Florida International University Bridge Collapses, Cars Underneath

miami.cbslocal.com ^ | 03/15/2018 | Staff

[Red Badger]

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Florida International University’s massive new pedestrian bridge collapsed Thursday afternoon in West Miami-Dade.

The bridge, located at 109th Ave and 8th Street, collapsed on a number of cars.

There are reports of numerous people injured in the collapse. At least one person was taken as a trauma alert to the hospital, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

The 950-ton bridge went up on Saturday. It was then lowered into its final position, just west of 109th Avenue that day.

The main span was built next to Southwest 8th Street.

[Red Badger]

No steel.....................only concrete................

[AppyPappy]

Curious. I wonder where it was made.

[steve86]

Yes, it needed support from below “shoring” until the support from above “suspension” was in place.

[Red Badger]

It was built/molded on the side of the road, then lifted with a crane across the road..............

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The span doesn't appear to be long enough to require a central pillar. It isn't that long. (Architects rendering)

[al_c]

Yeah ... doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out. Someone should serve time for that degree of negligence.

[Mouton]

I only report who did it. Who is at fault is not my expertise. The fault falls somewhere, either in design or execution which will be decided in a court I am sure.

[csvset]

My initial thoughts were where the ends of the span were supposed to rest or be anchored if you will, looked insufficient for the task. Time will tell.

[JME_FAN]

Well, to be fair - the project drawings and design specifications were only written in English ... How discriminatory of the engineers!

[mewzilla]

Construction Firms Behind Collapsed FIU Bridge Faced Accusations of Unsafe Practices

[shotgun]

What’s “X”...damn algebra. /s

[Baldwin77]

ok. Maybe there should have been some steel.

[Maigrey]

Oh dear G_d in Heaven!

[matthew fuller]

"As an engineer we were taught to use a 2.5 safety factor."

As an engineer in training I was taught that in civil engineering (bridges and such), the factor was 5. Early sixties.

[steve86]

As such it was a procedural problem (installation procedure), not a materials problem unless something else comes to light.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Notice her “scholarship” does not include designing things so they don’t fall down. No, what’s important now is “understanding how students conceptualize their identities as engineers.” That’ll keep the bridges up!

[frog in a pot]

...but allowing that size of a pre-stressed concrete beam (950 tons) support its own weight without temporary shoring was the cause.

The absence of temporary shoring or the cable support system suggests someone calculated the walkway could support its dead load. Just as bad, if it was cast-in-place the shoring may have been removed prematurely.

Or:
"Dude, go ahead and place the walkway, those cables are just for cosmetics."

[Arm_Bears]

No doubt constructed without the White male math, science, and engineering principles that have been so roundly criticized as of late.

[shotgun]

Some one forgot that the suspension system for a suspension bridge is designed to hold the bridge up. That is a pretty long unsupported cantilever deck just hanging out there.

[GWB00]

There is a CEMEX plant literally 7 minutes from the accident site. Half of Miami is built from this location.