4 ms·

I read the same claim on Usenet about 30 years ago and researched it. My conclusion was that soldiers break stride to avoid nasty oscillations, but I couldn't f

by kens 6y ago

I read the same claim on Usenet about 30 years ago and researched it. My conclusion was that soldiers break stride to avoid nasty oscillations, but I couldn't find any actual collapses. There was one bridge that was claimed as a collapse from people marching on it, but it was actually very high winds that caused the collapse.

LeoPanthera 6y ago
Well, London's Millennium Bridge did not collapse, but it did sway alarmingly when crowds of people walking on it were forced into resonance, resulting in the immediate closure of the bridge before it could be fixed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Bridge,_London#Resonance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Bridge,_London#Reso...
- cameronh90 6y ago
  And even now people still call it the “wobbly bridge”.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
juhatl 6y ago
Apparently an incident took place in 1831 where a bridge collapsed under soldiers marching, but the Wikipedia article [1] notes that "The conclusion of the investigation was that the vibration caused by the marching precipitated the bolt's failure, but it would have failed eventually anyway". There's more interesting information on synchronization and bridges on Veritasium's video, The Secret of Synchronization [2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broughton_Suspension_Bridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broughton_Suspension_Bridge [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-_VPRCtiUg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-_VPRCtiUg
- pomian 6y ago
  That video link about synchronisation is very interesting. Thankyou. Synchronization of bridges, hearts, lightning bugs, metronomes, sailing clocks. Cool
guerrilla 6y ago
In a documentary about London's Millennium Bridge, they showed videos of other bridges collapsing due to it. Sorry I don't have a link, just saying it's out there.
jfk13 6y ago
The Albert Bridge in London even has signs to remind soldiers to break step: https://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/albert-bridge-troops https://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/albert-bridge-troo...

by kens 6y ago

LeoPanthera 6y ago

Well, London's Millennium Bridge did not collapse, but it did sway alarmingly when crowds of people walking on it were forced into resonance, resulting in the immediate closure of the bridge before it could be fixed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Bridge,_London#Resonance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Bridge,_London#Reso...

cameronh90 6y ago
And even now people still call it the “wobbly bridge”.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

juhatl 6y ago

Apparently an incident took place in 1831 where a bridge collapsed under soldiers marching, but the Wikipedia article [1] notes that "The conclusion of the investigation was that the vibration caused by the marching precipitated the bolt's failure, but it would have failed eventually anyway". There's more interesting information on synchronization and bridges on Veritasium's video, The Secret of Synchronization [2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broughton_Suspension_Bridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broughton_Suspension_Bridge [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-_VPRCtiUg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-_VPRCtiUg

pomian 6y ago
That video link about synchronisation is very interesting. Thankyou. Synchronization of bridges, hearts, lightning bugs, metronomes, sailing clocks. Cool

guerrilla 6y ago

In a documentary about London's Millennium Bridge, they showed videos of other bridges collapsing due to it. Sorry I don't have a link, just saying it's out there.

jfk13 6y ago

The Albert Bridge in London even has signs to remind soldiers to break step: https://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/albert-bridge-troops https://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/albert-bridge-troo...