Rebuilding the Gerald

Desmond Bridge

1
Objective

Given the current bridge

dimensions, the student will be
able to estimate a plan for a
higher bridge to accommodate
future container ships.

2
Algebra 1 Standards
5.0 Students solve multistep problems, including
word problems, involving linear equations and
linear inequalities in one variable and provide
justification for each step.

8.0 Students understand the concepts of parallel

lines and perpendicular lines and how those
slopes are related. Students are able to find
the equation of a line perpendicular to a given
line that passes through a given point.

3
Bridge Background

Structural Type: Arch bridge / suspended deck

Function/usage: Road bridge connects the Ports of
Long Beach and Los Angeles with the I-710.
Span: 5,134 Ft.
Built: 1968 (replacing the previous pontoon bridge)
Length: 1,053 feet long
Highest point: 250 feet
***157 feet of clearance above the water
4
157’ Clearance
250’ to top
 5134’ span
(runs off of the photo)

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The Challenge

Currently there are new vessels, or

“Mega Ships,” being produced, but
they are too large to clear the Gerald
Desmond Bridge. As ships get larger,
the infrastructure of the port - namely
the bridge height, width/depth of
waterways and docks/wharves - needs
to keep up.
How can we plan a new bridge that will
accommodate shipping and traffic
needs?

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 250 feet at highest point

157 feet at road level

Ground Level Ground Level

5134 feet
9
 A grade (or gradient) is the pitch of a slope,
and is often expressed as "rise over run".
It is used to express the steepness of slope of
a hill, stream, roof, railroad, or road.

This is especially important in trucking becaus

fully loaded “big rigs” can’t make it up a grad
that is too steep!
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 157 feet at road level

-2567 feet 2567 feet

Ground Level Ground Level

2567 run

Because the bridge is symmetrical,

let’s put it in a coordinate plane!
Then we can look at the average slope of
one side of the bridge.
Because we need to calculate slope,
we need to know the length of the base of the
triangle.
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 157 feet at road level

-2567 feet 2567 feet

157 rise

2567 run

Rise 157 rise

Slope = = 0.06116
Run 2567 run
0.06116
Change to percent by moving the
decimal two places to the right
6.116% grade
For our purposes, we will use the decimal form
(0.06116) because it is equal to the fraction
and we are writing an equation.
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Considering very heavy trucks use this
bridge, we will need to build a new bridge
with the same grade (or slope).

Same slope

13
 we raise the height of the bridge but keep
he same slope, what will happen to its span?

250 feet at road level

Same slope
250 rise
Same slope

x run

250 rise
0.06116 =
x run

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 we raise the height of the bridge but keep
he same slope, what will happen to its span?

0.06116 250 Cross multiply

=
1 x

0.06116 x = 250 Solve for “x”

0.06116 0.06116
x = 4087.6 feet
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 we raise the height of the bridge but keep
he same slope, what will happen to its span?

x = 4087.6 feet
span = 2 (4087.6 feet)
span = 8175.2 feet
250 feet at road level

-4087.6 feet 4087.6 feet

x x
8175.2 feet

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 250 feet at road level
-4088 feet 4088 feet

Ground Level Ground Level

8175 feet
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If we raise the height of the bridge to 275
feet?

275 feet at road level

Same slope
275 rise
Same slope

x run

275 rise
0.06116 =
x run
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 we raise the height of the bridge but keep
he same slope, what will happen to its span?

0.06116 275 Cross multiply

=
1 x

0.06116 x = 275 Solve for “x”

0.06116 0.06116

x = 4496.4 feet
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 we raise the height of the bridge but keep
he same slope, what will happen to its span?

x = 4496.4 feet
span = 2 (4496.4 feet)
span = 8992.8 feet
275 feet at road level

-4496.4 feet 4496.4 feet

x x
8992.8 feet

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 275 feet at road level
-4496 feet 4496 feet

Ground Level Ground Level

8993 feet
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If we raise the height of the
bridge to 300 feet?

300 feet at road level

Same slope
300 rise
Same slope

x run

300 rise
0.06116 =
x run

22
 we raise the height of the bridge but keep
he same slope, what will happen to its span?

0.06116 300 Cross multiply

=
1 x

0.06116 x = 300 Solve for “x”

0.06116 0.06116

x = 4905.2 feet
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 we raise the height of the bridge but keep
he same slope, what will happen to its span?

x = 4905.2 feet
span = 2 (4905.2 feet)
span = 9810.4 feet
300 feet at road level

-4905.2 feet 4905.2 feet

x x
9810.4 feet

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 300 feet at road level
-4905 feet 4905 feet

Ground Level Ground Level

9810 feet
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 Current ½ span: 2567 feet
What new problem can you now see that
limits the height of the bridge?
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 2567 feet
250’ 1.6 times the blue length
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 2567 feet
275’ 1.75 times the blue length
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 2567 feet
300’ 2 times the blue length
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Written Reflection

• What limits the height of a future

bridge?

• What solutions can you imagine

for that problem?

• Are the ideas you have realistic?

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