The bridge the day before the collapse.
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 ...
Maybe the job was outsourced to Chinese company Sum Ting Wong Construction.
That car must have been hauling two tons of poutine.
Gotta get out that spare keyboard...post of the day!
This is kind of a click bate article. The part of the bridge that collapsed was only 15 feet long. We had about the same sized 1 lane “bridge” going over the creek in our lower pasture for the cows to walk over when I was a kid.
“Galloping Gertie”
The concept was sound.
I don’t agree with that assessment. Safety margins were way to low on that project. Compromises were made for aesthetic considerations.
That's what it looks like to me too. It looks like the left pylons were not set into bedrock, sank into the ground, and the roadway collapsed.
Looks like the piers settled. They evidently didn’t drive them deep enough.
The bridge the day before the collapse.
A cable-supported bridge with a central tower is not a bad concept.
Juts build a ramp and jump it.
Demolition ducks with dynamite.
My guess is that since there was an old bridge there previously that they simply reused the old footings, and possibly the supports,and put a new, heavier bridge deck across the span. The footings on one end sank which opened a gap too wide for the span. The X bracing on one set of supports are submerged while the other is well above water. Looks like a difference of around 4 feet. Kinda looks like it fell on a boat?
Left support dropped 2 feet over 24 hours!
Bracing at water level at time of failure
Yep, that near bridge bent is way deep in the water. I guess the friction piles did not “friction”, or somebody screwed up he pile tip depth. Who knows? That is ugly.
the best thing is that construction was so poor, they didnt have time to open it up and kill somebody before she collapsed. Somebody is going to lose their liscence — Contractor’s or Engineering. This doesnt look like a simple workmanship failure. Somebody either designed something wrong, or misunderstood/ignored the design.
This is hugh and series.
Funny thing in my experience far to often the first to use the “Act of God” excuse don’t believe in GOD.
Looks like the left pier is already starting to go down.
Good eye, that’s what it looks like to me as well.
One of the crossbeams has gone out of skew on the treadle ...
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