Florida Bridge Collapse - Builders, your thoughts?

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

I am sure we've all heard about the tragic bridge collapse at the Florida University that happened today. How does something like this occur and does it resemble/foreshadow "infrastructure" (I use this term loosely because I understand it was a pedestrian bridge) as a whole in America? 

I do not mean to disregard or minimize the lives lost, by any means. May God grant peace and comfort to all the lives involved. 

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

Will be interesting to see, according to FIU this was new design of bridge. There is video at the link that shows its installation.

Quote

FIU touted the bridge to be a first of its kind, tweeting that it swung into place on Saturday.

According to an FIU press release, the 174-foot, 950-ton bridge was just installed "in a few hours" using "accelerated bridge construction" methods, which the university said "reduces potential risks to workers, commuters, and pedestrians and minimizes traffic interruptions."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/pedestrian-bridge-florida-international-university-collapses/story?id=53774444

[around4ever 4,139]

Prayers for all those affected by this tragedy.

I was in Charlotte at a race about 15 years ago when a pedestrian bridge collapsed after the race. We decided to walk down to the ground level and cross the street because it was shorter distance to the car.  We were about 200 yards from it when it collapsed.  We could have easily been on it. 

It turned out to be faulty cement used in construction of the bridge. 

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

16 minutes ago, around4ever said:

Prayers for all those affected by this tragedy.

I was in Charlotte at a race about 15 years ago when a pedestrian bridge collapsed after the race. We decided to walk down to the ground level and cross the street because it was shorter distance to the car.  We were about 200 yards from it when it collapsed.  We could have easily been on it. 

It turned out to be faulty cement used in construction of the bridge. 

Wow. That's amazing.

It makes you wonder how it could've passed inspection.

[AUDub 11,147]

Failure analysis buff.

This bridge was brand spanking new. Either poorly engineered or poorly implemented by the contractor. 

[around4ever 4,139]

It was installed Saturday and apparently was not even open for walking traffic yet.  All construction workers have been accounted for. 

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

They were doing stress tests when it collapsed. I was a new design of some sort. My GUESS is either bad stress analysis during the design or a flaw in the concrete that fractured during the stress tests. I'm really surprised they were letting cars go under while the tests were being conducted.

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

39 minutes ago, AUDub said:

Failure analysis buff.

This bridge was brand spanking new. Either poorly engineered or poorly implemented by the contractor. 

I haven't had time to tune in to reports yet. Is it looking like an isolated mishap or something larger? It makes you wonder how many other structures in the area could pose a similar threat.

Just weird man. Didn't the recent amtrak derailment in [Oregon?] happen with a new structure? 

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

12 minutes ago, Proud Tiger said:

They were doing stress tests when it collapsed. I was a new design of some sort. My GUESS is either bad stress analysis during the design or a flaw in the concrete that fractured during the stress tests. I'm really surprised they were letting cars go under while the tests were being conducted.

I know this is off topic, but reminds me of Deep Water Horizon spill (obviously unequivocal in a "proportion" sense). Very similar circumstances in some ways. 

[SaltyTiger 7,790]

 Hard to believe given the design safety factors and quality control (inspections and testing) related to this type of construction. Total collapse is more than a few missed bars or bad loads of concrete. Right out of college I was involved in load testing and a 3 story cantilevered set of concrete stairs on the UGA campus. It collapsed at max load due to a design flaw. We isolated the area during testing. 

Prayers to the families of those lost and to all parties involved.  

[around4ever 4,139]

I just got home and expected this to be all over the main stream news outlets.  Nope, not one channel. WTH?

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Only new thing now is a big crane had a cable connected to the bridge. The cable snapped and the bridge collapsed. Don't know if the crane was somehow part of the stress test going on or not. Four confirmed dead as I type this.

 

[Strychnine 1,802]

6 hours ago, NolaAuTiger said:

I haven't had time to tune in to reports yet. Is it looking like an isolated mishap or something larger? It makes you wonder how many other structures in the area could pose a similar threat.

Just weird man. Didn't the recent amtrak derailment in [Oregon?] happen with a new structure? 

 

That had more to do with incompetence/not seeing signs than it did structural failure.

[SaltyTiger 7,790]

1 hour ago, Proud Tiger said:

Only new thing now is a big crane had a cable connected to the bridge. The cable snapped and the bridge collapsed. Don't know if the crane was somehow part of the stress test going on or not. Four confirmed dead as I type this.

 

article here worth the read. sad

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article205422719.html 

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

More evidence, but not yet conclusive, that something went wrong with the stress testing. Still wondering how the crane cable breaking played a role. Also still just amazed they were alllowing traffic to go thru at the time.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

This isn't good.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/16/senator-demands-docs-about-collapsed-florida-bridge-as-reports-cracks-surface.html

[AUloggerhead 2,229]

19 hours ago, Proud Tiger said:

This isn't good.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/16/senator-demands-docs-about-collapsed-florida-bridge-as-reports-cracks-surface.html

Retired engineer here, one that's been involved with formal boards of investigation into construction accidents.  There are so many factors that could have contributed to this accident from the design, pre-fabrication of the structure, temp support, construction methodology, post-tensioning of the cables, etc.  I hate to speculate on the exact cause because it could also be a case of multiple factors.  My guess is that the investigation alone will take a couple of weeks.  I would not trust any of the initial reporting AT ALL -- not because of "fake news" but because of supreme ignorance of the reporters jumping on what they perceive as significant.  Even the best concrete can "crack" during curing due to uneven cooling, and not every visible crack is evidence of a structural defect.   Best to just wait on the facts to come out from the official investigation. 

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

It only gets worse as more info is reported. Lawyers are going to get rich in this case, deserved so I think. I hope their clients do too.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/20/key-design-change-stymied-cost-schedule-bridge-in-deadly-florida-collapse.html

[AUDub 11,147]

NTSB has released some preliminary findings, and whoo buddy does that look bad.

https://ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HWY18MH009-investigative-update.pdf

Take a look at those pictures. That bridge was clearly failing. The decision to continue without shutting the road underneath down was outrageous.

[AUloggerhead 2,229]

4 hours ago, AUDub said:

NTSB has released some preliminary findings, and whoo buddy does that look bad.

https://ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HWY18MH009-investigative-update.pdf

Take a look at those pictures. That bridge was clearly failing. The decision to continue without shutting the road underneath down was outrageous.

If I'm reading that report right, similar pictures such as these were taken at the casting yard before transporting the bridge to the construction site.  Hard to believe that any type of quality control inspection at the casting yard wouldn't flag these defects. 

[AUDub 11,147]

Foul ups all around. Bad design, bad work by the firm to review the design, bad implementation by the contractor. 

Utter foolishness. Hope the families of those killed and maimed never have to work again. 

[SaltyTiger 7,790]

23 hours ago, AUDub said:

Utter foolishness.

Does not begin to describe it. Have heard horror stories about building construction corruption in that area.