacular sight which can be seen from many areas around San Francisco. Here are some locations from where you have great views on the bridge: South Vista Point. This is the most popular site, situated at the San Francisco end of the bridge. North Vista Point, located at the Marin County side of the bridge. Land's End.

Panoramic View from the northern tip of Lincoln Park Baker Beach at the Presidio Park. Conzelman Road. At the Marin County side; great view from an inlet near the bridge. The Golden Gate is at its most enchanting in the morning when the bridge is often shrouded in mist. But the bridge is also alluring at night when the lighting makes it seem as if the spires of the towers dissolve in the darkness. Translations Golden Gate Bridge Design In 1921, Joseph B. Strauss hired Charles A. Ellis to head up his staff and soon advanced him to Vice President, Strauss Engineering Corporation, in charge of bridge design and construction supervision. In 1925, Strauss had Ellis arrange for Prof. George F. Swain of Harvard University and Leon Moisseiff who designed New York’s Manhattan Bridge to serve on a Board of Consultants for the project. Both men reviewed Strauss’s original plans for a symmetrical cantilever-suspension hybrid bridge and found them to be practical from an engineering standpoint and capable of being built.

In November 1925, Moisseiff expressed concern about the hybrid design and submitted to Strauss his Report on Comparative Design of a Stiffened Suspension Bridge over the Golden Gate Strait at San Francisco, CA, which describes a design contrasting from the cantilever-suspension hybrid bridge design—a suspension span design. The suspension span concept did not immediately become the leading design for the bridge as Strauss continued to campaign for a bridge using his original symmetrical cantilever-suspension hybrid design as late as 1929. On August 15, 1929, the Board appointed prominent engineers Moisseiff, O.H. Ammann, and University of California, Engineering School, Berkeley, CA, Professor Charles Derleth, Jr., to serve as the Advisory Board of Engineers, alongside Chief Engineer Strauss. Strauss also appointed Ellis to work with the Advisory Board of Engineers, serving as its Secretary. The timing of the change from the original Strauss proposal to a suspension bridge design is not precisely known, but it was accomplished sometime between the release of Moisseiff’s November 1925 report and the first meeting of the Advisory Board of Engineers on August 27, 1929.

Further, The Golden Gate Bridge, Report of the Chief Engineer, September 1937, by Strauss, provides no details on the transition from his originally proposed symmetrical cantilever-suspension hybrid bridge to the Moisseiff-inspired suspension span design that was eventually built, and simply states, “... In the interval which had elapsed any advantages possessed by the cantilever-suspension type bridge had practically disappeared and on recommendation of the Chief Engineer, the cantilever-suspension type was abandoned in favor of the simple suspension type.” On March 1, 1930, with final design underway and after overseeing test borings at the construction site, Ellis returned to Chicago to work on refining the design and estimates, while continuing to consult with Advisory Board of Engineers members Moisseiff and Ammann. Ellis was responsible for directing the thousands of calculations required, for the computation of stresses, the preparation of stress sheets, as well as the development of the specifications, contracts and proposal forms. He worked tirelessly until December 5, 1931, when Strauss insisted he take a vacation.

Three days before his vacation was over, Ellis received a letter from Strauss instructing him to turn all his work over to his assistant Clarahan, and to take an indefinite unpaid vacation. For reasons still not clear today, Strauss fired Ellis. Ellis had lost his place in the history receiving no credit for his critical role in the design of the landmark Bridge. He went on to join the engineering faculty at Purdue University in 1934, from where he retired as Professor Emeritus of the Division of Structural Engineering in 1947. He passed away on August 29, 1949. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco | Archinomy more tags Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. Built across the Golden Gate or the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge is a symbol of great engineering feats. Connecting the city of San Francisco and California, the Golden Gate is a well-known civil engineering symbol not only in America, but throughout the world.

SPANNING THE GOLDEN GATE The entrance to San Francisco Bay was named the ‘Golden Gate’ by early settlers One mile wide gap 60 Mph wind tunnel like gusts of wind for much of the year 2.5 Million cubic feet of water per second pass through the Golden Gate Currents Bridge completely paid off on June 30, 1971 Bridge completely paid for by tolls No state or federal money went into the bridge Bank of America extended a $5 million line of credit to the bridge project People put up their homes, farms and businesses as collateral for the bridge to generate the $35 million in bond issue Presently, bridge still operates only with money collected from tolls CONSTRUCTION The Golden Gate was designed and constructed under the supervision of chief engineer, Joseph Strauss. However, the team was composed of many experts from both cable suspension design experts and civil architects. When the construction of the gate began in January 1993 the estimated cost of building the whole bridge was more than $35 million dollars.

A few of the important criterias planned for the bridge are listed below: Length of the span is one of the most important criteria for building a bridge, especially when the bridge is a suspension one, having a length of 1970 meters. Dead load is the total weight of the materials used in the construction of the bridge. For Golden Gate it was kept 21,300 pounds per lineal foot. Dynamic or wind load is the load by the wind force on the bridge. For Golden Gate it was kept 30 pounds per square foot for the cables and 50 pounds per square foot for the towers. Terrain is an important aspect while designing a bridge. It plays an important part in making the bridge foundation and for the ships that will be using the waterway beneath it. For this reason, special criteria were made for each tower, depending on the terrain on which it was made. Maintenance is one more important aspect as just constructing the bridge is not enough. It was thus decided that the vehicles using the Golden Bridge will have to pay a toll, which would ensure the bridge’s maintenance costs.

SAFETY UNDER STRAUSS Field hospital at south end staffed full time; treated 12,000 injuries by December, 1935. No deaths for the first 3 years and 8 months of project A safety net was placed 60 feet below the construction to prevent the fall of workers. THE NET To offer sound measures of protection of the workers, 120,000 Safety net suspended 60 feet below the road surface. For the first time, a protection measure was adopted in a bridge project. Averaging 1 worker will be killed for every million dollars spent on construction, a toll of 36 men was expected. Yet the safety measures led to the death of only 12 men (9 of which were killed because of concrete collapse), but saved the fall of 19 other men (Half-Way to Hell Club).

TIMELINE 1920: A feasibility Study recommends construction of the Golden Gate Bridge May 25, 1923: The State Legislature Passes the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District Act of California into Law August 27, 1930: Joseph Strauss, Chief Engineer submits his final plans for the bridge November 4, 1930: $35 million bond issue approved by the six counties in the District, by a vote of 145,667 to 46.954 January 5, 1933: Construction of the bridge begins February 1933: Anchorages are completed June 1935: The towers are completed March 1936: The suspension cables are completed April 1937: The deck surface is completed May 27, 1937: Bridge opens to pedestrians May 28, 1937: Bridge open to automobiles. The toll was 50 cents one way, $1 round trip and 5 cents surcharge if there were more than 3 passengers February 22, 1985: The one-billionth car crosses the bridge.

Toll is $2 southbound on Friday and Saturday, $1 otherdays. No northbound toll May 28, 1987: Bridge closed to vehicles for its fiftieth birthday. An estimated 300,000 pedestrians jammed the bridge September 2 2008: Toll increased to $6 southbound. No northbound toll. DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS Design of the Golden Gate Bridge consists of two main towers at the center. The weight of the entire bridge is supported by two cables that run parallel to each other on either side, passing through the two towers and fixed to the concrete structures at each end. The cables used in the bridge consist of 80,000 miles of wire and 27572 strands. Though the Golden Gate Bridge appears red in color its original color is an orange vermillion. The Bridge was painted with red lead primer initially and was then applied with a lead based coating. Later on in early nineties, the bridge was top coated with Acrylic paint. The Golden Gate Bridge is regarded as one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. It is also supposed to be known as one of the most photographed bridge in the world.

With recent advances in technology, the Bridge was retrofitted with earthquake resistant mechanisms, which would allow it to resist the seismic activities in a better way. Today, the Golden Gate Bridge stands as a prominent American Landmark, which not only stands as a great civil engineering wonder, but also continues to carry the weight of thousands vehicles every day.

BRIDGE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STATISTICS LENGTH Total length of Bridge including approaches from abutment to abutment: 1.7 miles = 8,981 ft = 2,737 m Total length of Bridge including the distance to the Toll Plaza: 9,150 ft = 2,788 m Length of suspension span including main span and side spans: 1.2 miles = 6,450 ft = 1,966 m Length of main span portion of suspended structure (distance between towers): 4,200 ft = 1,280 m Length of one side span: 1,125 ft = 343 m WIDTH Width of Bridge: 90 ft = 27 m Width of roadway between curbs: 62 ft = 19 m Width of sidewalk: 10 ft = 3 m HEIGHT Clearance above mean higher high water: 220 ft = 67 m WEIGHT Total weight of each anchorage: 60,000 tons = 54,400,000 kg Original combined weight of Bridge, anchorages, and approaches: 894

,500 tons = 811,500,000 kg Total weight of Bridge, anchorages, and approaches (1937): 894,500 tons = 811,500,000 kg (1986): 887,000 tons = 804,700,00 kg Weight of Bridge, excluding anchorages and approaches, and including the suspended structure, main towers, piers and fenders, bottom lateral system and orthotropic redecking (1986): 419,800 tons = 380,800,000 kg Swing equal to 3 station wagons end to end FOUNDATION Foundation comprised of 2 anchorage blocks, 64000 tons of concrete and steel, 1 for each of the 2 main suspension cables Running out 1100 feet into the golden gate from the fort, is the contractors’ working trestle, ending up at south is the San Francisco pier location.

The construction of this pier practically enabled 1 of the most difficult foundation jobs ever attempted. The pier will support of the 2 746 foot steel towers. It was necessary to build the south tower offshore, but working so far into the open water of the gate, made the trestle a sitting target for disaster. Once by the sheer force of the raging pacific current the trestle was sliced into 2, washing 2 million cubic feet of water past the site every second. The disaster took 10 months of hard labor to repair. In building the San Francisco pier it was necessary to excavate down into the rock to a depth of over 100 feet below the surface of the golden gate, and over an area of an acre, this was done by the ‘Pilot Bomb’ method. Small bombs were inserted in guide tubes, carefully located over the spot desired; dropped and fired. This looses the rock sufficiently, so the cranes can get to work. Unlike the south tower twin, the north tower was erected on solid ground of the Marine county shore.

Trestle laid across the Gate Guide Tube used in Pilot Bombing Mountains of sand, gravel and cement were floated to the site in a non stop armada of barges, and then offloaded into enormous concrete mixing facilities, built specially for the project. The first challenge was to construct the 4 enormous anchorages (240 million pounds each), to which the bridge’s suspension cables would be grounded. Mixed concrete was pumped directly to the locations through movable shutes, where man could pack and vibrate the thick sludge to remove air pockets from the 12 foot thick blocks, laced with steel reinforcing bars. Once the work started, the pumping could not stop, or the materials would not set properly. Every hour a 120 cubic yards of concrete was pumped in a maze of steel frame. Crane, removing rocks from water bed South Pier Workers, packing and vibrating concrete MAIN TOWER STATS The Golden Gate Bridge has two main towers that support the two main cables.

Height of tower above water: 746 ft = 227 m Height of tower above roadway: 500 ft = 152 m Tower base dimension (each leg): 33 x 54 ft = 10 x 16 m Load on each tower from main cables: 61,500 tons = 56,000,000 kg Weight of both main towers: 44,000 tons = 40,200,000 kg Transverse deflection of towers: 12.5 inches = 0.32 m Longitudinal deflection of towers: shoreward: 22 in = 0.56 m and channelward: 18 in = 0.46 m The south tower foundation depth below mean low water is: 110 ft = 34m To build south tower pier to support the south tower, construction workers pumped 9.41 million gallons or 35.6 million liters of water out of the fender that was constructed first. CABLE Each wire was specially designed for golden gate bridge from carbon and alloy steel, meeting exact characteristics.

Samples were tested for elongation and strength exceeding 235,000 pounds per sq inch. In the end these flexible wires would be a part of a 3 foot thick cables, but it was necessary to weave these wires on site, 746 feet above the water surface, in windy conditions of faster than 45 miles an hr. A crane was used to lift the first few strands of the cable. Once they were in place, a mid-span work platform was lowered across the gap. The operation was not a complete success at first attempts. SWIMMING THE CABLE With these first few thin strands, the mighty cables will be bundled and draped over the steel tower super structures. On either shore, the wires connected to massive adjusting rods while 150 tons saddled over the towers, cradled the cables in place. A system of spinning wheel carriages transported 27,572 wires across the span, 6 wires at a time. Individual wires were placed by hand into a geometric pattern, radio transmissions instructed the opposing bases to tighten the stretch. On an 8 hour shift an alarming 1000 miles of wires were spun over the gate.

This took a total of 191 days to complete. These wires were first bundled by hand, and then by a hydraulic press to get them bonded in a tight cocoon. Finally these wires were wrapped in a final wrapping of cable, and painted to make it water-proof. MAIN CABLE STATS The Golden Gate Bridge has two main cables which pass over the tops of the two main towers and are secured at either end in giant anchorages. The main cables rest on top of the 746-foot main towers in huge steel castings called saddles. Diameter of one main cable including the exterior wrapping: 36 3/8 in.

= .92 m Length of one main cable: 7,650 ft = 2,332 m Total length of galvanized steel wire used in both main cables: 80,000 mi = 129,000 km Number of galvanized steel wires in one main cable that are 0.192 inches in diameter: 27,572 Number of bundles or strands of galvanized steel wire in one main cable: 61 Weight of both main cables, suspender cables and accessories: 24,500 tons = 22,200,000 kg The galvanized steel wire comprising each main cable was laid by spinning the wire using a loom-type shuttle that moved back and forth as it laid the wire in place to form the cables. The spinning of the main cable wires was completed in 6 months and 9 days.

The galvanized steel wire used for the main cables is carbon steel with the following average chemical composition and physical properties: SUSPENDER ROPE (VERTICAL ONE) STATS The Golden Gate Bridge has 250 pairs of vertical suspender ropes that are spaced 50 feet apart across both sides of the Bridge. Each suspender rope is 2-11/16 inches in diameter. All of the ropes were replaced between 1972 and 1976, with the last rope replacement completed on May 4, 1976. SEISMIC REINFORCEMENT The vulnerability study showed that the Fort Point Arch, which spans a Civil War era landmark building, would be subject to uplift during a major earthquake. The steps to be taken in future to counter uplift during earthquake are: The arch bearings will be modified such that any possible arch lifting will be guided in a controlled manner. Pylons located at either end of the arch are made of lightly reinforced concrete. They are about 76m in height and need extensive retrofitting. Thick steel plates embracing the concrete walls of pylons will be covered with cast-in-place reinforced concrete that preserves the aesthetics of the original construction.

STEPS TAKEN TO COUNTER THE UPLIFT DURING EARTHQUAKE ARE: A battery of energy-absorbing devices was installed in order to reduce possible movements between the pylons and the arch. The foundation of pylon S1 was enlarged to 16m x 42m x 7m and 90 of 37-Ø15.2 mm DYWIDAG Multistrand Tendons were placed in both directions on two levels of the foundation. Additional, 32 tiedown anchors of 45-Ø15.2mm epoxy coated multistrand where also installed. The pylon S2 foundation was also reinforced with 24 tiedown anchors of 45 -Ø15.2mm epoxy coated strand and several passive Ø32 mm DYWIDAG THREADBAR ® Tendons grade 835/1030. The South Anchorage Housing was also inadequately reinforced. The upper section of towers 2 and 3 has been tied vertically and horizontally with high strength DYWIDAG THREADBAR ® Tendons grade 835/1030.

Shear walls were placed between the bents.Their foundations were filled with concrete and tied down with DYWIDAG Multistrand Anchors consisting of 7-19 Ø15.2 mm epoxy coated strands. The south abutment and the foundations of bents S6 through S10 were reinforced with concrete and 36 mm DYWIDAG THREADBAR ®Tendons placed in both directions. GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE PAINT The Golden Gate Bridge's paint color is orange vermillion, also called international orange. Architect Irving Morrow selected the color because it blends with the bridge's setting The bridge was fully painted when it was first built and then touched up for the next 27 years. In 1965, the original paint was removed because of corrosion and replaced with an inorganic zinc silicate primer and an acrylic emulsion top coat, a project that took 30 years. A crew of 38 painters continually touches up the bridge with paint, along with 17 ironworkers who replace corroding steel and rivets. Golden Gate Bridge, 1937.

Cable “saddle” on top of one of the towers SAN FRANCISCO APPROACH – TWO-WAY TOLL COLLECTION SAN FRANCISCO APPROACH – TWO-WAY TOLL COLLECTION PRESIDIO INTERCHANGE MARIN APPROACH GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE FACTS - TRAFFICE Average crossings: About 41 million per year, counting both north- and southbound crossings, compared to 33 million crossing the first year it was open Fewest crossings: January, 1982, during a storm which closed U. S. 101 north of the bridge. On January 6, only 3,921 southbound vehicles passed the toll gates Most crossings: October 27, 1989, a few days after the Loma Prieta earthquake, when the Bay Bridge was closed.

162,414 vehicles (counting those going both directions) crossed the bridge that day Total crossings: Through October 30, 2002, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway District reported 1,754,094,967 vehicles had crossed the bridge Closures: The bridge has been closed three times for weather, for gusting winds over 70 mph. It closed briefly for visits by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and French President Charles DeGaulle.

It was also closed on its fiftieth birthday FUN FACTS Riveting crew held unofficial speed contests; they sometimes threw red-hot rivets distances of 70 feet or more 80,000 miles of pencil diameter steel cable in bridge Steel for the bridge was made in Pennsylvania and ‘shipped’ to California via the Panama Canal $75,000 paid in tolls each day A gold rivet was hammered into place to celebrate the completion of the bridge ‘International Orange’ Blind woman and guide dog the first pedestrians ever to cross the bridge 1.25 billion cars have crossed bridge since ’37 Bridge ‘Firsts’ First person to cross on stilts First person to cross sticking tongue out all the way First wooden hat to cross the bridge Each anchorage weighs as much as 17,000 elephants Facts on the Golden Gate Bridge Facts on the Golden Gate Bridge By Debbie Vasen Looking for some quick facts on the Golden Gate Bridge? If you are planning a visit or simply live in town and want to amaze your friends with local knowledge, then we have the information for you. The following list of quick facts on the Golden Gate Bridge will make showing off a snap!

Cram the night before your visit or simply print this page and sneak it in your back pocket. Either way, your friends and family will be thrilled with your quick wit and intelligent comments. General Facts to Remember These are a list of the most basic facts on the Golden Gate Bridge. If you only have limited time to learn a few details, these are certainly the ones to know. The Golden Gate Bridge crosses the Golden Gate , a narrow waterway that connects the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay. Cool nights and warm days generate the foggy conditions so common over the Golden Gate in the mornings. From the day it first opened until today, the Golden Gate is a toll bridge. What Kind of Bridge is the Golden Gate? The Golden Gate is a suspension bridge with large cables to support the middle hung from its tall towers.The vertical cables you see spanning the length of the bridge "suspend" the deck below them. Though cable-stayed bridges and suspension bridges look quite similar, they are different in how their cables are attached and thus, how their construction bears the weight. With cable-stayed bridges, all cables are attached to the tower(s), which in turn, bears the load.

With suspension bridges, you have main cables running between the two anchorages and suspender cables spanning the length of the bridge, under constant tension. The Golden Gate Bridge has two main cables that rest above its 746-foot tall towers and end in a curve at its two opposing anchorages. From the main cables, 250 pairs of suspender cables are inserted. These cablessuspend the Bridge's roadway and help any/all weight travel evenly across the bridge. Because the suspender cables are spaced out, no one cable is under enough stress to snap free. Physical Facts on Building the Bridge Creating this renowned bridge was an amazing feat of engineering. 388,500 cubic yards of concrete and 117,200 tons of steel were used to manufacture the bridge's structure. Four years and $35.5 million later, the bridge was completed. The bridge measures a total of 1.7 miles long with the longest span between towers measuring 4,200 feet. It is 90 feet wide and stands 746 feet above the water. It is estimated that the actual building of the bridge included 25 million labor hours.

The cables are actually 27,572 individual tiny wires spun together. More than 80,000 miles of wire were used to make the 7260 feet of cable used in the bridge. Each of the two towers is put together with 600,000 rivets. Actual paint color of the Golden Gate Bridge is Dulux International Orange. As a worst case scenario, the bridge was designed to withstand 90 mph gale-force winds, the weight of bumper to bumper traffic in both directions, tidal surges of 4.6 million square feet per second, and an 8.0 earthquake - all at the exact same time. Facts on the Golden Gate Bridge History Before this bridge connected Marin County and the city of San Francisco, the only way to cross was by ferry. Officials believed the bridge would increase thepopulation of the city of San Francisco and create jobs during the depression Engineer Joseph Baerman Strauss designed and built the Golden Gate Bridge; it took him a decade to convince the city's commissioners that his mathematics were sound and that his plan for the bridge was feasible Money was raised to build the bridge with a voter approved bond issue backed by Bank of America.

Official ground breaking began on February 26, 1933. The Golden Gate Bridge was the first construction project to ever use the rotating drum mixer concrete trucks so common today. The production of the bridge was the first of its kind to ever use nets as safety for falling workers. These nets are now standard on any bridge project today. The bridge was designed to be a part of the beauty of the area, with slatted railings to improve passing motorists' views, special accent lighting, and the red paint to blend with the red in the hills of Marin County. The bridge officially opened for business on May 26, 1937. Strauss's company was paid a $1 million fee, but unfortunately Strauss died within a year of completing the bridge. Until 1964, it was the world's longest suspension bridge, but was then surpassed by the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. Facts on the Bridge Today The Golden Gate Bridge continues to require labor and money for maintenance and renovations. It is one of the most widely recognized bridges in the world and a true symbol of San Francisco.

Tolls are currently $5 (2008) for most cars and only collected in the southbound direction (into San Francisco). Over 1,200 suicides have occurred from jumping off the bridge. In 1994, the bridge was named one of the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World" by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The Golden Gate is awarded the second place spot, behind England's Chunnel Tunnel, on the list of the Top 10 Construction Achievements of the 20th Century. The Golden Gate Bridge is the most photographed bridge in the entire world. Two vista points, one on the south side and one on the north, give visitors a chance to see the bridge up-close. Both sites have restrooms, parking (metered on the south side and free on the north), and telescopes. The south side has a gift shop and a small museum with exhibits including a cross section of one of the cables. The Golden Gate Bridge has been featured in dozens of films, books, and television shows.

Among the most popular are the films: Dirty Harry, the Love Bug movies, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Vertigo and the TV shows: Nash Bridges, Full House, Knight Rider, and Monk. Was this page useful? Funding for Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier approved - CNN.com Funding for Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier approved By Stephanie Smith, CNN Updated 10:39 AM ET, Mon June 30, 2014 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. JUST WATCHED Families praise suicide barrier approval 01:02 Story highlights Board of directors approves plan to erect suicide barrier on Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Bridge is the most-used suicide spot in the United States Last year, 46 people died jumping off the bridge There is a dark duality about the Golden Gate Bridge. Majestic and macabre, the bridge is an architectural wonder that also happens to be a magnet for suicides. It is the most-used suicide spot in the United States, second in the world. "People come from all over the world to go onto this bridge," said Sergeant Kevin Briggs, a retired police officer who used to patrol the Golden Gate.

"Not just to sight-see, but also to take their life." JUST WATCHED Suicide barrier for Golden Gate? 05:56 JUST WATCHED Homicide preceded NY couple's fatal leap 01:25 JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH California man saves another from suicide 00:54 On Friday, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge Board of Directors unanimously approved $76 million in funding to erect a 20-foot-wide steel net -- extending out from each side of the 1.7-mile span -- to deter would-be jumpers. The federal government will cover $50 million of the cost; the rest will come from state and local sources. Last year, 46 people died after jumping off the Golden Gate, according to the Bridge Rail Foundation , an organization dedicated to stopping suicides from the bridge. The organization estimates that more than 1,600 people have leapt to their deaths since the bridge opened in 1937. "Where nets have been erected as suicide barriers they've proven to be 100% effective thus far," said Denis Mulligan, CEO and general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, which presented the proposal to the board.

"Suicidal people have stopped jumping at those locations." Those locations include the Clifton Suspension Bridge in England and the Duke Ellington Bridge in Washington, where, after barriers were installed, suicide rates went down dramatically. "Apparently, suicidal individuals don't want to hurt themselves, they want to die," said Mulligan. "So where nets have been erected, people stop jumping." The decision to move forward with the Golden Gate plan punctuates a contentious fight that has simmered here for decades. On one side of the debate were those who believe a suicide barrier will detract from the bridge's beauty. On the other side were mental health and other advocates, some of whom bore an intimate sense of the potential benefits of such a barrier. One of the barrier proponents is Kevin Berthia. He stood on the precipice of the Golden Gate Bridge on a cold afternoon in March 2005. He was unemployed, drowning in a sea of medical bills, and distraught. "I was hurting a lot," said Berthia.

"I was dealing with a lot of issues, and I felt like I was dealing with them by myself." Almost as soon as he hopped over the 4-foot barrier (which many argued makes jumping too easy) to the bridge's outer railing, he was approached by Sergeant Briggs. Briggs had been there before. During his 23-year career, he coaxed more than 200 people back from that same railing. Two people he wasn't able to save. An artist's rendering from the proposal shows the orange barrier extending from the structure below deck. "When someone goes over on the other side of that rail, it's like having a gun to their head, their finger on the trigger, and the hammer pulled back," said Briggs, founder of Pivotal Points , a crisis management and suicide prevention organization. "They're ready to go. The pain is great -- they see no hope." For more than 90 minutes, Briggs listened while Berthia talked, the biting wind swirling around them. As the minutes passed, Berthia says the burdens he was carrying slowly lifted. Eventually he decided to come back over the barrier.

"I knew things would get 10 times worse when I came back over, but I wanted to give it another shot," said Berthia, who says it took another eight years to get help for his mental health problems. Opposition faded A few years ago, the transportation district invited public comment about installing a suicide barrier, said Mulligan, the transportation district head, and opinion was deeply divided. "Leave the bridge alone," one commenter posted. "It's not the bridge's fault people choose to commit suicide there." Another commenter echoed a common perception about how effective a barrier could be: "Sadly, desperate people do commit suicide and they will find another means to do it if the GG bridge is not available to them." An artist's rendering from the proposal shows a horizontal barrier that extends from the deck, beneath the roadway, and doesn't clash with the bridge's unique International Orange hue. Feds boosting mental health access, treatment Berthia said a suicide net certainly would have discouraged him from considering jumping, that his attraction to the bridge was the ease with which he could perish.

Very rarely do people who are stopped from jumping go on to commit suicide, according to a study published in 1978 by Richard Seiden, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. More than 90% of would-be jumpers who were stopped, according to the oft-cited study, were still alive decades later. Berthia and Briggs say the decision to fund a barrier is overdue. "It should have been there a long time ago," said Berthia. "A lot of lives could have been saved." Briggs says that the father of a young man who died after jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge summed it up potently for him. "A view or a life? A view or a life?" said Briggs, paraphrasing the father. Those few words were what he says convinced him that something needed to be done. When asked about advocates' argument that lives have been lost needlessly during the years the transportation group assembled its plan, Mulligan said, "With the passage of time I think society's values and understanding of suicide has evolved, and so has our board's." It will be several years before the net is built, said Mulligan.

Still, a plan in motion -- even if it takes some time -- is of great solace to advocates. "(It has been) 77 years of needless deaths and survivor family devastation," Kevin Hines, one of the rare people who survived a suicide attempt from the bridge, said before the board's vote. He said the move toward a safety barrier means the community at last is "placing higher value and worth on people's lives over a piece of bright red iron." What Type Of Bridge Is The Golden Gate Bridge What Type Of Bridge Is The Golden Gate Bridge ? What Type Of Bridge Is The Golden Gate Bridge ? The Golden Gate Bridge located in city of San Francisco is a kind of suspension bridge and is only one of its kinds in the world. It is made to extend from the beautiful San Francisco Bay to the vast Pacific Ocean, thereby establishing a link between Marin County and San Francisco. It enjoyed the status of being the longest suspension bridge in the world only till 1964, after which the Verrazano Narrows Bridge of New York was given this status. You might yourself know that any bridge, it has to be strong and elaborate, needs a strong base or support.

So, the reason for this bridge being so famous lies in its cables. The way the cables are connected is something that makes suspension bridges too spectacular. The cables are joint to the tower and hence the bridge can bear the weight of almost anything. The cables basically travel along the two anchorage points and are constantly under the supervision of officials. There are also six other types of bridges, namely Truss bridges, Arch bridges, Cable-stayed bridges, Cantilever bridges, and Beam bridges. The Golden Bridge has proven to be a masterpiece in the category of suspension bridges. Suspension bridges have the ability to spread over a minimum of 2000-7000 square feet and should be designed minutely and perfectly. The design should inspire people to think as to how such perfection can be achieved. You might certainly be inspired by the design of Golden Bridge. The cables of this bridge are nearly 746-ft in its height and end with the anchorage points as well as curves. Approximately 250 pairs of these cables are connected and they give a balance to the bridge. The diameter is exactly 36.3inches and length extents to 7650 feet.

The total weight of all the cables and other points are close to 24,500 tons. In case, you have to cross the bridge, you have to travel a maximum of 1.7 miles. Lastly, you should consider it as an achievement in engineering till today. More Articles : Construction begins on Golden Gate Bridge - Jan 05, 1933 - HISTORY.com Construction begins on Golden Gate Bridge Share this: Construction begins on Golden Gate Bridge Author Construction begins on Golden Gate Bridge URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1933, construction starts on what will become one of America’s most famous landmarks: the Golden Gate Bridge. When completed in 1937, the Golden Gate has a 4,200-foot-long suspension span, making it the world’s longest suspension bridge. Since opening to the public in May 1937, almost 2 billion vehicles have crossed the bridge, in both the north- and southbound directions. The bridge was named not for its distinctive orange color (which provides extra visibility to passing ships in San Francisco’s famous fog), but for the Golden Gate Strait, where the San Francisco Bay opens into the Pacific Ocean.

The bridge spans the strait and connects the northern part of the city of San Francisco to Marin County, California. Prior to the bridge’s construction, the only way to travel between these two areas was by ferry boat. The bridge’s chief engineer, Joseph B. Strauss (1870-1938), an Ohio native who built numerous bridges across the U.S., was involved with the Golden Gate project by the early 1920s. From the beginning, Strauss and his collaborators faced numerous challenges, including opposition from skeptical city officials (who were concerned about costs), environmentalists and ferry operators (who were worried the bridge would impact their business). Some members of the engineering community said it was technically impossible to build the bridge, and it was not easy to raise funding for the project at the beginning of the Great Depression (a $35 million bond issue to finance construction of the bridge was passed in California in 1930). Once construction began, workers had to contend with the strong ocean currents and heavy winds and fog in Golden Gate Strait.

Eleven workers died during the building of the bridge, 10 of them on one day, February 17, 1937, when their scaffolding fell through a safety net. Despite all of these issues, the Golden Gate Bridge, with its art deco design, was completed in four years and on May 27, 1937, some 200,000 people showed up to celebrate its opening. The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House, signaling to the world that the bridge was open to vehicular traffic. The initial toll for the bridge was 50 cents each way. The Golden Gate would remain the world’s longest suspension bridge until it was surpassed, by 60 feet, by New York City’s Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which opened in 1964. In February 1985, the 1 billionth car crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. Today, more than 41 million vehicles travel across the bridge each year. More on This Topic

Question: What kind of bridge is the Golden Gate Bridge ?
Answer: SUSPENSION