Here is an FHWA Press Release dated Aug. 2, 2007:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fsi35.htm
Here is a security camera video of the collapse:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/08/02/vosli.mn.i35w.bridge.collapse.side.view.cnn
Here are photos of the collapse:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/popup?id=3439572
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/interactives/minnbridge/index.html?hpid=artslot
Diagramming the collapse:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/popup?id=3440485
Problems with Minnesota bridge noted twice since 2001:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/02/bridge.structure/index.html#cnnSTCText
Here is the MnDOT 2001 Report:
http://www.lrrb.gen.mn.us/PDF/200110.pdf
A 2001 study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation found "several fatigue problems" in the bridge's approach spans and "poor fatigue details" on the main truss. The study suggested that the design of bridge's main truss could cause a collapse if one of two support planes were to become cracked, although it allowed that a collapse might not occur in that event. But, the study concluded, "fatigue cracking of the deck truss is not likely" and "replacement of the bridge ... may be deferred."
Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Bridge Inventory database said the bridge was "structurally deficient." The Minneapolis Star Tribune quoted Jeanne Aamodt, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, as saying the department was aware of the 2005 assessment of the bridge. The bridge received a rating of 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. A bridge receives a rating of 4 when there is "advanced section loss, deterioration."
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/02/bridge.collapse/index.html
39 comments:
In response to the catastrophic I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, ASCE is playing a significant and proactive role in the review and analysis of one of our nation's tragic infrastructure disasters. Shortly after the collapse occurred, ASCE immediately began to provide technical and authoritative information to the media and has developed a dedicated area on the ASCE website to providing further resources and related information. This website will continue to evolve over the coming days and should serve as an excellent resource to keep members up to date and help in answering any general questions that may be received.
ASCE has also established a dedicated e-mail box at 35-W@asce.org for any specific proposed activities that ASCE could undertake. The box will be monitored closely and suggestions and recommendations will be forwarded to appropriate staff for consideration.
ASCE members can take pride in knowing that ASCE and the civil engineering profession continue to play such a key role in understanding and responding to natural and man-made disasters and in improving the resilience of our nation’s critical infrastructure.
It was a real disaster.I mean the bridge collapse in Minneapolis.man-made disasters are made, because we are not aware of a factor which EXISTS in nature.Maybe the cause is heavy traffic,resonance,or joints material failure!My deepest condolences go to the families of the victims.
Was there a sufficient discussion of uncertainty in the 2001 University of Minnesota report analyzing the bridge? The general conclusion of the report was that failure was not likely, and a page 11-14 analysis argued that the idealized models used for evaluating bridges are "inherently conservative." Given that the the report identified existing fatigue cracks, should there have been more of a discussion of possible unknown causes of failure? Was it too overconfident?
Initially, I don't immediately see a way in which there could have been a more nuanced discussion of uncertainty in the report. Historical evidence cited in the report seems to give a lot of credibility to assuming that model calculations are conservative. The report indicated existing fatigue cracks but used a lot of empirical testing in their analysis of whether failure was imminent. If there are faults in the analysis or great inadequacies in the discussion of uncertainty, I don't yet see them.
Andrew Coates said on CNN that part of the problem with our aging bridge infrastructure was becuase of the increasing weight of trucks, among other things. I am not aware of any increase in legal gross vehicle weight for commercial vehicles in the last 30 years. What was this guy talking about?
Why is anybody surprised that bridges and roadways are collapsing around the country? COngress is too busy funding Teapot Museums with earmarks to do their job. America's resources and infrastructure made this country great and I expect Congress to look after them. After all it was a federal interstate bridge.
And why are the politicos now blaming engineers? Engineers are never allowed to make the political decisions about priotizing spending.
By Charles Caliri
Not Anonymous, just no google account
From the perspective of railway engineering, two aspects may have contributed the collapse:
1. Enforcement of weight limits on trucks (compared to railroads) is very lax. We will never know the actual loading history of any highway bridge. This is the sad but logical outcome of severely underfunded highway departments and arm twisting by special interest groups in some states.
2. Simple spans, though less efficient, are less prone to total failure and replacement of failing components is not as diffucult as it would be with continuous spans. Railroads strongly favor simple spans.
PssAG5 You have a talant! Write more!
bajyHa Nice Article.
OJyrA8 The best blog you have!
2OB1K6 Good job!
Magnific!
Hello all!
Nice Article.
Please write anything else!
Please write anything else!
Wonderful blog.
Please write anything else!
Wonderful blog.
c1W4LL write more, thanks.
Magnific!
Magnific!
Wonderful blog.
Magnific!
Please write anything else!
Good job!
Magnific!
Magnific!
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Not only do I agree with most of the comments left before me, but I also feel greatly attentive to what everyone here is expressing in their comments. Some of you I can say that I truly am able to relate to you, and some just make me wonder if I can ever relate to the way lots of you feel! In some ways it could be happy but if the feeling isn't really in the happiness stage of things then all I can say is I hope the becoming aware part of things does eventually work out for all of us in the end of things.. But alongside this topic, I love it! And it really is great to see a lot of us participating and really putting effort into collaborating one of the best blogs we've yet come to see!
I like so much this part or article... thanks for wrote.. have a nice day!
hello friend excellent information about I-35W Bridge Collapses During Afternoon Peak Hour!! thanks for sharing!!
very interesting post about I-35W Bridge Collapses During Afternoon Peak Hour thanks for sharing!!
I would like to have any update about I-35W Bridge Collapses During Afternoon Peak Hour
Excellent information to many people like to read articles to learn about these issues of great interest.
Excellent blog, I'm looking for information on how to improve my health, so I would like to help me with advice on the subject, thanks!
Hello congratulations you did an excellent work with this blog about I-35W Bridge Collapses During Afternoon Peak Hour I would like to know more about this topic and please when you have any update contac me please to read it. thanks for sharing!!
Excellent team! Thanks for usefull informations!
I really liked your article.
Wasn't it being maintained?
Post a Comment