One thing I really like to do is to see how things are built. That’s why when a friend of mine offered to show me around his job site, I jumped at the chance. Joe is an old friend from my army days and he is currently working on constructing a bridge. I went down to take a look around and really enjoyed the trip. He took me under the bridge where all the action seemed to be.
The first thing he pointed out was the way the different sections are hooked together. They use giant bolts with nuts and construction washers. They put them in and tighten them to a specific strength. I was amazed at how big the parts were. Some of them weigh several pounds all by themselves. I asked what the purpose of the washers was and he explained it all to me.
It seems that bridges have a lot of vibration when they are in use. This can cause a lot of wear and tear on the other various parts. By using standard bridge washers, they help absorb shocks to the bridge, provide vibration dampening, and serve as spacers for the nuts and bolts. I was blown away by all the fascinating things I saw. I thanked Joe for showing me around and I hope to make another trip when the bridge is a little further along. I am sure I’ll learn another interesting fact!