(Tacoma, Washington) Suspension bridge failed after resonating in torsion for some time under wind loading. Puget Sound inlet acted as a wind tunnel for load purposes. There is a spectacular film of this failure available -- the film was taken as part of a monitoring effort by local authorities, who were not given enough time to gather all the data they wanted. No fatalities, except for one dog. Subsequent design includes an additional box beam, and even yet it "gallops," hence the moniker "Galloping Gertie."
Click here for Tacoma Narrows Bridge Failure Movie (684k).
References
- Description from sci.engr.* FAQ on Failures.
- Images and movie from the report:
Smith, Doug, "A Case Study and Analysis of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Failure", 99.497 Engineering Project, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, March 29, 1974. Supervised by Professor G. Kardos.