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Thread ID: 76026 2007-01-18 04:06:00 Facts about the Auckland Harbour Bridge... pcuser42 (130) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
517145 2007-01-18 04:06:00 I went on a bridge climb today, and learned a few facts about the bridge.

1. The clip on lanes move! This is caused by the weight of the traffic going over it. When the protesters were going across it 3 and a half years ago (I think), the guage under the bridge was too short to read the weight of the people! (There must have been a lot of fat people :p)
2. One guy was buried in one of the supports. He fell in, and the concrete set fast around him. It would cost a lot of money to dig him out, and it was in the foundation that held the main span up! He died (fortunatly!)
3. The road had to be closed and the clip on lanes remained open when the bungy jump pod was winched up underneath the bridge. The whole operation took 8 hours.
4. The concrete at the top of each support can be knocked down without the bridge moving (except for the clip ons - see 1). The reason for this is that people living on the North Shore thought the bridge looked weak with just the steel beams there. It wasn't in the origonal design.
5. The clip on lanes were designed by Japanese engineering students! Hopefully their teacher helped. :D
6. The bridge arch isn't in the middle because it was designed to be over the deepest part of the water. This was preparation for big ships coming through.
7. If the Sky Tower was laid on its side (a scary thought!), it would only go one third of the way across the Harbour Bridge. In other words, it would take 3 Sky Towers to cross the bridge.
pcuser42 (130)
517146 2007-01-18 04:27:00 2. One guy was buried in one of the supports. He fell in, and the concrete set fast around him. It would cost a lot of money to dig him out, and it was in the foundation that held the main span up! He died (fortunatly!)


Urban Myth
pctek (84)
517147 2007-01-18 05:31:00 i hear they have to replace the clip ons in 10 years or something... metal fatigue

anyone know if it's true or not?
motorbyclist (188)
517148 2007-01-18 05:39:00 I hope not... pcuser42 (130)
517149 2007-01-18 05:41:00 probably couldn't resource consent anyway! and it would take 5 times longer than the originals to build despite much more efficient/powerful construction machinery and survey technology etc motorbyclist (188)
517150 2007-01-18 05:59:00 My late Mum and I walked over it when it first opened. (1959) It was a windy day and it swayed a fair bit. Never forget things like that!!

Ken :)
kenj (9738)
517151 2007-01-18 06:05:00 Dad went across in a pushchair! (He was only one year old) pcuser42 (130)
517152 2007-01-18 06:10:00 Makes me feel old. I pushed my 4 year old sister in her pushchair all the way over and back. I am 13 years older than her!

Ken
kenj (9738)
517153 2007-01-18 08:46:00 No 5:

The company was called Nippon I think. Hence the term "Nippon Clip-ons":stare:
bob_doe_nz (92)
517154 2007-01-18 08:56:00 No 5:

The company was called Nippon I think. Hence the term "Nippon Clip-ons":stare:

i thought nippon was the place in japan where they came from....
motorbyclist (188)
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