Design genius – A look at the Golden Gate Bridge

The world is made up of lots of engineering marvels. However, there are a few which are considered a cut above the rest. One of them is San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, which Reddy Kancharla discusses in today's blog.

Declared as one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Golden Gate Bridge continues to be an awe-inspiring structure to this day. It stands as one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco and California as a whole.

Before the bridge was constructed in the early 1900s, the only means of transport that connected the Bay Area was ferry boats. At the time, San Francisco was one of the fastest-growing cities. This spurred talks of creating a bridge that would enable the city to continue with its progress, recounts Reddy Kancharla.

It was an ambitious and seemingly impossible project at the time, requiring all the engineering and design talent from all over the country. The product resulted in a suspension bridge that featured a cable support system that distributed the bridge deck's weight between two towers.

The tension forces from the cables are the main piece of ingenuity in this engineering masterpiece because the piers' forces extend all the way to the ground. The cable system then transfers the deck's weight to the towers. The equally distributed pressure on the bridge creates an impressive balance as the deck pulls inward.

This brilliantly designed civil engineering concept has made the Golden Gate Bridge a highly safe, resilient, and long-lasting innovation that people continue to use up to this day.

Reddy Kancharla has a master's in civil engineering, with a professional career spanning 25 years. He has a broad comprehension of engineering theories and is well-versed in the complexities of the design and construction of commercial and residential buildings, bridge and roadway structures, earth retaining structures, and shallow and deep foundations. For more related reading, visit this page.