Working Work of Art

The Brooklyn Bridge is 130 years old and is still functioning as it was designed to in the 1870s. It spans the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, and its innovative steel-suspension design was the work of John A. Roebling. The bridge is vulnerable to the elements, requiring constant preventative maintenance, including lubrication of the metal wire and continual maintenance of the drainage system. In addition, in 2009, the New York City Department of Transportation undertook the first major rehabilitation of the bridge in over a decade, including replacing deteriorating pavement and repainting exposed steel. The bridge is very large, with the deck approximately 12 stories above the water line. The two towers go deep into the riverbed. Excluding masonry, the bridge weighs nearly 15,000 tons, and there are more than 6.8 million pounds of steel wire. Many features of the bridge today are from its original construction, and it is expected to remain in use for another hundred years if maintenance is upheld.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.betterroads.com/working-work-of-art/
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1519687
• Authors:
  • Hecox, Doug
  • Guterman, Josh
• Publication Date: 2013-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: pp 6-7, 9, 11-12
• Serial:
  • Better Roads
  • Volume: 83
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: James Informational Media, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0006-0208
  • Serial URL: http://www.betterroads.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deterioration; Historic bridges; History; Maintenance; Suspension bridges
• Identifier Terms: Brooklyn Bridge (New York); New York City Department of Transportation
• Geographic Terms: New York (New York)
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I60: Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01489905
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 16 2013 7:01AM