Rick Stupart Built to Fail

They called it "Galloping Gertie." Four months later, it was gone. On November 7, 1940, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge twisted itself to death in a moderate wind-and changed engineering forever. This wasn't an act of God. It was an act of arrogance. Built to Fail reveals how a "prettier" design, ignored warnings, and mathematical shortcuts created one of history's most spectacular engineering disasters. Engineer and author Rick Stupart dissects the deadly combination of aesthetic ambition and scientific negligence that turned a revolutionary suspension bridge into a cautionary tale. Inside, discover: Why engineers dismissed wind as "just air"The critical calculations they skippedHow eyewitness testimony exposed design hubrisLessons that reshaped modern bridge engineering This isn't just history-it's a warning. When engineers guess instead of calculate, gravity always wins. For readers fascinated by engineering failures, structural disasters, and the thin line between innovation and catastrophe.