[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.

[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.

[Panzerfaust]

One 18 wheeler = 80,000 lb

Where do you come up with a weight of 80,000 lbs. for an 18-wheeler? Back in my college days, I worked as a Teamster and loading 40,000 on a trailer was a heavy load. With the weight of the tractor, your pushing maybe 55-60,000. Am I missing something here?