minneapolis bridge collapse

timmgirvan · #1 08-02-2007, 03:13 AM

Started watching this story about an hour after the collapse, and it reminded me alot of the Northridge Quake in '94! Pancaking of freeway overpasses was shocking then and now. 50 cars are still in the river, the bus full of kids fell 60 ft down and landed upright....2 kids are critical. 7 dead now,but surely more will follow! 2+ yrs of rebuilding.....talk about the commute now.

_ed_ · #2 08-02-2007, 03:21 AM

Horrible. I commute over a bridge every day myself, hard to imagine such a tragic thing happening.

ArlJim78 · #3 08-02-2007, 08:45 AM

how long before this tragedy is pinned on the Bush administration?
I say within 48-72 hours.

Mortimer · #4 08-02-2007, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

how long before this tragedy is pinned on the Bush administration?
I say within 48-72 hours.

There are no republicans..there are no democrats.

There are only repubrats.

Once you people understand this....why you may be on to something.

And the constant snotting about separation of church and state is a great carny show for these fucl<os to support.

No one can then allow themselves positive thinking time to the OUTRAGEOUS idea of separation of business and state.

You are all FOOLS arguing about the FOOLISH.

Danzig · #5 08-02-2007, 02:15 PM

seems the bridge was bumper to bumper, and a train passed underneath at the same time...construction work had been ongoing, but supposedly not anything having to do with weight bearing. the bridge had been inspected in '05, and was found to be structurally deficient, scoring a 50 out of 120. i think this will be a case of old bridge, more traffic than it was built to withstand at the time of construction, and most likely with materials that wouldn't be used in this day and age, and then add in bumper to bumper with a full load sitting on the bridge. too much at one time, catastrophic failure.

ArlJim78 · #6 08-02-2007, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danzig

seems the bridge was bumper to bumper, and a train passed underneath at the same time...construction work had been ongoing, but supposedly not anything having to do with weight bearing. the bridge had been inspected in '05, and was found to be structurally deficient, scoring a 50 out of 120. i think this will be a case of old bridge, more traffic than it was built to withstand at the time of construction, and most likely with materials that wouldn't be used in this day and age, and then add in bumper to bumper with a full load sitting on the bridge. too much at one time, catastrophic failure.

I think in addition to that, we're going to find out that this was not a good design, and I think that is the key point.

Danzig · #7 08-02-2007, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

I think in addition to that, we're going to find out that this was not a good design, and I think that is the key point.

yeah, that caught my eye, the over 400 foot long span so as to not impede river traffic. way back when, that might fly--but like i said, it's forty years later, a hell of a lot more traffic than what they planned for back then. i'd imagine that it will come out that this is a flaw in engineering design.

it was something i noticed when the kids and i drove to churchill....a lot more traffic on interstates than in 'the old days'. two lanes each way doesnt' cut it anymore. have seen write ups lately about our infrastructure nationwide, that it's outdated, and that we need to get moving. this bridge failure is a tragic way to underscore that.

horseofcourse · #8 08-02-2007, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

how long before this tragedy is pinned on the Bush administration?
I say within 48-72 hours.

It's either the Bush administration or Clinton...one or the other. Our last two presidents alone are the cause of all the world's problems in history. Quite amazing.

ArlJim78 · #9 08-02-2007, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by horseofcourse

It's either the Bush administration or Clinton...one or the other. Our last two presidents alone are the cause of all the world's problems in history. Quite amazing.

thats true, thats how both sides try to have it. depending on which side you believe, either bush or clinton are responsible for pretty much all thats wrong in the world.

Danzig · #10 08-02-2007, 03:04 PM

"I don't know if anyone remembers this but former President Clinton warned the new government long time ago about the decaying infrastructure in this country. He said if they don't take care of this problem we will be seeing a lot of tragic events happening in the next few years. "

someone wrote that in response to a cnn article. so yeah, just a matter of time.

but in reality, our interstates do need attention. shame that this kind of stuff can't get funding when votes need to be bought...rather than a fish farm here, a dairy there....

Danzig · #11 08-02-2007, 03:06 PM

A 2001 study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation found "several fatigue problems" in the bridge's approach spans and "poor fatigue details" on the main truss.

The study suggested that the design of bridge's main truss could cause a collapse if one of two support planes were to become cracked, although it allowed that a collapse might not occur in that event. But, the study concluded, "fatigue cracking of the deck truss is not likely" and "replacement of the bridge ... may be deferred."