[ithos]

Originally Posted by Normal

Completely logical…the truss was 1200 feet long. 100,000 tons at 12 knots, name a bridge pile that would not buckle under that force. If that pile goes the bridge should and would totally collapse.

It is a large revenue loss for the state who collected 50 plus million a year for little maintenance.

So you disagree with the engineers in the article?
A slightly larger budget would have allowed for more protection that may have significantly limited the damage.
What are your credentials?

[Justputt]

One engineer commented there should be structures in place around these main supports to be a first point of contact for out-of-control ships that don't compromise the bridge. When the newer Chesapeake Bay bridge was built, the islands of concrete they build for the major span supports were very impressive and much larger than the span steel that went into them. It was amazing to watch every time we crossed the old bridge.

[Normal]

Originally Posted by ithos

So you disagree with the engineers in the article?
A slightly larger budget would have allowed for more protection that may have significantly limited the damage.
What are your credentials?

Sameh Badie, a professor of engineering at George Washington University, discussed the collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge on NBC Washington on Tuesday, explaining that the structure of the bridge could not handle the load of its span after one piece had been destroyed in the collision.

Badie said that the Key Bridge is a continuous steel truss bridge. When the cargo vessel collided with one of the more central piers of the bridge, it could no longer sustain the full span of its weight, causing the collapse, Badie said.

Clearly the state is culpable. They reported collecting 52 million in tolls from the bridge last year. The state should have used their cash cow on bridge maintenance?

Matriculation isn’t important, physics is.

[ithos]

Originally Posted by Normal

Sameh Badie, a professor of engineering at George Washington University, discussed the collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge on NBC Washington on Tuesday, explaining that the structure of the bridge could not handle the load of its span after one piece had been destroyed in the collision.

Badie said that the Key Bridge is a continuous steel truss bridge. When the cargo vessel collided with one of the more central piers of the bridge, it could no longer sustain the full span of its weight, causing the collapse, Badie said.

Clearly the state is culpable. They reported collecting 52 million in tolls from the bridge last year. The state should have used their cash cow on bridge maintenance?

Matriculation isn’t important, physics is.

I don't see a contradiction between the professor and the article.

Truss bridges particularly vulnerable to cracks, collapse
NEW BEDFORD — It was in the 1950s and '60s that engineers began to steer clear of truss bridges of the sort that collapsed in Minneapolis last week.

But the mid-'60s was also the heyday of interstate highway construction and truss bridges still had the advantages they had since railroad pioneers made them out of wood: they are relatively cheap to build, and cheaper still when engineers became more confident in their materials and could build them "lighter and stronger."


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[GizmoWhiskers]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore harbor collapses after being hit by a ship.

What a terrible disaster.

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after ship crash

Yes, terrible. Prayers for those involved.

That bridge looked like a dinosaur. How is it that a bridge like that was subjected to this threat for YEARS. Why wasn't a technologically sufficient bridge put in years ago??

Raises the question exactly where is the $$ trillions for "infrastructure" going in this country??

Clearly not toward the re-design of critical water way commerce travel under prehistoric bridges.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by ithos

So you disagree with the engineers in the article?
A slightly larger budget would have allowed for more protection that may have significantly limited the damage.
What are your credentials?

Significantly, that quote does not appear in the article you linked. However, this quote does:

Nonetheless, he explained that not all protection systems will be up to the task of stopping a more than 100,000-ton ship like the Dali, and sometimes these accidents will simply happen due to human error - or as early reports indicated in this case, power failure.

It is a fact that the protection systems that were in place for the Key Bridge were not up to the task of stopping the "more than 100,000-ton ship like the Dali." But do such protection systems even exist? How much land is required to beach a ship that size to prevent it from striking the bridge? It is possible there would be no channel left if sufficient space was set aside for a protection system to ward off a 100,000+ ton ship.

It is easy to Monday-morning quaterback, especially when you have no skin in the game. It is much more difficult when you try to design a perfect system in the real world.

[airstreamingypsy]

I thought tug boats steered ships out of harbors, even though there was a harbor master on board clearly he could do nothing. Seems like tug boats could have prevented this tragedy.

[phylt]

I know it's early, BUT not much re the SHIP'S owners responsibility and culpability. Insurance should remit for their liability in this disaster. As usual, the knee-jerk is ---- the Fed govt will pay to rebuild etc etc. Must there be lawsuits after WE pay to get relief. The USA taxpayer always seems to be the easy mark.

The owners of this ship are registered in Singapore and have hundreds of these cargo ships. Who CAUSED this disaster??? Not the bridge engineers, but the source - the SHIP.

Pay up ship owners/insurance companies!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lancer]

They need to do what they did for the Sunshine Skyway after it was hit and collapsed. They placed huge concrete barriers by the supports so ships would hit them and not the support.

[Used2u]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore harbor collapses after being hit by a ship.

What a terrible disaster.

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after ship crash

Already conspiricy theories going around. They are saying it was done intentionally to disrupt the supply chain. Thoughts?

[MightyDog]

Originally Posted by Nellmack

Really? The (fabricated) border crisis? You're bringing up the (fabricated) border crisis when one of the largest ports on the east coast incurred a devastating accident. People died. This is a major hub for the entire US and you're bringing up something that the two political parties could solve in one day but they refuse because they think it helps them politically, in an election year?

Open your eyes. Read a paper.

A near perfect example of projection.

[MightyDog]

Originally Posted by Used2u

Already conspiricy theories going around. They are saying it was done intentionally to disrupt the supply chain. Thoughts?

Your question will likely trigger some on here with less open minds but, I like exploring possibilities. There have been many unusual instances in the last few years.

Like the two trucks that just happened to collide on the I-75 bridge that connects KY to OH in Nov 2020. (Btw, I-75 is THE major transport corridor from FL to MI). One had flammable contents so a big fire occurred. Bridge was closed for 6 weeks! All traffic was re-routed onto the loop highway around Cincinnati and was a massive mess all that time.

Then, there was the very unusual instance of that barge that supposedly got stuck in the Suez Canal for 6 days in March 2021, which is another very major transport route. Both instances occurring when we were basically promised 'supply chain shortages' because of the pandemic. I find coincidences interesting.

This bridge collapse? I have no idea why that ship had serious problems and hit that bridge support. But, it's another interesting coincidence given there was a dramatic and unusual terrorist event in Russia recently. I do hope no one is naive enough to think that Vlad would just take that on the chin. So, possible payback? Don't know but, far crazier things have happened in this world.

[Cheapbas]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore harbor collapses after being hit by a ship.

What a terrible disaster.

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after ship crash

Curious why tugboats weren’t standard procedure at least past that point.

[ithos]

Originally Posted by Cheapbas

Curious why tugboats weren’t standard procedure at least past that point.

Good Point. They probably will be required after the bridge is reopen.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Cheapbas

Curious why tugboats weren’t standard procedure at least past that point.

A ship with its own propulsion does not need a tugboat to navigate. Tugboats move barges and help ships into and out of docks.