Presidio of San Francisco in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Tall and Strong
Photographed By Adam Margolis, May 30, 2016
1. Tall and Strong Marker
Tallest Bridge Towers
The Golden Gate Bridge not only set the record for longest bridge span when completed in 1937, it also had the tallest towers.
Honeycomb Legs — Strong, but Light
This innovation introduced by the Golden Gate Bridge provided the strength to withstand the tremendous weight transferred to the tops of the towers by the cables, and also to resist horizontal loads due to wind and earthquakes.
Over a Million Rivets
Each tower has over a million rivets. A red-hot rivet with a round head on one end was inserted through holes to join pieces of steel. Then while the round-headed end was held securely, a riveter with a power tool hammered (“bucked”) the plain end into another mushroom-shaped head, clamping the pieces together.
Captions (Clockwise from right):
• A tree trunk is less than solid wood, making it strong but light. Similarly, the Bridge towers, with their cellular construction, provide the needed strength with a minimum amount of steel. Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District
• Ironworkers installing hot rivets to fasten pieces of steel together. San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
• Workers inside box-like steel cells. California
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.
Location. 37° 48.481′ N, 122° 28.535′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Presidio of San Francisco. Marker can be reached from Coastal Trail. Marker is at lower-level entrance to Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point South overlook. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Francisco CA 94129, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Steel, Fog, Salt, Rust, and Paint (here, next to this marker); Facts & Figures About the Bridge (here, next to this marker); Types of Bridges (here, next to this marker); Art Deco on a Grand Scale (here, next to this marker); Joseph Strauss Legacy Circle (a few steps from this marker); Battery Lancaster (a few steps from this marker); Men of Vision (a few steps from this marker); Bridging the Gate — the Beginning (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 3, 2021
2. Tall and Strong Marker
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 3, 2021
3. Tall and Strong Marker
Marker is third from the left.
Photographed By Adam Margolis, May 30, 2016
4. Tall and Strong Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 124 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 16, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. 2, 3. submitted on July 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on April 16, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California.
