Great Achievements notable structural engineers

Charles Macdonald ® By Frank Griggs, Jr., Ph.D., P.E., P.L.S.

and, starting in 1863, built short span iron bridges on what he called the isometrical Charles Macdonald as plan. He received a ASCE President. patent on the design, During the period from 1867 to 1912, and set up a company Charles Macdonald was one of the leading in PottstownCopyright to pro- bridge engineers in the world. His bridges mote and sell rights crossed major rivers in both the to build the bridge. and Australia. He needed a promo- Macdonald was born in Qananoque, Ontario tional piece and asked on January 26, 1837. At the age of 15, he Macdonald to prepare Kentucky and Bridge. worked for Samuel Keefer, one of Canada’s a pamphlet describing premier engineers, on the Grand Trunk Rail- his Isometric truss. Macdonald prepared a the design arm of Cooper, Hewitt and road in Ontario. He then attended Rensselaer 28-page report entitled, A Discussion of the Company of Trenton, N. J. After several years Polytechnic Institute in Troy, be- General Principles Involved in the Construction in business, he published an Illustrated Album tween 1854 and 1857. and Action of the Isometric Truss. His conclu- of his bridges and other iron works that is Upon graduation, he returned to the Grand sion was that the Isometrical Truss required undated, but was probably from the early Trunk. He was then appointed assistant engi- less iron in the web system than any other 1880s. In it, Macdonald gave descriptions and neer on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. trusses considered. Macdonald’s first bridge plates of many works completed by the firm. In late June of 1863, Robert E. Lee and his was the Perkiomen Bridge, of wood and One of the major bridges he prepared designs Confederate troops were invading iron on the Isometrical principle, over the for in this period was the proposed Blackwell’s and reached the Susquehanna River at several Schuylkill River at Phoenixville. Island Bridge at 76th Street over the East River points. Charles joined the 26th Pennsylvania In 1868, for a short period, Charles went in New York City. A design competition was Emergency Infantry and was given the magazinerank into a partnership under the name Macdonald set up with bridge companies asked to sub- of corporal. He was sent on a special assign- & Burton, building replacement bridges mit proposals for a bridge to cross over two mentS with two otherT men. When theyR arrived forU the Delaware &C Lackawanna T Railroad branchesU of the EastR River and Blackwell’sE at the gate on the York Turnpike, they met between Hoboken and Dover, New Jersey Island. Macdonald’s design won the competi- confederate cavalry and after a brief fight on what was called the Boonton Branch. tion. He immediately had a beautiful engraving were captured. After the battle at Gettysburg, After working as superintendent of bridge made of his winning design and included it Macdonald was paroled and returned to work construction for the Delaware, Lackawanna as a focal point in his first catalog. Due to a on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. J. and Western Railroad, he set up a company lack of funding, a bridge was not built across Dutton Steele was Chief Engineer of the line of his own in New York City. In 1871 and Blackwell’s Island until 1909. 1872, he built three bridg- In 1881, C. Shaler Smith was retained by es on the western end of the Kentucky and Indiana Bridge Company the line. to design a bridge across the Ohio River at In late 1871, Macdonald Louisville. However, in 1883 Macdonald took built his first major swing over. He and Hemberle modified Smith’s bridge carrying Point Street plans and proposed one for a similar canti- over the Providence River lever. Their steel span lengths were the same in Providence, Rhode Island. as Smith’s, but their truss patterns were very The swing span was 250 different. All foundations were in place by feet and opened on Octo- July 6, 1885, and the bridge was tested and ber 22, 1872. Engineering, opened on July 15, 1886. London gave a full descrip- On March 4, 1884, while the Kentucky tion of the bridge in their and Indiana Bridge was under construction, February 14 and 24, 1873 Macdonald, along with T. C. Clarke, George issues. Field, Edmund Hayes, Charles Kellogg and In 1875, Charles went Charles S. Maurice, formed the Union Bridge into business with Edward Company with offices in New York and shops Hemberle as the Delaware (Works) in Athens, Pennsylvania and Buffalo, Macdonald Advertisement. Bridge Company. It was New York. The former Kellogg and Maurice

STRUCTURE magazine 45 January 2009 ® Copyright

Union Bridge Company advertisement. Company, formed in 1872, had its fabrication work, which reached another shop in Athens, Pennsylvania. The Works in 120 feet in the air to support Buffalo, New York were formerly the shops of the traveler used to erect the the Central Bridge Company that was formed steel. From tip of pile to top in 1881. Macdonald, Clarke and Hayes were of traveler was over 340 feet. the engineers and Field, Kellogg and Maurice The speed of steel erection the fabricators. In their advertisement, was extremely rapid, as was New York and New Jersey Cantilever Span 1894. they displayed C. C. Schneider’s Niagara placing of foundations for Cantilever built by Central Bridge in 1883. the piers in the deep water of the Hudson Clarke and Kellogg left the company in Macdonald was the acknowledged leader of River. They started work on October 8, 1886 1887 but Union Bridge, under Macdonald, the team and had the most money invested and the approach viaduct, which was a major continued to build major bridges in the in the company. structure in its own right, was completed United States. In response to requests for The Poughkeepsie Bridge across the Hud- December 29, 1889. On January 1, 1890, the proposals, they built Theodore Cooper’s son River was under consideration for many day the charter ran out, regular service began. Sixth Street Bridge across the Allegheny River years. Construction actually began in 1873magazine Its 525-foot anchor trusses were the longest in Pittsburgh and to the designs of George on a design by the American Bridge Company, simple spans in the world at the time of con- Morison the Merchants Bridge, the Memphis but caissonS problems Tcaused them toR go into struction.U The 548-foot C cantilever spansT were CantileverU and the WinonaR Bridge allE over bankruptcy and work stopped in 1874. The the longest in the world as well. The bridge the Mississippi, the Leavenworth Bridge over new company took over the construction in is currently being restored as a pedestrian the River and the Cairo Bridge over 1886 and “proceeded immediately to work, bridge, and is scheduled to open in 2009. the Ohio River. They built the Sibley Bridge and made a sub-contract with the Union The Hawkesbury Bridge in Australia was a across the Missouri and the Fort Madison Bridge Bridge Company.” Based upon experience major accomplishment for Macdonald and across the Mississippi for Octave Chanute. with the Kentucky and Indiana Bridge as Clarke, as they won an international compe- In 1894-95, Macdonald prepared plans for well as the Niagara Bridge, they decided a tition beating out many international bridge a bridge across the Hudson River where T. cantilever design would best meet site con- building firms. A request for proposals went C. Clarke was Chief Engineer for the New ditions and restraints. The falsework was very out in 1884 and 15 bridge firms responded, York and New Jersey Bridge Company. complex, as the bridge deck would be 212 with Union Bridge submitting a design for Clarke requested proposals for a 2,300-foot feet above sea level. Wooden piles over 130 seven spans of 416 feet using Whipple Double span, 2,000 feet clear, cantilever bridge with feet long were driven to support the false- Intersection trusses with five piers being sunk the New Jersey pier 900 feet into the river. to a depth of 150 to 160 The War Department rejected the plan and feet. The Board of Examiners required the bridge be built with no piers was unanimous in recom- between the pier head lines. Clarke and mending Union Bridge for Theodore Cooper updated the specifications, the project even though the calling for a 3,000-foot clear suspension span. bid was not the lowest. They Macdonald submitted a new plan that was were awarded the project in approved by the war department, but due to January 1886 and Macdonald funding problems the bridge was never built. went to Australia to super- On March 4, 1901, J. P. Morgan and his vise portions of the work. new American Bridge Company bought 24 The bridge as built was on bridge fabricating and design firms, including time and within budget. Union Bridge Company. Macdonald was Poughkeepsie Bridge.

STRUCTURE magazine 46 January 2009 STRUCTURE magazine named to the Board of Directors as were most “must combine strength of the leaders of the other companies, and and durability with attrac- he was appointed Vice President. After a tive outline and artistic year, he retired from the active practice of excellence. It is not sufficient bridge building. that a bridge, for example, The Quebec cantilever collapsed while un- shall be strong enough to der construction in 1907, killing 75 men. carry its load… It is true Macdonald was called out of retirement to that what is called Art has ® serve on a Board that was determining what not been considered a fixed kind of bridge would replace the Phoenix science…Nevertheless, I be- Bridge Design. He agreed to serve only as lieve it will be found to be long as necessary to evaluate the tenders. the fact that the structure After a disagreement over the design, the which has been designed chairman of the Board resigned and Mac- upon the most scientifically donald took over as acting Chairman. With accurate proportions, that the design selection and the signing of the is to say which accomplish- New York and New Jersey Suspension Bridge with Terminal on right. contract, Macdonald resigned and was re- es the object for which it placed by Lt. Col. Charles N. Monsarrat. was intendedCopyright in accordance with Nature’s great The bridge finally opened in 1917 after law, will present the most pleasing outline, and another major failure during construction, that eventually the conception of the Engineer Dr. Griggs specializes in the restoration of when the suspended span fell into the river and the Architect will merge in that of the true historic bridges, having restored many 19 th during placement and killed another 13 Artist and Engineer of whom the immortal Mi- Century cast and wrought iron bridges. men. This was the last project Macdonald chael Angelo was the great prototype.” He was formerly Director of Historic worked on as a practicing engineer. Macdonald died in his hometown July 8, Bridge Programs for Clough, Harbour He was a lifelong supporter of Rensselaer 1928 at the age of 91. A newspaper article & Associates LLP in Albany NY, and is Polytechnic Institute, serving on the Board noted, “The late Dr. Macdonald was entitled now an independent Consulting Engineer. of Trustees for many years. He was active in to the recognition as one of the greatest bridge Dr. Griggs can be reached via email at ASCE serving as Director, Vice President, builders of the North American continent [email protected]. and President in 1908. and enjoyed a reputation in this connection In his ASCE presidential address on Engineer- second to none.”▪ ing Ideals, he wrote that the engineer: S T Rmagazine ADVERTISEMENTU – For Advertiser CInformation, visit www. structureTmag.org U R E

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