Posted on 05/13/2021 5:33:08 AM PDT by GailA
The I 40 M Bridge going into AR from TN is out of commission, it spans the Mississippi River, NO Trucks, Cars, NO Boat traffic. Won't take long food, oil, and other necessities run low or out. https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthememphian.blob.core.windows.net%2Fsized%2F54486_960&f=1&nofb=1
Because Blue City Controlled Memphis neglected a known crack for years till a Novice could see the crack in the pillar holding up the bridge. Major Artery for traffic. Traffic backed up miles.
With the amount of traffic across it, is by God's grace it Didn't collapse.
50 year old bridge audio into 911
This is a very good example of the government in action. Is a broken beam in a bridge a serious problem? Obviously. From the photographic evidence presented... did it just break yesterday? No, it has been broken for a while and the bridge did not fall down because other parts of the structure are holding it together. So is this breathless speculation and stopping all traffic on the Mississippi River neccessary? Quite obviously not!
Does steel crack in structural members subjected to daily stress for years on end? All the time! But you see there is this new fangled invention called welding along with older techniques called grinding, cutting and riveting that can easily repair this section of bridge easily and permanently in a few days. An example of riveting can be seen in the steel plates holding the parts in question together in the photo. But will the neccessary repairs be completed in a timely manner? No, instead we will be subjected to endless hand wringing while politicians use this situation to convince the public that massive new taxes are needed for massive new construction projects. This is a better example of the crap that we are subjected to every day from our political overlords than the condition of our infrastructure.
Almost similar type of failure happened to a bridge next to a fire station that I worked at many years ago. I personally talked to one of the people hired to fix it. He told me that the repair would be completed in a week for minimal expense.
Instead the city chose not to fix it because they wanted to close down the fire station for budgetary reasons and they wanted to close the road down to make it easier to justify other development plans that they had for the port.
Ten years later it was decided that they needed the bridge because a traffic bottle neck had been created. Unfortunately, by that time the bridge had set neglected for all that time and rust had caused further damage so it cost a hundred times as much to fix and took months.
How about a Double Double Military Bailey Bridge across the section that is in question. I believe that is what was done on the I-10 Bridge into Pensacola, FL after one of the hurricanes took the bridge out. Traffic slowed down considerably but it would keep going for a year or two.
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”..................
THAT picture gives some real perspective, not a small insignificant beam. Okay, now I definitely understand why the bridge is closed.
vs
From the photo you posted, it looks like it is not just the visible break but to the left down the beam in the photo are signs of another fracture. Judging from how close the piling is, the major part of the load is carried by huge I beams running across the bridge. It is hard to tell from the photo, but It looks repairable to me. A new Beam and inspect for other related failures.
😲
Judging from that picture, that is not a main support beam. Those are the huge girders sitting on the pillars.
The coverage on this is about as accurate as the coverage on Covid 19. This is a good example of people being manipulated by someone. The first photo was not convincing enough so a second was released. Those pictures are not of the same broken section of bridge.
Agreed: ‘Vanity’.
Video report at link states that a ‘contractor’ called 911.
Clearly the bridge was being worked on and someone had the presence of mind to alert the authorities in the most prudent manner in the extreme interest of public safety.
This is why bridge inspection/maintenance is performed in the first place.
In this case, it worked.
Irony: OP is fanning administration publicity for ‘infrastructure spending’...
Hernando de Soto Bridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernando_de_Soto_Bridge
On May 11, 2021, an inspection revealed that a crack had formed on the bottom of the bridge truss. River traffic and traffic across the bridge has been halted indefinitely while engineers inspect the rest of the bridge for other issues, analyze the structure and fix the issue. According to TDOT and ArDOT officials, it is unclear as to when the structure or Mississippi River will reopen to traffic.[11][12] Traffic is utilizing the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge (I-55) as an alternate route in the Memphis area, as well as the Caruthersville Bridge (I-155) and Helena Bridge (US 49) as alternates elsewhere in the Mid South.
crack? CRACK??? i don't think that word means what they think it means... separation maybe, but more like divorce
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernando_de_Soto_Bridge
Construction of the Hernando de Soto Bridge began in May 1967. The double-arch bridge was opened to automobile traffic on August 2, 1973. A dedication ceremony for the bridge occurred on August 17, 1973.
Similar situation here where I live.
Where we bought our house, there was a elementary school across the street, great selling point.
For years parents complained that there was no sidewalk for the kids who walked to school, so they had to walk in the street, very dangerous early in the morning.
School board said it’s not our problem, we can’t do anything about that, plus it’s very expensive.
County commission wouldn’t do anything because it would raise homeowners taxes in that well established (read older voters) area. Sidewalks in front of your home add to the property value, plus you have to take care of them.
Eventually an ad hoc committee of parents got together and with the help of the local Congress critter got some grant money after 9-11 to build the sidewalks for a mile or so around the neighborhood, but only half. The County had to put up the other half, and they agreed to do so.
They then used county jail birds for labor and the brand new sidewalks were laid that summer when the kids were out of school.
Then the County Water and Sewer Department came along and tore them all up to lay down new pipes.
Of course they were repaired and replaced after doing so.
Then the telephone company came along and tore them up again, putting in underground optic cable.
Of course they were repaired and replaced after doing so.
Then the School Board, in an effort to save money, closed the school, and sold it to a developer who tore down the school and built a new subdivision of 40 brand new homes.
All with new water, sewer, and underground electricity and telephone and cable.
Of course the side walks were repaired and replaced after doing so.
No child ever walked to school on those sidewalks.......................
Normally fatigue failure once repaired simply translates to the next unfailed and fatigue limited point.
Fatigue failure is difficult to predict without fracture mechanics studies on the particular grade of material in use. It is also impossible to predict without monitoring of cumulative stress on the point in question.
The bridge is worn out. Another failure is just a matter of time.
“Social programs wasteful spending more important.”
Same in California. High speed trains to nowhere sucking up $100 billion and will never be finished. Hundreds of billions spent on illegals. Hundreds of thousands of criminals let out of jail. Tens of Illinois spent on “homeless.” And our roads are crumbling everywhere.
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