In the Wake of Tacoma: Suspension Bridges and the Quest for Aerodynamic Stability

Abstract

• In the Wake of Tacoma is the first comprehensive treatment of the changes that the 1940 collapse of the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge has imposed on the design of suspension bridges. Written as a historical narrative, this heavily illustrated book describes design trends before the collapse, the collapse itself, and the investigations to determine its cause. The book then examines subsequent aerodynamic and other design developments and their application in suspension bridges worldwide in the decades following the collapse.

  In the Wake of Tacoma is a comprehensive reference work on suspension bridges in general, examining virtually every suspension bridge of note built in the past sixty years and highlighting overall development of the state of the art today. It goes beyond the major, well-known bridges to examine many small and mid-span suspension bridges worldwide that have contributed significantly to the modern development of the form. Also covered are the engineering debates and engineers involved; discussions of bridges under construction and under design; and new design concepts and materials to conquer the huge distances envisaged for such crossings as the Messina and Gibraltar straits.

  Presented in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language, this book, which received the 2006 Publication Award from the Japan Association for Wind Engineering, should appeal to both engineers and nonengineers with an interest in bridges and engineering in general.