Joseph Strauss was an American engineer who is best known for his work on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. Strauss was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1870 and received his degree in civil engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1892. He went on to work on a number of bridge projects throughout the United States, including the Maryland Steel Company’s bridge over the Missouri River, the Iowa Central Railway Bridge over the Des Moines River, and the Second Street Bridge in Cincinnati.
In 1917, Strauss was chosen as the chief engineer for the Golden Gate Bridge project. At the time, the Golden Gate Strait was considered to be one of the most treacherous bodies of water in the world, and many people believed that it was impossible to build a bridge across it. However, Strauss was determined to prove them wrong. He spent years designing and testing prototypes for the bridge, and in the end, he came up with a design that was both aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound.
Construction on the Golden Gate Bridge began in 1933, and it was officially opened to the public on May 27, 1937. Strauss served as the chief engineer on the project until his death in 1938. Despite facing numerous challenges and setbacks throughout the construction process, Strauss was able to see the completion of one of the most iconic landmarks in American history. The Golden Gate Bridge has since become a symbol of American ingenuity and engineering prowess, and it continues to be a major tourist attraction to this day.
References:
https://www.goldengate.org/bridge/history-research/bridge-construction/joseph-strauss/
