Author Topic: bridge collapsed (Read 1098 times)

FBplmmr · « **on:** August 01, 2007, 07:03:32 PM »

check the news-- a bridge collapsed in Minneapolis.

JB73 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 01, 2007, 07:12:27 PM »

YIKES!

google maps of the part that failed:
http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&channel=s&q=&ll=44.979386,-93.2447&spn=0.00359,0.010815&t=k&z=17&om=1

We just were calling our Minneapolis terminal to make sure all our trucks got back in one piece, and not stuck in the mess.

I actually hear about this about 45 min ago, but have been working on other stuff so I couldn't post about it.

john9001 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 01, 2007, 07:44:12 PM »

the brooklyn bridge is over 100 years old and still working, there were no computers around when it was built.

Masherbrum · « **Reply #3 on:** August 01, 2007, 07:52:59 PM »

Classy.

lasersailor184 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 01, 2007, 08:18:32 PM »

Sometimes I wish I wasn't studying this right now. It's scary to think what a few errors in structural calculations along with construction field concessions can add up to.

Ignorance is bliss.

MstWntd · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2007, 08:49:48 PM »

They've been talking about the same thing for an hour...

I need newer news

SteveBailey · « **Reply #6 on:** August 01, 2007, 08:54:11 PM »

I drove across that bridge one week ago.

clerick · « **Reply #7 on:** August 01, 2007, 09:28:46 PM »

It has been all over the news here in Minnesota. So far there are a few fatalities reported but the numbers vary.

Most reports indicate that despite the fact that it was rush hour that relatively few cars were on it when it collapsed. The bridge was undergoing some cosmetic repairs, according to all reports it was just the concrete deck that was being repaired, along with the updating of some of the lighting and the addition of a deicing system.

Considering that on a normal day this bridge carries 150,000 cars it is amazing that there weren't more cars on the bridge. Some reports say as few as 50-60. Add to this the fact that the Twins play tonight just a few blocks away, and that this bridge is a major access point to the stadium, and that it was near the end of rush hour it is amazing that that number wasn't in the hundreds.

Our prayers and thoughts go out to all of the families affected by this, but our gratitude also to all of those men and women who rushed to the scene.

AKIron · « **Reply #8 on:** August 01, 2007, 11:03:40 PM »

Very sad. May be time to take a close look at a few thousand other bridges around the country.

McFarland · « **Reply #9 on:** August 02, 2007, 06:17:55 AM »

There is now a video out of the collapse. Tis a very sad thing. Should never have happened.

eskimo2 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 02, 2007, 09:21:54 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by McFarland
There is now a video out of the collapse. Tis a very sad thing. Should never have happened.

Here's the link:
http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=3850

Also, the death count has been lowered from 7 to 4. That's good.
Personally I always overestimate deaths in these kinds of things. It would be great if the scuba divers found no one else... I doubt it though.

McFarland · « **Reply #11 on:** August 02, 2007, 09:50:59 AM »

That isn't the video I saw, the one I saw was a view from the side. You could actually see a car buckle and fold up on itself as a piece broke. I can't seem to find it, though.

lasersailor184 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 02, 2007, 11:02:45 AM »

It appears that something gave out on the near side of the breitbart video. Very hard to tell without looking, but it looks like a complete shearing of the connections at a column.

If so, that's very poor engineering. Or possibly very poor weather protection.

But I can't tell without further look.

Red Tail 444 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 02, 2007, 11:26:23 AM »

This spring there was an investigative report on the condition of roads and bridges in Minnesota, many of them are in disrepair. There has been much ado about road conditions for a long time out here but nothing's been done about it, it just gets turned into the all too common partisan themed soundbyte.

I look forward to the engineers finding the cause of the collapse. I can't believe that anyone would ignore telltale signs on this particular bridge. Ely, Denison, maybe, but 35W? that's ridiculous.

Seagoon · « **Reply #14 on:** August 02, 2007, 02:03:40 PM »

Hi Red Tail,

Quote

Originally posted by Red Tail 444
This spring there was an investigative report on the condition of roads and bridges in Minnesota, many of them are in disrepair. There has been much ado about road conditions for a long time out here but nothing's been done about it, it just gets turned into the all too common partisan themed soundbyte.

You don't need to be a prophet to see money pouring from on high into bridge safety now. It's the same process that produced strict life-boat regs after the Titanic sank.

I also see lawsuits coming, many, many lawsuits....