Schuyler Heim Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge
in the Port of Los Angeles
.
The bridge, dedicated on January 10, 1948, allows State Route 47
(the Terminal Island Freeway) to cross over the Cerritos Channel. It is the largest vertical lift bridge on the West Coast. The deck of the bridge is an open grid to decrease weight and ease lifting of the bridge to allow ship traffic to pass underneath.
SR 47 and the connecting State Route 103 are heavily used by trucks to bypass part of the crowded Interstate 710 freeway. Due to the large amount of heavy truck traffic over the bridge, the deck is subject to excessive wear. The deck was completely replaced in 1997 but was still under extreme distress. The California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) installed eight experimental fiber reinforced polymer
(FRP) panels and attached sensors to test stress, load bearing, and temperature variations of the panels to determine their effectiveness as a permanent replacement. Chicago-based engineering firm CTLGroup
installed strain gages and thermocouples within the layers of the FRP. Each month, technicians perform a remote static load test of the bridge, providing direction to onsite Caltrans staff while monitoring real-time data from the firm's Chicago office.
A proposal has been made to replace the Schuyler Heim Bridge with a four-lane fixed-span bridge by 2011.
The Chief Engineer for the bridge was the late Henry Wilson.
. Mike Connors
, playing Joe Mannix, is seen running across the bridge. It was also seen on an episode of the 1970s TV series "Emergency!." The bridge plays a key role in the plot of the 2010 motion picture Inception
.
Lift bridge
A vertical-lift bridge or lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck....
in the Port of Los Angeles
Port of Los Angeles
The Port of Los Angeles, also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT L.A, is a port complex that occupies of land and water along of waterfront. The port is located on San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, approximately south of downtown...
.
The bridge, dedicated on January 10, 1948, allows State Route 47
California State Route 47
State Route 47 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, connecting Terminal Island to the mainland in the Los Angeles area. From its south end at I-110 in San Pedro, it heads east across the Vincent Thomas Bridge to the island and the end of state maintenance...
(the Terminal Island Freeway) to cross over the Cerritos Channel. It is the largest vertical lift bridge on the West Coast. The deck of the bridge is an open grid to decrease weight and ease lifting of the bridge to allow ship traffic to pass underneath.
SR 47 and the connecting State Route 103 are heavily used by trucks to bypass part of the crowded Interstate 710 freeway. Due to the large amount of heavy truck traffic over the bridge, the deck is subject to excessive wear. The deck was completely replaced in 1997 but was still under extreme distress. The California Department of Transportation
California Department of Transportation
The California Department of Transportation is a government department in the U.S. state of California. Its mission is to improve mobility across the state. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems throughout the state...
(Caltrans) installed eight experimental fiber reinforced polymer
Fibre-reinforced plastic
Fibre-reinforced plastic is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually fibreglass, carbon, or aramid, while the polymer is usually an epoxy, vinylester or polyester thermosetting plastic...
(FRP) panels and attached sensors to test stress, load bearing, and temperature variations of the panels to determine their effectiveness as a permanent replacement. Chicago-based engineering firm CTLGroup
CTLGroup
CTLGroup is an engineering, testing, and consulting firm that began in 1916 as the research and development laboratory for the Portland Cement Association , which was formed to develop the use of portland cement in construction.-Background:...
installed strain gages and thermocouples within the layers of the FRP. Each month, technicians perform a remote static load test of the bridge, providing direction to onsite Caltrans staff while monitoring real-time data from the firm's Chicago office.
A proposal has been made to replace the Schuyler Heim Bridge with a four-lane fixed-span bridge by 2011.
The Chief Engineer for the bridge was the late Henry Wilson.
In popular culture
The bridge is seen in the opening credits of the American television series MannixMannix
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
. Mike Connors
Mike Connors
Mike Connors is an American actor best known for playing detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series, Mannix. Before that, he had played a crime-fighting investigator, wielding a .38 handgun hidden in his back, in another CBS series, Tightrope.-Early life:Connors was born Krekor Ohanian in...
, playing Joe Mannix, is seen running across the bridge. It was also seen on an episode of the 1970s TV series "Emergency!." The bridge plays a key role in the plot of the 2010 motion picture Inception
Inception
Inception: The Subconscious Jams 1994-1995 is a compilation of unreleased tracks by the band Download.-Track listing:# "Primitive Tekno Jam" – 3:23# "Bee Sting Sickness" – 8:04# "Weed Acid Techno" – 8:19...
.