My guess is that this is TCO of the whole project, not just the bridge itself, in other words includes purchase of land, building accessways/ramps, cost of financing it, maybe even a couple of years maintenance and depreciation, etc.
3 Likes
9.8 m/s² is the figure, I think.
2 Likes
Actually, when “cost of complying with regulations” > “cost of bribing the regulator to look the other way” is significant, no regulation can be counted upon to be effective. Many second and third world nations operate largely on this principle, and the USA is moving in that direction.
1 Like
My bet goes on “No Elected Official”.
1 Like
Here we go:
The money quote:
The bridge’s superstructure was something Verrastro said he’s not seen in 42 years of designing bridges. Rather than using steel trusses, it employed heavier concrete trusses. The bridge also had a concrete roof, adding even more weight.
“This was a very long span and then they used very heavy material,” he said. “The majority of pedestrian bridges are steel.” Steel bridges are about one-tenth the weight of concrete, he said.
Verrastro, an expert in accelerated construction who has spoken at FIU’s bridge engineering program, suspects that using concrete was part of the bridge’s aesthetic, rather than structural, design. The FIGG Bridge Group that designed the bridge is known for its signature bridges, he said.
5 Likes
I think the implication was assigning the contract without a bidding process would be worse
1 Like
There’s an interstate overpass near my apartment that has been one of the busiest in Genesee County for years (15k+ vehicles annually) but is also one of the oldest, having been built in the late 1920s. It was abruptly closed last weekend after an inspection determined it was at risk of failure due to corrosion. Problem is there’s no plan or money to replace it.
Surface roads are beat to hell as it is (only compares favorably if your reference is 1945 Berlin after the artillery of the 1st Belorussian Front redecorated), apparently the state DOT’s entire year’s road maintenance budget had been spent before we got through February.
1 Like
I was explaining the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse just the other day.
1 Like
If it was built and installed according to design specs, with the specified materials, yet still failed under normal stresses, then it was an engineering failure. You don’t really have to understand the engineering to come to that conclusion.
I assume the construction people are worried that it might turn out to be their fault instead.
So the bridge falled under the weight of regulations?
I should have known that.
1 Like
Yeah but the construction people alleging an engineering failure have no way to know that it was built correctly with the materials speced by the engineers. Could be any number of contributing factors in the collapse. Only an investigation will be able to determine the root cause of the failure. Anyone who’s suggesting otherwise is speaking out their ass.
4 Likes
Link to report of the shakey history of the bridge constructor(s):
2 Likes
Like everyone here, I can’t speak to the actual cause of the failure, but the design firm (Figg) is a long established engineering group that does nothing but bridge design. I would be very surprised to hear that the cause was a design flaw. My money would be on the construction process, and whether each aspect met design specs.
2 Likes
It’s a bit strange to me that a good number of contractors and construction companies have problems with safety. I routinely see flagrant OSHA violations around Austin when i’m driving by construction sites. The company i work for prioritizes safety above all else, and everyone’s yearly bonus hinges upon our safety record. I have a hard time understanding how other companies get away with cutting corners.
5 Likes
Well you’re in the glorious independent state of Texas, where individuals need not fear overbearing gubbermint bureaucracy controlling you with wimpy feminine things things like safety!
And I wasn’t searching for that one, I was gonna post a link to an article about the other less recent chemical plant explosion that more people know about, but, well, it’s Texas!
2 Likes
Until recently… same here. My previous employer was incredibly focused on safety, empowering all to speak up when some unsafe condition or practice was observed, and even empowering us to stop unsafe operations however important. My new employer (and especially the government ‘entity’ that we do work for)? Well, they talk safety, but if a fix requires $$$, expect to wait and wait and wait until (and it’s happened) someone gets hurt… then something gets done.
3 Likes
just heard this in some place and thought it should go here…
item #2
Whether or not this may be what happened at all, some worthwhile glimpses to ponder for us laymen
2 Likes
It might not be engineering or construction, but operational in how the stress tests were done. They’ll need more fingers.
Associated Press Posted: Mar 16, 2018 6:16 AM ET
