BUILDING AQUAKE-PROOF BRIDGE
Constructing a bridge that can withstand an earthquake is as simple as building a seesaw and swing over a playground puddle
WORDS BRENDAN WALKER
How do you build an earthquake-proof bridge when the geological conditions are too wobbly for conventional supports, and the locals are demanding an architectural wonder to rival the Golden Gate Bridge? That was the unique challenge facing California’s Department of Transportation when it was tasked with building a new span connecting Oakland with Yerba Buena Island. The San Francisco area takes great pride in its skyline, but it’s also notorious for its seismic activity. So this new span had to have brawn as well as beauty. Fortunately, an answer was found, taken straight from the playground.