Tacoma Narrows Bridge Photo Album
Cable Spinning
Simply described, “cable spinning” is a mechanical
process whereby steel wires get carried between the anchorages and over the
towers until a total of 19,000 miles of steel wire have been spun.
Massive spools of steel wire will be secured to each anchorage and a spinning
wheel will pull individual wires off of the large spools. As the pilot rope
(a wire that guides cable being spun) moves, the spinning wheel follows. The
wheels that carry wire travel up and over the towers, across the water to the
opposite anchorage and back again, laying each pencil-thin wire parallel to
the other.
A total of 19 strands, each containing 464 wires, will be compacted and wrapped to complete the main suspensions cable. A total of
8,816 individual steel wires are needed to create a 20½-inch cable.
Click on any thumbnail for enlarged image and description.
(Last updated 04/28/06)
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