Recently a new TV program has hit my part of the world which has shown all sorts of experiments most of us would love to have tried (re: making a chicken gun or blowing holes in a pressurized plane cabin to see if passengers really can get sucked out of the hole!?!). Mythbusters ran one segment where they tried to disprove the myth that armies around the world break step when going over a bridge as marching could cause the bridge to reverbrate and collapse. Their proof that bridges do move was the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (a suspension bridge). Most of us who have some experience in decking bridges would probably agree that it is very possible for bridges to...have a fair bit of play. My most memorable experience would be decking an MGB where two sections lined up, picked up the decking, and walked/jogged into place. Talking to a retired RSM from the Australian Combat Engineers, he had the same opinion - there is truth to the reasons behind breaking step.
Does anyone have further experiences that could prove/disprove this practise?
The Mythbusters decided to say the myth was false...twice. The first experiment was clumsy and inaccurate, and the second bridge was, nothing more than a stress test on wooden simple bridges. I did write and suggest they contact the College of Knowledge and ask to borrow their MGB model, but I think they've had enough of that line of experimentation.
Chimo
Does anyone have further experiences that could prove/disprove this practise?
The Mythbusters decided to say the myth was false...twice. The first experiment was clumsy and inaccurate, and the second bridge was, nothing more than a stress test on wooden simple bridges. I did write and suggest they contact the College of Knowledge and ask to borrow their MGB model, but I think they've had enough of that line of experimentation.
Chimo