Posted on 03/15/2018 11:32:16 AM PDT by 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.
.. it is pretty amazing. The suspension cables following behind the pavement as it is built, with the roadway hanging out in mid air.
Riding across the Mackinac Bridge with my parents as a little guy, it just seemed incredibly supercalifragilistically amazing !
My dad is a civil engineer for 40+ years and had a few of his pretension concrete structures fail over the years.
The designers will always blame loading that wasn’t part of the design requirements, like twisting or “shock loads” during construction...because that never happens, you know.
The support cables don’t appear cosmetic. It is my guess that whoever told them to pull the supports out will be held criminally liable, unless it is a minority or a woman.
Just ask for a 4 sack commercial mix. The key is to make sure you have 4 inches of compacted 3/4”-0# gravel under it. Depending on the length and width make sure you put in contraction joints. If it’s 20 feet wide split that in half with a joint. If it’s 30 feet long then you can split that into 10 foot panels. or 2-15 foot panels. The rule of thumb is no panel should be bigger than 10 x 15.
Students in FIU’s engineering and architecture programs came out at 5 a.m. to watch the theory they learn in class take form in a real-world application.
Civil engineering doctoral student Dewan Hossain said: “I would say this is magic. In five hours using that ABC technology and sensors, the bridge is already there. In the classroom, we learn about the design, the construction, the safety – that’s a big issue – and here we’re seeing it actually happening. Here we are establishing a real, practical application of what we learn in the classroom. I would encourage more students to come view these types of projects to enhance what they learn.”
https://news.fiu.edu/2018/03/community-gathers-to-watch-950-ton-bridge-move-across-southwest-8th-street/120395
You get a lot of chances to examine these retrofits when stop-and-go traffic stops you under a bridge! ;>)
Leonor Flores ’98 is a project executive and one of 63 FIU alumni who work for MCM, the construction firm building the FIU-Sweetwater UniversityCity Bridge, which will further connect FIU and its northerly neighbor, the City of Sweetwater. She was excited to share her work with her family, especially Michelle, who is interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in school.
Michelle said she might want to follow in her parents’ footsteps and go to FIU when the time comes, and that it was fascinating to see her mom’s work in action. “I’m interested in the architecture and the design of the bridge, and the math portion of it,” she said.
Said Leonor: “It’s very important for me as a woman and an engineer to be able to promote that to my daughter, because I think women have a different perspective. We’re able to put in an artistic touch and we’re able to build, too.” https://news.fiu.edu/2018/03/community-gathers-to-watch-950-ton-bridge-move-across-southwest-8th-street/120395
Clearly the truss was designed to support its own weight after the vehicle jacks were lowered and shoring would not be needed. As a structural engineer said above: materials error; design error; workmanship error.
Definitely got something in the wrong order.
25,000 normal weight normal 1950 Americans.
Or, 10,000 2018 Americans.
But they couldn’t have left that vehicle / jacking system in place for the next year while the bridge was completed. That would have blocked the road for an entire year. I’m guessing that the truss was designed to be self-supporting for its dead load and the tower / stayed cables would have added load capacity to support the live load.
Don Burnett pedestrian / bicyclist suspension bridge >>>>>> That bridge looks all steel and very lightweight compared to the double deck concrete bridge that pancaked in Miami. Something like this would have been a better idea for Miami. Just made wider for more foot traffic and bicycles.
The lightweight Don Burnett bridge is easier to cable suspend than concrete decks.
Mo’ female empowerment BS.
Wow...what a quote — the old “woman have a different perspective argument.”
I wonder what Leonor will have to say to her daughter now.
Yep...that steel Don Burnett bridge doesn’t weigh 900 tons (before tower and cable stays are installed). It’s interesting that Don Burnett bridge cost about $15 million, the same as the concrete one that collapsed (I think).
Should have left a small jacking system just in the median strip to act as a center pillar until the suspension cables were installed.
13-14 million spent in Miami. Amazed the Burnett Bridge was that expensive.
I’m really tired of feminism. There is no such thing as woman’s perspective in designing a bridge. Engineering is math and physics. No feelings required.
“Teacher, I feel that 2 + 2 = 5 today.”
“Susie, you are so insightful and I applaud you for such a clever solution to the problem. You get an A+!! and a gold star, too!”
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