Posted on 09/19/2018 8:36:34 AM PDT by Gamecock
A rural politician in eastern Saskatchewan says he’s at a loss to explain why a newly built bridge collapsed just hours after opening.
But by 4:30 p.m. the same day, part of bridge deck had collapsed into the Swan River below.
“The company did not build a bridge to fall over. We sure didn’t buy a bridge to fall over,” Hicks said. “Nobody expected this.”
He received a call from the fire department soon after saying that the bridge went down.
Hicks suspects there may have been something under the bridge that let go which caused the collapse. He said he’s not blaming anyone, because he doesn’t know what happened.
The previous bridge had been in place for more than 50 years and Hicks estimates that 50 to 60 cars pass over it each day.
The bridge is mostly used by farmers, so Hicks said the municipality wanted the bridge completed in time for harvest.
Hicks, who has been the reeve for two years, said the bridge was built to Canadian standards and the municipality has been told it won’t be on the hook for the cost of repairs.
(Excerpt) Read more at theglobeandmail.com ...
Yes. It looks like the left portion settled and collapsed the bridge. Engineering 101. Be sure supports in water are solid.
Could it have been outsourced engineers?
There is some sort of engineering competence collapse happening. It seems universal.
Engineering projects that could be easily done 50 years ago are failing.
I’ve posted about the Bay Bridge to Oakland before. Another Bay Area “engineering wonder” is here
https://www.constructiondive.com/news/sinking-millennium-tower-could-cost-up-to-500m-to-fix/521771/
Hicks suspects there may have been something under the bridge that let go which caused the collapse.
Maybe the Troll left who was holding the bridge up.
BTW that bridge looks sketchy to begin with.
Designed and built by the Larry, Moe & Curly Construction company.
“Is it my imagination,or did the left pylon supports “settle”?”
that’s the most likely cause of collapse ... pylons probably shifted or twisted because they weren’t driven deeply enough into the mud ... not much leeway either given the ridiculously narrow beams that that the trusses sit on ... whole thing looks like amateur hour ...
Never forget that bridges are built by the lowest bidder.
Thankfully nobody was hurt. I am not an engineer, but I would have expected to see a concrete base below each set of support pilings.
The prior bridge lasted 50 years, this didn’t last 50 days. The folks interviewed seem might calm about the whole thing.
I’m sure that the construction company and all of the engineers fully met the diversity standards including First Nations representation. Diversity and inclusion is the way to prevent bridge collapses.
Youre right the only things that look new is the pilings.
Maybe they pulled up a bunch of timber columns up along with that pesky concrete stuff on the bottom that just wouldn’t fall off.
Hicks said the foreman phoned him on Friday, before the collapse, to tell him that “something isn’t quite right here.” Hicks and an RM councillor drove to the site to take a look. He said it appeared that the pilings were sinking.
About an hour later, a nearby farmer heard “a big sloosh,” Hicks explained. A neighbour joined in to help and the two farmers called 911 and took action to close the bridge to traffic.
“They saved, potentially, people’s lives,” said Hicks. “Because if you’re driving along, not looking, that would be a hell of a hole to drive into.”
The specific cause of the bridge’s weakness is still a mystery, according to Hicks, who said the Regina-based construction and engineering companies will now conduct an investigation.
“They don’t know if there’s an air or gas pocket or underground river or whatever,” he said.
“It wasn’t structurally faulty. The fault is in what God did under the river.”
“...said the bridge was built to Canadian standards ...”
That explains it....liberal (democrat) government...same ones who designed their health care system and gun laws.
How do you build a brand new rotten old bridge?
That’s a NEW bridge?
Bridge built by Affirmative Action idiots instead of evil white engineers?
Once the engineer’s name becomes public she’s going to be very embarrassed.
I bet The Bandit could jump that Bridge from the far side.
Looks like the Supports on one side sank into the River.
“Hicks suspects there may have been something under the bridge that let go which caused the collapse. “
Yeah, the cheesy concrete used by the Chicago contractors they hired.
My late aunt Marlene was in one of the last cars to cross the Tacoma Narrows Bridge before it started to flex like that (1940). Bad design.
Let me guess, it was named the Ted Kennedy Memorial Bridge.
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