Why bridges don't BREAK..

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]This is the wobbliest bridge in the world, Galloping Gertie. She holds the secret for why our bridges don't collapse. See, every basic bridge connects two points and is fighting one enemy, gravity. Lots of it, like the bridge itself, stone, steel, whatever it's made of. Then you or your car. When your car adds weight, this pushes inward on the bridge. The bridge gets squeezed and that squeeze is called compression.

[00:00:25]But if compression was the only force, the bridge would snap. So, engineers got smart and added something to pull back on that compression, tension. Like a truss or this cantilever thingy. This works, but we want more. So, they built up two massive towers with extraordinary cables pulling tension through the entire bridge. Ladies and gentlemen, the suspension bridge. The only problem, the wind. So, Galloping Gertie. When wind flowed across her deck, the bridge trapped airflow. It lifted one side, the bridge twisted, it swung to the other side. The twist grew stronger and stronger until she collapsed. For more smart nonsense, subscribe.