Week 2: Quebec Bridge Flashcards

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1
Q

What was the mode of failure on the Quebec Bridge?

A

Failure of the bottom compression chords on the cantilever arm

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2
Q

What did the chief engineer of Phoenix Bridge Company say early on about Cooper that would indicate him breaching engineering ethics?

A

Cooper “happened” to find no issues with the Phoenix drawings/plans. When asked about this, he got frustrated and indicated that if anything further had to be done then the bid would be thrown out.

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3
Q

What three words became a touchstone for Cooper in his approach to the bridge?

A

“best and cheapest”

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4
Q

Apart from physical loads, what was the other “burden” that seemed to drive the project?

A

Financial Burden

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5
Q

What two reasons drove the lengthening of the bridge from its original design?

A
  • Piers in deeper water more vulnerable to ice floes
  • Lesser expense with piers closer to shore
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6
Q

What change did Cooper make to allow for a longer span?

A

Modified specifications that allowed for higher unit stresses

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7
Q

What step was skipped and assumption made due to financial burden early on in the project?

A

Testing was skipped since it was assumed Cooper’s experience was good enough

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8
Q

What critical step was skipped due to the rush to make steel fabrication drawings for the bridge?

A

There was no recomputation of assumed weights for the bridge under revised specifications

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9
Q

How many times did Cooper visit the bridge site in total?

A

3 times

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10
Q

When the high unit stresses used on the bridge were criticized by a consultant engineer, what was Cooper’s reaction?

A

He stated that the proposal would put him in the position of a subordinate, which he could not accept.

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11
Q

Since Cooper wasn’t coming to site, what did he do instead?

A

He delegated a young engineer to be his eyes and ears on the site

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12
Q

Which two engineers was the brunt of the blame placed on for the first bridge collapse?

A

Cooper and Szlapka

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13
Q

Although bridge design has greatly advanced and changed, what hasn’t changed?

A

The potential for human error

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