One of the most epic engineering feats in history - Alex Gendler

Dig into the history of the construction of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and how John Roebling designed a hybrid suspension system to build it.

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In the mid-19th century, suspension bridges were collapsing all across Europe. Their industrial cables frayed and snapped under the weight of their decks. So when German American engineer John Roebling proposed building the largest and most expensive suspension bridge ever conceived, New York City officials were understandably skeptical. Alex Gendler details the building of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.

Lesson by Alex Gendler, directed by Jeremiah Dickey.

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[abthedragon]

History is full of so many extraordinary feats of engineering. It's nice that we get to see one of them like this.

[limerence]

Imagine being born when they started building the bridge, spending your childhood looking out a window at the bridge that never seems to be finished, but slowly progresses, until finally in your teens it's finished and you get all nostalgic.

[squalltheonly]

It took them 14 years to build that bridge 200 years ago. But here in Miami they have been working on the 826 highway for the past 20 years and they still not done.

[limerence]

The amount of research that must have gone into this, just for the animation alone. Like that last shot of New York growing up around the bridge, the animators would have to make sure the skyline matched the time frame, is phenomenal. Keep it up Ted Ed.

[cliffsousa]

A big salute to those workers who built this bridge. I can't even imagine the hardships faced by those men working on the sea bed under a cover of darkness and extreme heat with a permanent feeling of dread hanging above them.

[pretzelbomb]

Fun Fact: The tower on the Manhattan side of the bridge doesn’t rest on bedrock, instead sitting on a bed of sand above it.

The bends were getting so bad that workers were struggling to make any further progress so Washington Roebling researched the fossils found in the already excavated dirt and found that the sediment there didn’t move very much, so digging was stopped and the caisson was filled 27 feet short of the bedrock.

To this day, thousands of cars, bikes, train passengers, and pedestrians cross the East River supported by sand.

[jinl]

Fun fact : Emily Warren Roebling ( Washington Roebling's wife ) was also the first person to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge while holding a rooster a symbol of victory and good luck

[Sean-shom]

Good thing we now have vaccines against tetanus

[akshaychauhan]

This bridge acted as the alan turing's machine in the history of bridges. Remarkable engineering.great work

[kirbymarchbarcena]

The mere fact that this bridge still stands today signifies how marvelous it was made

[Housewarmin]

Talk about family Goals! My family just yells from one room to the other, and can never understand each other.

[kunstwunderkammer]

I really love these historical figures, who also have great family members of friends who inherit the architects works and promises to complete them. Great feats are rarely achieved in a single generation.

[cartermiller]

4:46
The specters of the towers, big feels man. Hard to believe they’re gone

[JohnathenSweeney]

Fun fact: John Roebling was the architect for the Roebling Bridge in Cincinnati/Covington and even used it as inspiration for the Brooklyn Bridge!

[germanjimenez]

Building these amazing structures requires ingenuity, passion, perseverance and funding. We can see a marvel of past years because someone dared to challenge time and succeeded.

[ossen]

Then: engineers do everything from idea to execution
Now: emails, rapports, meetings

[Baxtexx]

This was very interesting, thank you.

[rap_tor]

A big salute for those.. personals for their dedication 🙏💓

[kryptonytz]

The dedication and hardwork of the Roebling family have been stayed on this day..

[AtariiWave]

4:40 that part reminds me to the final scene of Gangs of New York