The Golden Gate Bridge is not expected to collapse in a major earthquake. But it could suffer enough damage to close for months or longer — and repairs to ensure that won’t happen are slated to start next year.
The bridge’s steel elements are designed to move with seismic forces — as much as 27 feet from side to side at the suspension span’s midpoint. But the concrete roadway and pylons (which anchor the span to the ground at either end) are less flexible, a mismatch that could be disastrous during a 1906-level earthquake.
“They won’t be moving in sync, and they’ll be banging into each other,” said John Eberle, an engineer for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District…