Abstract:
As St. Louis, Missouri grew in size in the mid nineteenth century, so too did the need for building a bridge over the mighty Mississippi River. Without a practicable engineering solution and stalled by the Civil War, the start of construction of the Eads Bridge (then called the St. Louis Bridge) was delayed until 1867.
James B. Eads, a self-taught engineer who had never designed or built a bridge proposed a radical steel arch design to span the river with spans over 500 feet in length and clearance of 88 feet above the river. Completed in 1874, the Eads plan required the installation of the deepest bridge foundations in the world using a new technique known as pneumatic caisson installation. These caissons pre-date those of the famous Brooklyn Bridge (1883). The superstructure was constructed from steel; a relatively new material for bridges using the cantilever erection method. Eads desire to use steel for a major bridge drove innovation in the manufacturing and quality control of steel. Eads and his engineering team had to develop many innovative solutions to overcome numerous obstacles during the deep foundation and superstructure construction.
The Eads Bridge is an important chapter in the history of bridge design and construction. This presentation will bring the story of the Eads Bridge to life, providing a unique learning opportunity.
Upon attending this seminar you will be able to understand;
- The contributions of James Eads and his team to deep foundation construction and the civil engineering profession.
- The challenges of building the Eads Bridge.
- The means and methods used to build the Eads Bridge.
- The importance of the Eads Bridge to growth and development of St. Louis.