Bridge Collapse

[Lolabelle]

I was just watching Fox News, and saw the footage of the Minneapolis Bridge collapse. How awful. We put so much faith in these structures, but they aren't infallable. I really feel for all the people whose family members have been hurt or killed, let alone if they just don't know if their loved ones are involved.

[johno]

That is a bad one, says here that its in Mississipi. Wonder what went out of shape there, i thought that there were bridge inspector,s that went round all these structures regulary. What can one say in these circumstances, nothing said will help the people who perished there. feel sorry for all involved.
:~(

[corgiman]

I think the contractors who are working on the bridge are going to have some very serious questions to answer, something went very wrong here

[Jeemag_USA]

It was in Minneapolis, Minnesota not Mississippi, it runs across the Mississipi River which itself runs the whole length of the states. This morning they said on the radio 9 are dead and 20 people are missing with a lot injured, they expect to have a clearer picture today after wreckage is combed through. Most of the injured people are suffering from Blood Trauma so it is hard to tell the extent of their injuries.

[paris]

I saw this on sky new in the early hours, don't know why but it reminded me of the zeebrugge?? ferry accident a few years ago now. How sad for all those involved. Jan x:~(

[connieb19]

It said on the Radio that the Emergency Services stopped for the night and started the rescue again this morning, if this is true it's a disgrace. :~(

[Persephone]

feel very sorry for all involved. whenever there's a disaster like this, i can't help thinking something more sinister is going on...

[percy toboggan]

feel very sorry for all involved. whenever there's a disaster like this, i can't help thinking something more sinister is going on...

I understand your feelings Persephone but even in this age of the terrorist there are still architectural failures and structural cock-ups. The bridge subject to road works I believe and might have had excess (more than normal) weight on one side of it. All conjecture. In a country so vast and with so much infrastructure, news like this is incredibly, and thankfully rare.

[johno]

I understand your feelings Persephone but even in this age of the terrorist there are still architectural failures and structural cock-ups. The bridge subject to road works I believe and might have had excess (more than normal) weight on one side of it. All conjecture. In a country so vast and with so much infrastructure, news like this is incredibly, and thankfully rare.
they had an expert on the telly earlier on and apparently this bridge only rated a poor four out nine for an eight lane bridge.
some thing to do with the way it was constructed. that,s sad.

[karia]

It said on the Radio that the Emergency Services stopped for the night and started the rescue again this morning, if this is true it's a disgrace. :~(

I don't think they just 'knocked off' and went to McDonalds Connie!

There were safety and visibility issues.

Karia

[Lolabelle]

they had an expert on the telly earlier on and apparently this bridge only rated a poor four out nine for an eight lane bridge.
some thing to do with the way it was constructed. that,s sad.

I heard that the bridge, having been built some 30 years ago, was never designed for the amount of traffic that was using it these days.

[George Brims]

It said on the Radio that the Emergency Services stopped for the night and started the rescue again this morning, if this is true it's a disgrace. :~(

The only thing that stopped due to bad visibility was the divers.

[George Brims]

I heard that the bridge, having been built some 30 years ago, was never designed for the amount of traffic that was using it these days.

That just doesn't make sense. No-one would design a bridge that couldn't take the situation where traffic got jammed nose to tail in both directions, which would be the most traffic that would fit.

My guess is it's age not aged design that is the problem. They will figure it out I am sure.

[Humerous Vegetable]

I heard that the bridge, having been built some 30 years ago, was never designed for the amount of traffic that was using it these days.

Bit like the Forth bridge then, which is 10 years older. I don't use it much these days, but I'm always relieved to get to the other side.

[Angela]

That just doesn't make sense. No-one would design a bridge that couldn't take the situation where traffic got jammed nose to tail in both directions, which would be the most traffic that would fit.

My guess is it's age not aged design that is the problem. They will figure it out I am sure.

True, but an unexpectedly high volume of traffic over a number of years would affect the condition of the bridge, surely? Just like the Forth Road Bridge here.

Not the age of the design, but the age of the bridge itself that's been the problem, I think.

I've heard reports suggesting that it had been in less than perfect condition for some time. :(

[Jeemag_USA]

I heard that the bridge, having been built some 30 years ago, was never designed for the amount of traffic that was using it these days.

I think what the reports actually are saying is that the bridge ws not designed for what ws being done at the moment, it was undergoing repairs on one side with very heavy machinery and traffci was being channeled thickly on less lanes, so what was happening was it was more congested for longer periods of time with slower moving traffic, so there was more daily weight on the bridge for prolonged periods and they are looking at the decisions made by the surveyors and planners who came up with the repair plans, think thats where that story came from, I don't think its a case of the bridge was never designed to take heavy traffic.

[Jeemag_USA]

True, but an unexpectedly high volume of traffic over a number of years would affect the condition of the bridge, surely? Just like the Forth Road Bridge here.

Not the age of the design, but the age of the bridge itself that's been the problem, I think.

I've heard reports suggesting that it had been in less than perfect condition for some time. :(

Bridges are a big sore point in most states over the last four or five years. In Indianapolis there is a prolonged bridge repair project going on for years now which keeps stalling and stumbling because of revenue that is not available, and also it takes a long time, where i used to live on the north side they repaired a large section of elevated motorway, it had to be done one side at a time and they made the other side for both directions of traffic until one side was done and then did the other side, it caused about 18 months of diversions and congestion. There is a lack of money and Bush is partly to blame for that for appropriating as much as 1000 Billion into Afghanistam and Iraq. Unfortunately the US economy is eroding in many different places because of things like this, and now they need 500 million to repair the bridge like it or not which effects the economy even more. Its a pretty dire situation for the next president as far as I can see, spending abroad is going to have to stop or things will never get sorted, the same can be said about the Levees in New Orleans, misappropriated funds and neglect.

[Rheghead]

I don't think the amount of traffic has necessarily anything to do with this disaster, I would be very surprised if it did though I can see that this reason is a very easy one to level at this stage.

In my old draughting days, I was taught that designers take into account large safety factors in their plans. It is easy to see that the bridge's own weight accounts for the largest strain on the load bearers so even if there was a several fold increase in traffic, I can't see the structural integrity failing on a pristine structure. I rather suspect that there has been a structural failure due to corrosion or something of that nature or an actual design fault integral to the design due to noise and vibration, but regular checks should pick those things up.