Othmar Ammann

Othmar Hermann Ammann ( born March 26, 1879 in Feuerthalen, Switzerland, † September 22, 1965 in Rye, New York ) was a Swiss- American engineer and an important bridge-builder, in particular through the planning and construction of the George Washington Bridge and the Verrazano -Narrows Bridge has been known.

Life

Othmar H. Ammann was born in Feuerthalen at Schaffhausen, but soon moved with his parents to Kilchberg on Lake Zurich. After attending the Industrial School in Zurich from 1894 to 1897 and an internship at the construction site of the suspension bridge Langenargen he studied civil engineering at the former Polytechnic Institute in Zurich, today the ETH Zurich. His teachers were among others Wilhelm Ritter and Ludwig von Tetmajer. In 1902 he completed his studies with a diploma civil engineer.

First years in the United States

After the first activities in Switzerland and in Frankfurt am Main in 1904, he moved to the United States, originally only for two years to deepen his professional skills. In large engineering firm of Joseph Mayer in New York City, he gained the first experience in construction of large bridges. As the engineering firm had to reduce his staff, he moved to Pennsylvania Steel Company in Harrisburg, where he was given an insight into the steel production and assembly. In 1905 he returned for a few weeks after Zurich to marry his childhood friend Lily Selma Wehrli. He then worked in Chicago in the office of Ralph Modjeski, a respected bridge builder, and soon afterwards again with the Pennsylvania Steel Company. For the office Kunz & Schneider he worked on the construction of the Queensboro Bridge and the report on the collapse of August 1907, the under construction Quebec Bridge over the St. Lawrence River. Later, he also created a design for the reconstruction of the Quebec Bridge for Kunz & Schneider.

Activity for Gustav Lindenthal

Othmar Ammann by Gustav Lindenthal in 1912 has been set, which dealt with the planning and construction of the Hell Gate Bridge, which was the most expansive arch bridge in the world at that time. This was probably definitely determined for him that he would remain in the U.S. permanently. In Lindenthals engineering office he met the slightly younger David B. Steinman, which led to a lifelong rivalry between the two big bridge engineers. Othmar Ammann later tasks included the design of a suspension bridge over the Hudson River, which then turned out to be too expensive.

First own engineering office

Differences with Lindenthal resulted in Amman in 1923 started his own business. He created the first designs for a bridge over the Hudson at another, narrower point. In order to reduce the cost of the shorter bridge on, they should first have only one level for six lanes and two wide sidewalks, but be designed so that later a second level for motor vehicles and railway trains could be added in the suburbs. He was able to offer a bridge that cost significantly less than the bridges offered by Lindenthal and other competitors.

1924 Ammann became an American citizen.

Chief engineer of the New York Port Authority

In 1925 he became chief engineer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which was responsible for the construction of bridges and tunnels in the area of ​​New York Harbor. In this position, he led the completion of his planned Outerbridge Crossing and Goethals Bridge, designed and built the Bayonne Bridge, and received the approval of his final plan and the construction of the bridge over the Hudson River, which was preferred over the design Lindenthals. It was his first independently designed and constructed suspension bridge. They eventually became the George Washington Bridge, which is 1067 meters had nearly twice the span of the Ambassador Bridge, the longest suspension bridge until then. Under Ammann line she was not exhausted in 1931 six months before the planned date completed and the budget in the amount of $ 60 million was. This bridge Ammann established reputation as one of the most important bridge builder of the 20th century. The Lincoln Tunnel was also built under his direction.

His wife Lilly died in 1933 at the age of only 55 years. She left behind him two sons and one only 11 years old daughter. Othmar Ammann married two years later, the Swiss Kläry Nötzli -Vogt, widow of Fred A. Nötzli, an internationally known expert on dams, with the Ammann was a friend.

Chief engineer of the New York bridge construction

1934 saw Robert Moses that Ammann was also ordered to his work for the Port Authority to the Chief Engineer of the newly founded Triborough Bridge Authority. This independent building department should first complete only the 1929 aborted construction of the Triborough Bridge, but was soon adapted by Robert Moses to a city planning and building authorities with wide powers. Amman where he was responsible for the planning and construction of the Bronx - Whitestone Bridge except for the Triborough Bridge and was later, when he had already become independent, commissioned by Robert Moses with the planning of the Throgs Neck Bridge.

Othmar Ammann had well earned a reputation as a bridge expert and was therefore asked outside his New York area of ​​responsibility over again for his advice. He was involved in the design and construction of the Golden Gate Bridge 1931-37 largely as a consulting engineer. After the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940 he was appointed to the commission to investigate the causes.

Engineering firm Ammann & Whitney

1939, at the age of 60, he finished his work at the New York authorities and opened his own engineering company, he, together with the known concrete engineer Charles Whitney expanded in 1946 to the office Ammann & Whitney. The partners and their offices were involved in the following decades the world on a variety of major projects. 86- year experienced Ammann late as 1965 the inauguration of the also commissioned by Robert Moses Verrazano- Narrows Bridge in New York, which he had mitgeplant and set a new world record with a span of 1298 m.

Writings

Othmar Ammann has written a wealth of manuscripts and publications on a wide variety of bridges and related technical aspects. Among the best known are probably among the long regarded as the Bible of bridge construction in the United States

  • Specifications for Design of Highway Bridges Carrying and Electric Rail Passenger Traffic, Port of New York Authority, Bridge Department, 1929

Honors

Ammann was honorary doctorate from the ETH Zurich and numerous American universities. In the bus station at the George Washington Bridge, a bronze bust was unveiled in 1962 by Othmar Amman. 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded him the National Medal of Science, which he was the first engineer ever. He received numerous other honors, the list would go beyond the scope of this presentation.

Bridges (selection)

  • Outerbridge Crossing (opened June 29, 1929 )
  • Goethals Bridge (opened June 29, 1929 )
  • George Washington Bridge (opened October 24, 1931 )
  • Bayonne Bridge (opened November 15, 1931 )
  • Triborough Bridge ( opened 1936)
  • Golden Gate Bridge ( as a consultant ) (opened May 28, 1937 )
  • Bronx - Whitestone Bridge (opened April 29, 1939 )
  • Throgs Neck Bridge (opened January 11, 1961 )
  • Verrazano Narrows Bridge (opened November 21, 1964 )
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