Input for a multi process welder.

[Shield Arc]

It is a floating bridge. Think of it as a series of concrete barges bolted together. There are two different types of anchors with 3-inch wire rope that runs into the bridge with 100-ton jacks holding the bridges in place.
I think there is 6 or 7 floating bridges in the world. These two are in the south end of Lake Washington, Highway I-90. The north end of the lake is two more, Highway 520. To the west is another floating bridge that crosses Hood Canal. I worked on that bridge as well.
Here are some pictures of the anchors for the LVM bridge. The bridge on the left in the picture above. I was the rigging foreman. The square anchors are 300-tons each. We stacked them 5 high. The other anchors are 90-tons each. They jetting into the ground, then covered with huge rocks.

 

[dstig1]

Cool. So how do boats get past the bridge? Or not?

 

[Shield Arc]

At the east and west ends of the bridges is a high rise. The average boat can go under easily. The crane we set the anchors with, would not boom down low enough to go under. So we had to take it around Mercer Island to the east channel bridge. But I had to climb up to make sure the boom would not hit that bridge. You can see me on the boom in the picture.

 

[dstig1]

As Zap would say "You get all the fun jobs!"

 

[Shield Arc]

Sometimes! I had this derrick up in the Strait of Georgia driving 186-feet long concrete piles. Something broke at the very top at the end of shift. The water was as calm as a pond. I radioed to the office to see if we could stay late and fix it. They said no, do it in the morning. Next morning we had 4-feet tall waves! You know what 4-feet tall waves are like 180-feet in the air?

 

[Birdhunter1]

Sometimes! I had this derrick up in the Strait of Georgia driving 186-feet long concrete piles. Something broke at the very top at the end of shift. The water was as calm as a pond. I radioed to the office to see if we could stay late and fix it. They said no, do it in the morning. Next morning we had 4-feet tall waves! You know what 4-feet tall waves are like 180-feet in the air?

I would have just stayed late and argued the fact I stayed late later.

You get into alot of weird stuff for a hobbyist!

 

[Shield Arc]

I would have just stayed late and argued the fact I stayed late later.

You get into alot of weird stuff for a hobbyist!

In my line of work they would fire you for not following orders.
Oh believe me I was very pi$$ed off when I seen all the waves. Even madder when I climbed up to the top with a torch over my shoulder.

 

[dstig1]

In my line of work they would fire you for not following orders.
Oh believe me I was very pi$$ed off when I seen all the waves. Even madder when I climbed up to the top with a torch over my shoulder.

I can only imagine...and I'll be happy to keep it that way - in my imagination!

 

[dragoneggs]

Oh I like building bridges!:cool2: I got little over 4-years working on these two bridges.

Thanks SA... I have driven over all of those bridges many many times! Truly marvels but...

Cool. So how do boats get past the bridge? Or not?

One of the bridges used to have a 'bulge' in the middle where the four lanes (2 each way) would briefly split and come together again (see pic link). To open the bridge a short span would slide into the opening, opening up a gap for boats.

http://seattlewatching.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/bridge-bulge.jpg

The 'bulge' is long gone now but unfortunately a very good friend of mine was seriously injured and never the same after getting into a bad head-on collision because of the bulge. This happened because the bridge also had reversible lanes. Meaning that during rush hour, one lane would change flow direction and there would be three going one way and one the other direction. This meant cars would have to go around a 'blind' curve on the same side of the bulge as oncoming traffic at 50mph. For some reason, I was not in the car that day as we commuted into Seattle together regularly then. I still shake and hang my head over that day almost 40 years ago.

 

[dstig1]

Is that a drawbridge section just below the bulge? I guess I am not getting how the bulge does anything for boat traffic. Or for any other purpose for that matter. Doesn't make sense from what I see.