Why is the Golden Gate Bridge Singing? (Video)

The world-famous Golden Gate Bridge started producing unusual sounds over the last week as the winds in the San Francisco Bay went up to 27.7mph WNW.

The Golden Gate Bridge is 83 years old. Although it’s built almost a century ago, the ergonomics and design of the bridge are impeccable. Even today this icon serves as an example of modern architecture.

Since the beginning in early 1930, when the project went public, it was aiming to build a bridge that has never been done before. A construction over the Golden Gate strait would connect the peninsula of San Francisco with the Marin Headlands. This strait is where the incredibly strong forces of wind and the deep ocean current meet. When standing on the bridge, although it’s hard to notice, the bridge is constantly moving adapting to forces of nature.

When the new aerodynamics was placed, engineers wanted to strengthen the bridge under high winds. Because of the new railing system, the bridge started singing. This phenomenon is not new to us. There have been other structures around the world that produce sounds under high winds. This is known as “singing” or “humming”.

San Franciscans say the bridge is producing an unsettling frequency of sounds.

The signing of the bridge can be heard from three miles radius. Bird species, whales, and other animals are also affected by this noise. We hope when the winds will die down, the Cowboys in the sky (that’s the Golden Gate Bridge Ironworkers’ nickname) will fix it.

Imagine if your neighbor started playing very loud music and the party goes on for days.

 

 

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