American Infrastructure

[Kortpeel (imported)]

A few months back a major bridge collapsed in Minneapolis. People died.

The event made the headlines for a few days and since then nothing. Well, not in my part of the world.

Would anyone who knows care to provide an update? How come it collapsed? Is it being rebuilt? Has there been an inspection of other structures to check for impending collapse?

Are there any lessons here for the rest of the world?

Or would you all prefer to just forget about it?

Kortpeel

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I've never been to Minneapolis but from what I recall from the event, that's the bridge that Kristoff and Robby once crossed several times a day. If I'm correct, they miss that bridge and can give us an update.

[kristoff]

The replacement bridge is nearly complete. It should be opened in about another month. The crews have been working 24/7 non-stop. It will have taken them about 10 months to build start to finish. It is also twice the capacity of the old one, is (hopefully) twice the strength of the original and will also include space for a lite rail line in the future.

Many preliminary reports have surfaced. The basic finding is that many gusset plates (which are the plates used to join together to or more girders or beams) failed, due to stretching and thinning from excess weight. The bridge carried far more traffic than it was ever designed for. At the time of the collapse, there was also several million pounds of construction materials and equipment on the deck - its surface was being patched and repaired (shoulda been doing the structure).

Several similarly built bridges around Minnesota have been closed with little progress toward repairing or replacing, save one or two. No money. Beyond the initial flurry of hysteria, though, not much has been accomplished in terms of bridge safety.

[Kortpeel (imported)]

The replacement bridge is nearly complete. It should be opened in about another month. The crews have been working 24/7 non-stop. It will have taken them about 10 months to build start to finish. It is also twice the capacity of the old one, is (hopefully) twice the strength of the original and will also include space for a lite rail line in the future.

Many preliminary reports have surfaced. The basic finding is that many gusset plates (which are the plates used to join together to or more girders or beams) failed, due to stretching and thinning from excess weight. The bridge carried far more traffic than it was ever designed for. At the time of the collapse, there was also several million pounds of construction materials and equipment on the deck - its surface was being patched and repaired (shoulda been doing the structure).

Several similarly built bridges around Minnesota have been closed with little progress toward repairing or replacing, save one or two. No money. Beyond the initial flurry of hysteria, though, not much has been accomplished in terms of bridge safety.

Thank you Kristoff. That was exactly the information I wanted .

Kortpeel

[Riverwind (imported)]

Yes and on the political side, on lt governor that was in charge of bridge safety was fired. In total 13 people died, all things considered it could have been much worse. I know that a bridge with like construction was down in Hastings a few miles out of the twin cities and it has already been refitted.

Around in this part of the world that bridge is in the news weekly.

River

[Blaise (imported)]

Yes and on the political side, on lt governor that was in charge of bridge safety was fired. In total 13 people died, all things considered it could have been much worse. I know that a bridge with like construction was down in Hastings a few miles out of the twin cities and it has already been refitted.

Around in this part of the world that bridge is in the news weekly.

RiverPart of the ceiling of the Super Dome in New Orleans failed. The design of the Dome was innovative. I don't know why it failed. I have no read any analysis of the failure. Book: Why Buildings Fall Down - by Matthys Levy and Mario Salvadori.

[sag111 (imported)]

I think its a gravity thing it just dosent like not being in the ground