The physics of resonance
Tragedies of synchronized steps
The wobbly Millennium Bridge
Engineering safer bridges
YOUR GOAL
Master of How marching crowds collapse bridges
artiteacher Bridge resonance collapse
Step in sync, find the frequency, watch it break!
artiteacher Military forces worldwide adopted the rule to break step when crossing bridges.
artiteacher France suffered its worst bridge collapse in 1850 due to marching soldiers and bad weather.
artiteacher Match the crowd's footsteps to discover how synchronized marching can collapse a bridge.
The Albert sign: London's Albert Bridge still has a sign from 1873 warning soldiers to break step.
The amplification of a system's vibration when subjected to a force matching its natural frequency. In 1831, this phenomenon caused England's Broughton Suspension Bridge to collapse under marching soldiers.
How many French soldiers lost their lives in the tragic 1850 Angers Bridge disaster?
How many soldiers fell into the River Irwell during the 1831 Broughton Bridge collapse?
What physical defect, combined with marching steps and a storm, caused the Angers Bridge to collapse in 1850?
Why did the British Army officially order soldiers to 'route step' (break step) after 1831?
Which London bridge still features a historic warning sign telling soldiers to break step?
Which British bridge collapsed in 1831 because soldiers marched across it in step?
What does the military command 'break step' require soldiers to do when crossing a bridge?