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Williamsburg Bridge east tower
(Manhattan side)
The 310-foot-tall towers, the
first all-steel towers to be employed for a suspension bridge, support
four main cables, which are carried on saddles atop the towers. Each of
the 4,344-ton main cables, which measure 18-inches in diameter, is
comprised of 37 strands of 208 wires. Unlike those found on other New York
bridges, the wires on the Williamsburg Bridge were not galvanized, making
them less susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement. Nearly 17,500 miles
of wire are used in the cables that suspend the bridge 135 feet above the
East River.
The 40-foot-deep stiffening trusses were designed not only to withstand
high winds, but also to support rail traffic on the deck. Originally, the
design had the above-deck truss shift below the deck at the side spans.
Later, the design was changed such that the stiffening truss was above the
deck from anchorage to anchorage. |