ABSTRACT
On October 25, 1965, downtown St. Louis stopped in its tracks and thousands watched as the last piece of the mammoth Gateway Arch was being put into place. Th e weight of the two sides required braces to prevent them from falling against each other. Fire hoses poured water down the sides to keep the stainless steel cool, which kept the metal from expanding as the sun rose higher. Some horizontal adjustments were required, but when the last piece was put into place and the braces released, it fi t perfectly, according to plan, and no one was surprised (Liggett, 1998). Th e thousands of onlookers applauded as the sun refl ected off the bright span. Th e architects and engineers who were also watching smiled and went back to their offi ces.
