[TowerTalk] Engineering Marvel

[Larry McDavid]

Mark - AA6DX wrote:
> Not Amateur Radio, but ........
> You engineering types might enjoy this website.  Talk about guying!  A beautiful new bridge ... hmmm .. just the design to put up in your back yard !! ??   73 .. Mark  AA6DX
> http://web.redding.com/specials/sundial/

This is indeed a beautiful suspension (or, guyed) bridge. It is actually 
a footbridge to a new park in Redding, California. Redding wanted to 
create a feeling of open space and selected the unusual one-pylon 
"guyed" design. Interestingly, the roadbed is translucent glass and is 
lighted both above and below. There is a very similar one-pylon bridge 
in Costa Rica by the same architect that actually rotates to clear ship 
traffic.

The Redding bridge pylon begs to be a horizontal sundial gnomon. 
Unfortunately, the pylon is placed at an elevation angle of 49 degrees 
while the latitude of Redding is 40.6 degrees. That 8.4 degree 
difference is very significant in terms of sundial performance. Further, 
the pylon is so high that the shadow cast has poor edge definition. Oh, 
well, it is a beautiful bridge...

And, yes, sundialing is yet another personal hobby!

-- 
Best wishes,

Larry McDavid W6FUB
Anaheim, CA  (20 miles southeast of Los Angeles, near Disneyland)