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General discussion

Minneapolis bridge collapse disaster

by Angeline Booher Aug 2, 2007 12:00AM PDT

I'm not providing a link because everybody has probably heard about it by now.

The bridge that collapsed under similar circumstances in West Virginia a few decades ago was not far from where I grew up.

Another example of our old highways, bridges, etc. But maybe not just the old. new freeway bridge piers/supports built 20 years ago near me had to be closed for repairs 10 years ago.

Another reminder to give those around us a hug, or at least a smile, when we leave for the day.

Such a tragedy, and my heart goes out to their families and friends.

Angeline
Speakeasy Moderator

Discussion is locked

13 Posts
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I hadn't heard about it
by Diana Former Forum moderator Aug 2, 2007 12:39AM PDT
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video clip of the bridge collapsing
by jonah jones Aug 2, 2007 1:08AM PDT
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Bridge failures are rare, thank god
by grimgraphix Aug 2, 2007 1:25AM PDT

I was also relieved that it occurred with lighter than normal traffic on the bridge (due to construction). Considering it is one of the main bridges for the city, the tragedy could have been greatly magnified.

One thing that bothered me about the news coverage (on at least one channel that is). I usually don't watch Fox News but we landed on them early while watching the coverage because they were showing some of the first arial footage of the disaster. I simply left the TV on that channel as I worked through the evening so I can't say if the other cable news channels did this... but... Fox News spent a noticeable portion of their coverage talking about terrorism. Don't get me wrong. Fox acknowledged early on that officials on the ground had ruled out terrorism but then insisted on bringing up the issue every 10 minutes or so, with the added examination on the subject, of whether the authorities had acted appropriately to rule out a terrorist attack so early on. They even interviewed a retired FBI agent solely about the terrorism angle and the authorities' official decision that it was not related. No surprise that his professional opinion was that the local authorities had been wrong to rule out terrorism so quickly.

Was coverage similar on the other news channels? Did the question of terrorism come up regularly and repeatedly on the other news sources, even after it had been ruled out?

I listened to Fox as I worked through the evening, and honestly began to find their coverage rather disrespectful to all those involved in the tragedy and rescue efforts.

My sympathies to all those folks up in Minnesota.

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Not that rare...
by EdH Aug 2, 2007 1:46AM PDT

One a week in the US, they are saying.

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one bridge a week collapses?
by jonah jones Aug 2, 2007 3:15AM PDT

i find that very hard to believe

could you provide a link to "they"?

.,

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I would not be surprised if Ed's information is true...
by grimgraphix Aug 2, 2007 3:33AM PDT

... but includes every secondary and tertiary road bridge to be found on the US mainland. I have read several "dooms day" articles that detail how desperate the condition of much of the United States' roads are, and the estimated costs to bring them all up to snuff. Essentially we are a huge country when it comes to total road coverage compared to the rest of the world but we skimped on construction methods to accomplish that status. An example... European roads are twice as thick as US roads (in most cases) and bridges are often built from solid stone. Many US bridges are nearing the hundred year mark if you look at the building date of many back road bridges out in the rural areas. If I take a drive in the woods around here, it is not unusual to find a bridge closed for repair, or a new one going up right beside the old one. This is usually a good thing though, since most old bridges around here were narrow at best and single lane width is very common.

I guess I should have said "catastrophic" failures. Happy

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General Information about bridges in the US...
by grimgraphix Aug 2, 2007 4:09AM PDT

Bridge deficiencies are summarized as "structurally deficient" and "functionally obsolete," according to the Federal Highway Administration.

A bridge is tagged structurally deficient when significant bridge elements have deteriorated and the bridge's load-carrying capacity is reduced, according to the highway administration.

A bridge is dubbed functionally obsolete when the bridge does not meet current design standards.

Neither label indicates a bridge is unsafe for travel, the highway administration said.

As of 2003, there were about 160,570 bridges deemed structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. The number represented 27.1 percent of the nation's bridges.

The American Society of Civil Engineers also reported that the number of bridge deficiencies had steadily declined from 34.6 percent in 1992 to 27.1 percent in 2003
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That's a lot of bridges.
by James Denison Aug 2, 2007 7:38AM PDT

Probably time to replace the Edmund Pettus bridge in Alabama by now too. It has a bad history anyway, replacing it would heal many wounds.

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Heard it on the news...
by EdH Aug 2, 2007 4:11AM PDT

it was a goverment "traffic safety" official saying it. I was amazed too. I'll look for a link...

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Here...
by EdH Aug 2, 2007 4:18AM PDT
LINK

Over the past 10 years, on average, there have been one bridge failure in the U.S. every week. I guess that's better than collapse. I'm not sure how they define failure.
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thanks.... that is SCARY!
by jonah jones Aug 2, 2007 12:04PM PDT

the thought of a petrol tanker or hazardous waste disposal truck bringing a bridge down is horrific....


.,

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Rain
by EdH Aug 2, 2007 4:49AM PDT

A couple of Autumns ago we had record rainfall and flooding in New England. A number of bridges washed away in New Hampshire alone. Several of our bridges are over a hundred years old and have stone or concrete footings which can become undermined. There are also many wooden (covered) bridges which can wash away or be damaged by snow and ice. I have even heard of wooden bridges burning down.

Bearing that in mind, consider all the flooding we have seen in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma, among other places.

So that statistic may not be so amazing after all.

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Some good news from MN -- many fewer missing than feared
by Dave Konkel [Moderator] Aug 3, 2007 4:52AM PDT
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