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
 Earthquakes

FINANCIAL FACTS

 $35 million in bonds

 $38 million in interest
 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

 Issuing of safety belts and tie off lines

 Dizzy riveters: respirators for burning paint fumes
 Riveters and ironworkers required to wear leather gloves
 Sun goggles, sun-block lotion
 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
 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.
 <img title=""
src="https://www.archinomy.com/wp-content/uploads/case-studies/2011/trestle.jpg" alt=""
width="334" height="312" />

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:
<img title="" src="https://www.archinomy.com/wp-content/uploads/case-studies/2011/main-
cable-stats.jpg" alt="" width="627" height="481" />

 
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.

<i
mg title="" src="https://www.archinomy.com/wp-content/uploads/case-studies/2011/suspender-
rope-stats.jpg" alt="" width="602" height="640" />
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
Jembatan Golden Gate adalah salah satu jembatan gantung terpanjang di dunia. Dibangun di
seberang Gerbang Emas atau bukaan Teluk San Francisco ke Samudra Pasifik, Jembatan
Gerbang Emas adalah simbol prestasi teknik yang luar biasa. Menghubungkan kota San
Francisco dan California, Golden Gate adalah simbol teknik sipil yang terkenal tidak hanya di
Amerika, tetapi di seluruh dunia.SPANNING GOLDEN GATE• Pintu masuk ke Teluk San
Francisco dinamai Gate Gerbang Emas ’oleh para pemukim awal• Kesenjangan lebar satu mil•
Terowongan angin 60 Mph seperti embusan angin hampir sepanjang tahun• 2,5 juta kaki kubik
air per detik melewati Gerbang Emas• Arus• Gempa bumi FAKTA KEUANGAN• $ 35 juta
dalam bentuk obligasi• bunga $ 38 juta• Bridge sepenuhnya terbayar pada 30 Juni 1971•
Jembatan sepenuhnya dibayar melalui tol• Tidak ada uang negara atau federal masuk ke
jembatan• Bank of America memberikan kredit $ 5 juta untuk proyek jembatan• Orang-orang
menempatkan rumah, pertanian, dan bisnis mereka sebagai jaminan bagi jembatan untuk
menghasilkan $ 35 juta dalam masalah obligasi• Saat ini, jembatan masih beroperasi hanya
dengan uang yang dikumpulkan dari tolKONSTRUKSIGerbang Emas dirancang dan dibangun
di bawah pengawasan chief engineer, Joseph Strauss. Namun, tim itu terdiri dari banyak ahli dari
kedua ahli desain suspensi kabel dan arsitek sipil. Ketika pembangunan gerbang dimulai pada
Januari 1993, perkiraan biaya pembangunan seluruh jembatan adalah lebih dari $ 35 juta dolar.
Beberapa kriteria penting yang direncanakan untuk jembatan tercantum di bawah ini:• Panjang
bentang adalah salah satu kriteria paling penting untuk membangun jembatan, terutama ketika
jembatan adalah suspensi, dengan panjang 1970 meter.• Beban mati adalah berat total bahan
yang digunakan dalam pembangunan jembatan. Untuk Golden Gate itu disimpan £ 21.300 per
kaki lineal.• Beban dinamis atau angin adalah beban oleh kekuatan angin di jembatan. Untuk
Golden Gate itu disimpan 30 pound per kaki persegi untuk kabel dan 50 pound per kaki persegi
untuk menara.• Medan merupakan aspek penting saat merancang jembatan. Ini memainkan peran
penting dalam membuat fondasi jembatan dan untuk kapal yang akan menggunakan jalur air di
bawahnya. Karena alasan ini, kriteria khusus dibuat untuk setiap menara, tergantung pada medan
tempat pembuatannya.• Pemeliharaan adalah satu lagi aspek penting karena membangun
jembatan saja tidak cukup. Maka diputuskan bahwa kendaraan yang menggunakan Jembatan
Emas harus membayar tol, yang akan memastikan biaya pemeliharaan jembatan.
• Menerbitkan sabuk pengaman dan tali pengikat• Keling pusing: respirator untuk membakar
asap cat• Paku keling dan pekerja besi harus memakai sarung tangan kulit• Kacamata matahari,
lotion tabir surya• Rumah sakit lapangan di ujung selatan yang bekerja penuh waktu; merawat
12.000 orang pada Desember 1935.• Tidak ada kematian selama 3 tahun pertama dan 8 bulan
proyek• Jaring pengaman diletakkan 60 kaki di bawah konstruksi untuk mencegah jatuhnya
pekerja. NET perlindungan bagi para pekerja, 120.000 jaring pengaman digantung 60 kaki di
bawah permukaan jalan. Untuk pertama kalinya, langkah perlindungan diadopsi dalam proyek
jembatan. Rata-rata 1 pekerja akan terbunuh untuk setiap juta dolar yang dihabiskan untuk
konstruksi, korban 36 orang diperkirakan. Namun langkah-langkah keamanan menyebabkan
kematian hanya 12 orang (9 di antaranya terbunuh karena keruntuhan beton), tetapi
menyelamatkan jatuhnya 19 orang lainnya (Half-Way to Hell Club). LINIMASA• 1920: Studi
kelayakan merekomendasikan pembangunan Jembatan Golden Gate• 25 Mei 1923: Legislatif
Negara Bagian Melewati Jembatan Golden Gate dan UU Distrik Jalan Raya California menjadi
Hukum• 27 Agustus 1930: Joseph Strauss, Chief Engineer mengajukan rencana terakhirnya
untuk jembatan• 4 November 1930: $ 35 juta penerbitan obligasi disetujui oleh enam negara di
Distrik, dengan suara dari 145.667 hingga 46.954• 5 Januari 1933: Pembangunan jembatan
dimulai• Februari 1933: Anchorage selesai• Juni 1935: Menara selesai• Maret 1936: Kabel
suspensi selesai• April 1937: Permukaan geladak selesai• 27 Mei 1937: Jembatan terbuka untuk
pejalan kaki• 28 Mei 1937: Jembatan terbuka untuk mobil. Tol adalah 50 sen sekali jalan, $ 1
pulang pergi dan biaya tambahan 5 sen jika ada lebih dari 3 penumpang• 22 Februari 1985:
Mobil satu miliar melintasi jembatan. Tol adalah $ 2 ke selatan pada hari Jumat dan Sabtu, $ 1
hari lainnya. Tidak ada tol ke utara• 28 Mei 1987: Jembatan ditutup untuk kendaraan untuk ulang
tahun kelima puluh. Diperkirakan 300.000 pejalan kaki membuat jembatan macet• 2 September
2008: Tol meningkat menjadi $ 6 di selatan. Tidak ada tol ke utara.