@ycplum7062

1 year ago

Back in the late 1980's, I served as a Cavalry Scout at Fort Knox. One time, we were out training, determining road grades through the use of maps and without maps, estimating water speeds of rivers, and determining the weight capacity of bridges using simple calculations based on bridge length, span lengths, type of material, size and number structural components. We were at two-track rail bridge made from wooden timbers. The platoon sergeant asked if this bridge can support a single M-1 tank crossing over it one at a time. I quickly said yes, thinking nothing of it. Everyone went silent. They did not have time to count the timber,guesimate the span length, etc., much less do the calculations using a mechanical computer (a wheel, but functionally similar to a slide rule), which I did not use. However, I actually had a BS in engineering before I enlisted. They all wondered if I actually did the calculations in my head. The Platoon sergeant asked me how I knew. I said that based on the maps we were using, this bridge is the only rail line heading east. In case of a war with the USSR (they had not collapsed yet and it was not obvious they would), all equipment (to include M-1 tanks) from Fort Knox would have to use this bridge to get to the East Coast, before being load on to ships to reinforce Europe. Not only can the bridge support one M-1, it can support a train loaded with M-1s. Everyone broke out laughing. It seems you did not have to do a bunch of calculations to answer an engineering question, even if you have an engineering degree.

18 |