Potential Flaw Found in Design of Fallen Bridge

NY Times ^ | August 9, 2007 | MONICA DAVEY and MATTHEW L. WALD

[neverdem]

[There You Go Again]

President Bush screwed up the design of this bridge.

[arderkrag]

So is this the theory of Unintelligent Design?

[ClaireSolt]

I cannot believe this outfit is still around. I remember watching them testify during that roll over and tire flap. Clinton nominated a beauty Kay Bailey to head it, but McCain found she had hidden a $10,000 donation to Dems. Later she showed up on NBC claiming to be a terrorism expert at the Pentagon. I described this to my brother one night and he looked her up. Sure enough Dr Bailey is a master of psychobabble, a shrink at Georgetown.

[Paperdoll]

Why would both ends of the expanse collapse simultaneously, and boom! fall instantly?

[jiggyboy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1878502/posts

[arderkrag]

psychobabble
terrorism

What's the difference?

[jiggyboy]

related story, not a “dup post” flame

[EGPWS]

Investigators have found what may be a design flaw in the bridge that collapsed here a week ago, in the steel parts that connect girders, raising safety concerns for other bridges around the country, federal officials said on Wednesday.

Grab your wallet and hang on tightly to it while the carnival ride makes you dizzy and nauseous.

[Paladin2]

One side started to fall first. Judging from the wreckage, both sides failed at approximately the same place, the second side being WAY overloaded trying to hold up both sides.

[Paladin2]

RUSTED gusset plates.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link.

[EGPWS]

One side started to fall first.

Inertia from the Earth's rotation while Sun spots were at a peak while almost all of our naval fleet deported for Iran to attack.

Not only that but the lunar cycle was at it's optimal for bridge destruction.

[crazyshrink]

I am hearing that this possible area of flawed designed was brought to the NTSB’s attention by the engineering firm hired by the State after the accident. And as the article says, these gusset plates are used in bridges and structures of all kinds and sizes all over the country.

Also pointing to the 100 or so tons of rock dumped on the bridge as part of the construction going on.

[JennysCool]

Potential Flaw Found in Design of Fallen Bridge

I'm thinking it's a little late for it to be a "potential" flaw.

[Paladin2]

One 18 wheeler = 80,000 lb —> 4 tons. 8 lane Interstate bridge can’t handle 25 trucks at GVW? ( or 50 trucks as half of the lanes were closed). 100 tons shouldn’t be too bad if spread out some.

[Paladin2]

You’ve watched the video I assume?

[vigilante2]

80,000 lbs = 40 tons

[crazyshrink]

I agree with you, just adding info from other sources. Jack hammer use was also brought up. There is lots of info yet to come but this new theory of understrength gussets makes the most sense of anything i have heard up until now.

I went down to MPLS today for dr appt. Couldnt bring myself to go 6 more blocks to look at the wreckage. Might regret that in future I spose.

[commish]

Poor writing or explaining -- the 100 tons was not spread out -- the rock was sitting in Dump Trucks all parked in a line (you can see the line of full dump trucks in some of the pictures.)

add to that , that the workers were jackhammering the concrete in the same place, and things start to fall into place (no pun intended).

Weak gusset plates, excessive weight contained in one area, and jackhammers vibrating those plates with all that weight on them.