Why the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Couldn't Stop Moving

In 1940, a brand-new suspension bridge over Washington's Tacoma Narrows began moving in the wind. At first, the movement seemed strange but manageable. Then the bridge started twisting. On November 7, 1940, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed into Puget Sound. But the famous disaster wasn't simply a story about “strong wind.” The bridge's unusual design, aerodynamic behavior, flexibility, and rapidly developing torsional motion all played a role. This documentary follows the bridge from its design and construction to its strange movements, the final hours before the collapse, the engineering investigation that followed, and the lessons that changed suspension-bridge design. Every system has a breaking point. This is the story of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. #Engineering #Documentary #TacomaNarrows