Posted on 08/03/2007 5:40:58 PM PDT by traumer
In the above post, second to last paragraph:
“...with the south end of pier six on top of them...”
should read:
“...with the south end of SPAN six on top of them...”
Sorry for any confusion.
I wonder if its remotely possible to collapse a bridge by deliberately driving obscenely overloaded big rigs across it, I’m thinking of terrorists bypassing scales and hauling a load of heavy material like cast concrete to the point of vehicle axle/drivetrain failure. Instead of an 18 wheeler having a gross weight of under 80,000 lbs what if it was well over 250,000? Please do not nitpick about flat tires or broken axles as I have been a diesel mechanic for 35 years and I know it can be done. I have a three axle tractor with a two axle 24 cubic yard end dump trailer and it routinely hauls over 90,000 lbs.
Jeffers,
Thanks so much for taking the time to do a lengthy, technical post on the bridge collapse. Freepers like you make the Free Republic the outstanding web site that it is.
Ronzo
Resurfacing work was taking place, but the bridge was last inspected in 2006 and no significant structural problems were found.
...
In 2005, it was one of thousands across the US rated as "structurally deficient" on the federal National Bridge Inventory database.
Do these two descriptions seem at odds to anyone else? The best I can make of this is that none of the structural members were found to have problems. That is, no obvious cracks, corrosion, or loose joints. Hence the no problems call.
However, the design itself had little or no margin of safety - it depended on all members of the structure. Should any one fail, there was little or no redundancy in the design to take up the load. Hence the deficient rating.
Still, seems at odds. The gray area stuff that personal injury lawyers make hay with...
Was there ever a final conclusion ?
I didn’t see any news lately...
Not that I heard. I wouldn’t expect one for several months. Probably take weeks to go over the debris, run some computer simulations, etc.
i appreciate the compliment, what i don’t appreciate is that you stole my photographs. please remove them from this and any other site. immediately. i will pursue a legal remedy if this isn’t taken care of by you voluntarily.
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