6/15    Civil E question (since I'm no expert)/
        http://www.mtc.ca.gov/projects/bay_bridge/bbfin.htm
        The western span looks like a normal suspension bridge but what's
        with the eastern span?  Wasn't the whole premise of the bridge
        redesign to make it more earthquake proof.  I thought the old
        bridge collapsed during the World Series earthquake because it
        wasn't a suspension bridge but a regular type.  So why is 1/3
        of the eastern span supported on cable stays but the other 2/3
        not.  And why is there a bend in the bridge.  What's the point
        of making a road bend over water?
                \_ I'm sure anonymous cowards on the MOTD know more about
                   bridge design than the engineers and architects working
                   on the project.  -tom
        \_ It didn't "colapse".  One of the sections on the top deck fell
           down, which is what it's designed to do (be flexible between
           single pieces, as opposed to having a big rigid bridge.)  That's
           what the metal joints that make your car go clickety-clack are for.
           Regarding the bridge types, I seem to recall from somewhere that
           the western span was build as a suspension bridge, since it needed
           to be high enough for large ships to pass under, and that such a
           structure is the type that can be that high and long and still be
           flexible enough to withstand wind and quakes and stuff.  The other
           part is that the water under the East span is shallower, so they
           could sink more supports into it--look at a cross section of the
           Bay floor.  Anyway, weren't they supposed to replace the East
           span?  -John
        \_ two constraints, the end points, and a third, treasure island.
        \_ Have you driven on the current bridge?  It should be obvious that
           it's not a straight line from the road leaving the shore at Oakland
           into the tunnel through Treasure Island - you have to bend somewhere
           before the island, and you want a gradual curve, not a sharp turn
           that will become a bottleneck and source of many accidents.