David Bernard Steinman (June 11, 1886 - August 21, 1960) was an American engineer He was the designer of the Mackinac Bridge and many other notable bridges, and a published author. Born in Khomsk, Brest, Belarus, he emigrated to the USA with his family in 1890. He grew up in New York City, New York. In 1909 he received a Master of Arts from Columbia University and a Doctorate in 1911. June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Engineering applies scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. ... The Mackinac Bridge (pronounced MACK-in-aw, and affectionately known as the Mighty Mac or Big Mac), is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous upper and lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Brest (Belarusian: ; Russian: , formerly Брест-Литовск (Brest-Litovsk); in Polish as Brześć Litewski, Brześć nad Bugiem or Brześć Białoruski; Lithuanian: Lietuvos Brasta (literally meaning shallows of Lithuania) is a city (population 290,000 in 2004) in Belarus close to the Polish border where the Western Bug and Mukhavets Rivers meet. ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Empire State Building (right) and the Chrysler Building (left) are easily recognized symbols of New York City to the world. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Columbia University is a private university in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...

David Steinman has built bridges in the United States, Thailand, England, Italy, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Canada, Korea, and Iraq. He had a literary bent, and was a published author with several books, articles in advancement of his craft, and even poetry to his credit.

Early Life

Steinman was the child of immigrant workers. Little is known of his family and early childhood other than that he had 6 siblings. He was raised in the shadows of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge was constructed as he grew up. The late Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries were a time of significant bridge construction in the area, and he later said this is where he got his first interest in bridges. Plan of one tower for the Brooklyn Bridge, 1867. ... The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting Manhattan at Delancey St. ...

Because his family had little money, he worked to put himself through both the City College of New York, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1906 and then Columbia University, where he completed 3 additional degrees culminating in a PhD in Civil Engineering. His PhD thesis was on a steel truss arch design for the Henry Hudson Bridge. While he was attending Columbia he did fellowships as well as taught nighttime classes at the City College and Stuyvesant Evening High School. He accepted a teaching position at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho (1910-1914) but longed to return to New York. The City College of The City University of New York (known more commonly as City College of New York or simply City College, CCNY, or colloquially as City) is a senior college of the City University of New York, in New York City. ... Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... PhD usually refers to the academic title Doctor of Philosophy PhD can also refer to the manga Phantasy Degree This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... A thesis (literally: position from the Greek θέσις) is an intellectual proposition. ... A truss arch bridge combines elements of a truss and an arch. ... The Henry Hudson Bridge is a steel arch toll bridge in New York City across the Harlem River, a tidal estuary. ... The University of Idaho is the states land-grant and primary research university, located in Moscow. ... Moscow (pronounced with a long o in the second syllable) is a city located in Latah County in northern Idaho along the Washington/Idaho border, opposite Pullman, Washington (home of Washington State University). ...

Start at Bridge building

Hell Gate, NYC, NY, cantilever arch suspension, as it looked in 1917

After contacting Gustav Lindenthal about working on the Hell Gate Bridge, he returned to New York City to become a special assistant to Lindenthal, along with Othmar Ammann of Switzerland, another young bridge builder. It was said this experience of working together led to their 40 year professional rivalry. Pay was typical for the era, 200-225 USD/month. Lindethal gave his proteges advice about engineering such as, “Steinman, bridge engineering is easy. It is the financial engineering that is hard” (Petroski 327). While working with Lindenthal, Steinman also worked on the Sciotoville Bridge, a crossing of the Ohio River. After this work Steinman sought other employment, working as assistant engineer on the Rondout Bridge, and as an assistant engineer for the New York Central Railroad. Image File history File links Hell_Gate_Bridge_ca_1917. ... Image File history File links Hell_Gate_Bridge_ca_1917. ... The Hell Gate Bridge circa 1917. ... View from Astoria Park at dawn. ... Othmar Ammann (March 26, 1879 - September 22, 1965) was a renowned civil engineer whose designs include: George Washington Bridge (opened October 24, 1931) Bayonne Bridge (opened November 15, 1931) Bronx-Whitestone Bridge (opened April 29, 1939) Throgs Neck Bridge (opened January 11, 1961) Verrazano Narrows Bridge (opened November 21... Ohio River viewed from Liberty Hill in Ripley, Ohio. ... 1918 map The New York Central Railroad (AAR reporting mark NYC), known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the North-Eastern United States. ...

Robinson & Steinman

Hercilio Luz, Florianopolis Brazil, suspended truss

In May of 1920, Holton D. Robinson (b. 1863, Massena, NY, d. 1945, engineer of the Williamsburg Bridge) contacted Steinman and requested that they join forces to create a design for the Florianopolis Bridge ( or Hercilio Luz Bridge, 1926) in Florianopolis, Brazil. After getting advice from Charles Fowler, Steinman agreed and they formed the firm of Robinson & Steinman in 1921, a partnership that lasted until the 1940s. They did not win the contract immediately but continued to collaborate on it and other projects. The early 1920s were considered a tough time for bridge construction, so Steinman tried to design his bridges to be economically pleasing rather than artistic. Steinman was well regarded in the profession and had a reputation for good presentations and for being politically astute. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (947x760, 98 KB) City of Florianópolis, state of Santa Catarina (SC), Brazil Hercilio Luz Bridge - December 1996 picture taken by: Sérgio Schmiegelow Cesarious 01:35, 11 May 2005 (UTC) (Cesario Simões Junior) File links The following pages link... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (947x760, 98 KB) City of Florianópolis, state of Santa Catarina (SC), Brazil Hercilio Luz Bridge - December 1996 picture taken by: Sérgio Schmiegelow Cesarious 01:35, 11 May 2005 (UTC) (Cesario Simões Junior) File links The following pages link... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... Massena is a town located in St. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting Manhattan at Delancey St. ... Hercilio Luz Bridge is the first brigde constructed to link the Island of Florianóppolis with his continental part. ... Florianópolis is the capital city of Santa Catarina State in southern Brazil. ...

Artistically enhanced photograph of the Century of Progress world's fair, with the Sky Ride bridge spanning the exposition area

The 1920s and 1930s were a relatively busy period for Steinman. His firm was involved in many significant projects including the Hercilio Luz Bridge (or Florianopolis Bridge, 1926), the Carquinez Strait Bridge (1927, at the time the second largest cantilever bridge in the US), the Mount Hope Bridge and Grand Mère Suspension Bridge (both 1929), the St. John's Bridge and Waldo-Hancock Bridge (both 1931), the Sky Ride (1933 passenger transporter bridge at the Chicago Century of Progress exposition), the Henry Hudson Bridge (1936, particularly gratifying as this bridge realised his PhD thesis proposal), the Wellesley and Hill Islands Bridge, Wellesley Island Suspension Bridge and Georgina Island Bridge (all 1938) and Deer Isle Bridge and the Sullivan-Hutsonville Bridge (both 1939) (many of these are part of the Thousand Islands Bridge System). Image File history File links Aerial photograph (likely enhanced) of the Centennial of Progress worlds fair with the Graf Zeppelin in the skies overhead. ... Image File history File links Aerial photograph (likely enhanced) of the Centennial of Progress worlds fair with the Graf Zeppelin in the skies overhead. ... Sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America and in Australia as the Roaring Twenties . In Europe it is sometimes refered to as the Golden Twenties. ... // Events and trends A public speech by Benito Mussolini, founder of the Fascist movement The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the global depression. ... Hercilio Luz Bridge is the first brigde constructed to link the Island of Florianóppolis with his continental part. ... The Carquinez Bridge comprises three parallel bridges: (from left to right) a 2003 suspension bridge, a 1927 cantilever bridge, and a 1958 cantilever bridge The Carquinez Bridge, also known as the Al Zampa Bridge, refers to parallel bridges which cross the Carquinez Strait linking Vallejo, California to the north, with... You wish you could type this good. ... The Mount Hope Bridge connects Portsmouth, Rhode Island to its neighbor, Bristol, which lies across the Sakonnet River. ... The St. ... Panorama, showing Sky Ride to the left The Sky Ride was a Transporter bridge designed by Robinson & Steinman and built for the Century of Progress Exposition (or Worlds Fair) in Chicago Illinois (located near what became Meigs Field) in 1933. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... A 1933 Century of Progress worlds fair poster The Century of Progress Exposition was a worlds fair held in Chicago, Illinois from 1933-1934 to celebrate Chicagos centennial. ... The Henry Hudson Bridge is a steel arch toll bridge in New York City across the Harlem River, a tidal estuary. ...

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge in mid collapse

In addition to the many bridges that Steinman designed, he was consulted on several projects that his firm did not win. Perhaps the most famous of these bridges is "Galloping Gertie", the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Steinman consulted extensively with the boosters of the bridge during the 1920's, but his design was not selected. He wrote of his frustration with the design that was chosen, and predicted a failure. The failure did occur and he wrote that it had a profound impact on his design principles; he became even more conservative. It is said that he designed the Mackinaw Bridge considered by many to be his most significant work, to withstand winds of 365 mph. Image File history File links The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapsing. ... Image File history File links The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapsing. ... Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapsing The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a mile-long (1600 meter) suspension bridge with a main span of 2800 foot (850 m) (the third-largest in the world when it was first built) that carries Washington State Route 16 across the Tacoma Narrows of Puget Sound from... The Mackinac Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the United States. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ...

During this period Steinman became president of the American Association of Engineers and campaigned for more stringent educational and ethical standards within the profession. He also founded the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1934 serving as its first president. By the mid 1930s Steinman had a professional reputation as one of the pre-eminent bridge engineers of the US, especially for long span suspension bridges, but his bridges were eclipsed in the public eye by his old rival Ammann's George Washington Bridge (1931) and by Joseph Strauss's Golden Gate Bridge (1937) among others. His plans for a NYC cross harbor bridge (the "Liberty Bridge") came to naught with the 1940 collapse of Tacoma Narrows which cast all long suspension span proposals in doubt. The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) is a professional engineering organization in the United States. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge over the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan Island in New York City to Fort Lee, New Jersey. ... Joseph Baermann Strauss (January 9, 1870 - May 16, 1938) was a American engineer and designer. ... The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening into the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. ...

Postwar Work

Steinman and his firm were also in charge of the major rehabilitation of the Brooklyn Bridge commencing 1948. Structurae.de has an image (from Petrovsky's text) of Steinman jauntily perched in mid air in the cables of the bridge, perhaps one of the most well known images of him extant. Plan of one tower for the Brooklyn Bridge, 1867. ...

Steinman's crowning achievement, the "Mighty Mac" or Mackinac Bridge

But there were still long span suspension bridges to be built. Steinman was responsible for the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge (1957). More importantly, development and planning of the Mackinaw Bridge had been contemplated for some time, and Steinman was appointed to the board of engineers based on Michigan State Legislature legislation of 1950, stating "the board of engineers retained by the Mackinac Bridge Authority was to be selected and nominated by the Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan", and was soon the spokesman for the board. But his health was failing and he suffered heart attacks in 1952, the same year the legistlature approved funding. He was nevertheless heavily involved in all aspects of the construction of the bridge from start to finish. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Mackinac Bridge (pronounced MACK-in-aw, and affectionately known as the Mighty Mac or Big Mac), is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous upper and lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... The Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge is a Continuous under-deck truss bridge that crosses the Hudson River in New York State north of the City of Kingston and the Town of Rhinecliff. ... The Michigan Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

Although he proposed a grandiose 1524 meter center span crossing of the Sicilian Straits of Messina, the "Mighty Mac", completed in 1957, and at the time the longest suspended span between anchors, was his last major achievement. Steinman died in 1960. Sicilian disambiguates here; see also Sicilian language or Sicilian Defence. ... Satellite photo of the Strait of Messina, taken June 2002. ...

The Steinman engineering firm is now part of the Parsons Transportation Group (company site) as of 1988.

Further reading

• Petroski, H. (1995). "Engineers of Dreams." New York: Random House. ISBN 0679760210
• Rubin, L. (1958). "Mighty Mac." Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ASIN B00072JSRW
• Ratigan, W. (1959). "Highways Over Broad Waters." Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ASIN B0007IY0OC

Books and articles by Steinman

Not an exhaustive list, as Steinman was a prolific author. Many of these books do not have ISBN numbers since they predate the ISBN system. The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ...

• Steinman, David B. A Practical Treatise on Suspension Bridges (2nd edition), John Wiley & Sons, New York (USA) , 1929.
• Steinman, D. "Waldo-Hancock Bridge", in "Engineering News Record", 17 March 1932 .
• Steinman, D. (1945). "The Builders of the Bridge: The Story of John Roebling and His Son" New York: Harcourt Brace. ISBN 040504724X (second edition 1950)
• Steinman, D. Le pont sur le détroit de Messine pour relier la Sicile à l'Italie, in "Travaux", November 1954, n. 241 .
• Steinman, David B. Multiple-Span Suspension Bridge to Replace Rhine Arches at Düsseldorf, in "Engineering News Record", 27 June 1946, n. 26 .
• Steinman, D. (1957). "Miracle Bridge At Mackinac." Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ASIN B0007DXCV4

External links

• Structurae: David Bernard Steinman (15 March 2005)
• Bio at American Society of Civil Engineers