Hoover Dam
- Thread starter walkinghorse
- Start date
I admit that I struggled with the slipstick. My dad was very fast with one and took pride in knowing how to use one.
Often, young engineers would look at the slide rule in his pocket and say "you're kidding me" and then get a display of speed cipherin'.
I would love to ask the 17th century inventors, "did the aliens leave you the drawings"?
Often, young engineers would look at the slide rule in his pocket and say "you're kidding me" and then get a display of speed cipherin'.
I would love to ask the 17th century inventors, "did the aliens leave you the drawings"?
Want more accuracy...
Want more accuracy? Use one of those 20" long jobs.
Seriously, I had the privilege of knowing a few real old time engineers. One of my favorites, old Mr. Black, bless his soul estimated the pull out strength of a 'rebar' in concrete which was really a threaded rod. He mused, The concrete is 4 days old, so it should have a strength of so and so and length of imbedment is 6", the bar is 1/2 diameter, which is approximately equal to a # blah blah rebar which totals an outside area of blank in 6" and.......I think it should pull out at about 200#. This was all out of his head. We started the machine and the bar pulled out...at 210 pounds. We were bowing down to the Great God of Engineering.
Want more accuracy? Use one of those 20" long jobs.
Seriously, I had the privilege of knowing a few real old time engineers. One of my favorites, old Mr. Black, bless his soul estimated the pull out strength of a 'rebar' in concrete which was really a threaded rod. He mused, The concrete is 4 days old, so it should have a strength of so and so and length of imbedment is 6", the bar is 1/2 diameter, which is approximately equal to a # blah blah rebar which totals an outside area of blank in 6" and.......I think it should pull out at about 200#. This was all out of his head. We started the machine and the bar pulled out...at 210 pounds. We were bowing down to the Great God of Engineering.
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For a treatise on the strength of dams......
......see 'The Dam Busters', a mostly true movie about the developing of the 'bouncing bomb' that was used to attack three dams in the Ruhr region during WWII to cripple German industry. I believe the score was that they busted one wide open, damaged another and failed to take out another. The ingenuity in inventing ways to approach at very low altitude and target the dams for the precise drop is worth watching the movie for by itself.
For another movie that really shows what kind of brains were at work during the war, see "The Man Who Never Was" about floating a body with fake documents in Spain where it was bound to end up in German hands. The first half is brilliant deception and the second half is spy thriller as the Germans try to verify the authenticity of the documents.
This stuff beats fiction any day of the week.
......see 'The Dam Busters', a mostly true movie about the developing of the 'bouncing bomb' that was used to attack three dams in the Ruhr region during WWII to cripple German industry. I believe the score was that they busted one wide open, damaged another and failed to take out another. The ingenuity in inventing ways to approach at very low altitude and target the dams for the precise drop is worth watching the movie for by itself.
For another movie that really shows what kind of brains were at work during the war, see "The Man Who Never Was" about floating a body with fake documents in Spain where it was bound to end up in German hands. The first half is brilliant deception and the second half is spy thriller as the Germans try to verify the authenticity of the documents.
This stuff beats fiction any day of the week.
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OP
Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.- Mark Twain
And in keeping with truth........Samuel Clemens !
My girlfriends.....
My girlfriends liked to be spanked with it. Who says nerds don't have more fun? Not too many people know about the nerdo-machismo fetish. Walking around campus with a long object hanging from your belt was a sure draw for chicks.
You can use your slide rule if you want, but I always used the leather sheath my 12" K&E slide rule was carried in. ......
My girlfriends liked to be spanked with it. Who says nerds don't have more fun? Not too many people know about the nerdo-machismo fetish. Walking around campus with a long object hanging from your belt was a sure draw for chicks.
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daniel lawecki
Member
Isn't the best temp for concrete to cure is 55 degrees. They had hose or cooling lines with cold water. They poured the overpasses here at night this summer and ran cooling lines. In the winter they had portable heating lines.
Gpsman
Member
I am a professional land surveyor turned greedy salesman of surveying equipment.
I still have a couple of transits, one is 100 years old, and an old Wye level.
Don't use them any more but I still could.
Gpsman
Member
I was in Las Vegas last week for Trimble Dimensions and got to talk to a couple of construction guys who were working on drilling under Lake Mead and
Then turning UP so there would be a water intake in the bottom. That way the area will have water no matter how low the reservoir gets.
Fascinating area. Both the dam and the new bridge are amazing.
My only complaint with the bridge is that the walls are so high you don't get to see what would be a wonderful view!
That reminds me...
Dumpy Level?? Is that the one that had four levelers you had to swing around 90 degrees to see if it was truly level through the whole rotation? When I got one that I actually worked with it had one fixed pivot and two levelers that was a cinch to set up. I never used anything electronic or laser.
Boy, these old names......a blast from the past.
Dumpy Level?? Is that the one that had four levelers you had to swing around 90 degrees to see if it was truly level through the whole rotation? When I got one that I actually worked with it had one fixed pivot and two levelers that was a cinch to set up. I never used anything electronic or laser.
Boy, these old names......a blast from the past.
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This was the view on the pedestrian bridge. The concrete barrier along the highway probably makes it hard to see out.
Attachments
bushmaster1313
Member
Am I the only one to notice that Lake Mead is drying up?
There should be no watering of lawns or washing of cars in any of the cities serviced by Lake Mead.
California should be doing some serious water rationing
There should be no watering of lawns or washing of cars in any of the cities serviced by Lake Mead.
California should be doing some serious water rationing
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Mike G 0351
US Veteran
Wasn't Hoover first named Boulder Dam..
Gpsman
Member
Yes. A Dumpy level has the long telescope and 4 leveling screws. A Wye level is the same with the addition of clamps that loosen and allow you to swap the telescope 180°
You youngsters that have never set up a 4 screw instrument!
They are more difficult!
Gpsman
Member
Nice! I should have gotten out of the car!
Crossed it twice last week going to and from the Grand Canyon
Crossed it twice last week going to and from the Grand Canyon
Yes.....
I believe the dam was named as a district project but the Boulder area site was found to be unsuitable for a dam, so it moved away. For a long time the name stuck until somebody figured that it needed a new name.
I used to think that Boulder Dam was a separate dam.
I believe the dam was named as a district project but the Boulder area site was found to be unsuitable for a dam, so it moved away. For a long time the name stuck until somebody figured that it needed a new name.
I used to think that Boulder Dam was a separate dam.
It has been long practice to name dams for a close by place. For example, Clark Hill Lake on the GA/SC border is named for Clarks Hill (sic).
Mom told me that when they were building the dam for Summersville Lake in WV, near Gad, WV, they were naturally were going to call it Gad Dam. People figured out that wasn't such a good idea.
Mom told me that when they were building the dam for Summersville Lake in WV, near Gad, WV, they were naturally were going to call it Gad Dam. People figured out that wasn't such a good idea.
dave holl
Absent Comrade
Since this dam thread has taken a turn, I thought about sharing this:
Back in the '60's and '70's I was teaching high school geometry and the school system owned 4 Wye transits in their wooden boxes, tripods, along with stadia rods. This was back in the day when creative teachers could really teach without jumping through bureaucratic BS.
I deviated from the normal lesson plan of proofs and compass/straightedge constructions and took the class outside to do 3 "surveying" projects. They were calculating the height of a transmitting tower, laying out a large triangular plot of land and finding its area, and finding the length of an imaginary bridge across the Olentangy river. I split the class into 4 groups, taught them basic trigonometry (functions, law of sines,cosines), and how to set up the transit. It also helped to know some alternative ways to find the area of a triangle besides the usual A=(1/2)bh.
To make a long story short, fun and learning was had by all. Luckily weather was good for the week. I obtained permission from WOSU to do the tower project. It was 1080ft tall. This was before the housing boom, so basically it was in the middle of a plowed field north of Westerville, OH. We found 50 or so dead song birds twanged by the guy wires, migrating warblers, sparrows, etc. All had sustained broken necks, and upper body injuries. Sad, but we picked up a bunch and donated to the biology dept at school. Probably couldn't do that today without a permit of some kind.
Dave
