Another Bridge Bites The Dust ?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
A fifty year old bridge, I'd like to see the inspection and maintenance records on that one. I wonder how the bus passengers climbed down off the broken structure there. Looks like a pretty good way to the ground, a story or two. If you're a youngster with climbing gear, no problem. Otherwise ...
 

STP

Lifer
Sep 8, 2020
4,121
9,591
Northeast USA
Bridge was 50 years old.

I still wanna know the material! (Googling didn't reveal it, but then I didn't pursue that for long.)

FYI. Cut-and-pasted below:

The bridge that collapsed today in Pittsburgh had an “overall condition” rating of “poor," according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation website that tracks bridges across the state.

The bridge was built in 1970, was 447 feet long, and made of a steel rigid frame, the website says.

The department's website says the deck condition was rated “4 - Poor,” the superstructure condition was also “4 - Poor,” and the substructure condition was rated “6 - Satisfactory.”

During a news conference earlier today, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said it was last inspected September 2021.

According to the state's Department of Transportation, the “Bridge condition is determined by the lowest condition rating of the primary components of a bridge or culvert.”

“If the lowest rating is greater than or equal to 7, the bridge is classified as Good; if it is less than or equal to 4, the classification is Poor. Bridges rated 5 or 6 are classified as Fair,” the website explains.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,836
29,675
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
trust me if you live in PA you're not surprised about a bridge failure. If anything you're shocked that more haven't happened yet. There are a lot of bridges here people honestly pray before crossing, not kidding about that.
Thinking there is some conspiracy about it is just silly if you know the condition of roads and bridges in parts of this state.
 

DanWil84

Lifer
Mar 8, 2021
1,691
12,644
40
The Netherlands (Europe)
Damn, looks like a bomb went off!

Owning and after that using here is preposterous expensive overhere, roadtax is for my cars about a 1000 euros a year and fuel is about 2 euros a litre with about 75 to 80% being taxes. But I must say, they use those tax euros on maintaining the roads very well.

The first bridge they found hairline damages on the steel construction and concrete. Closed the bridge for freighthauling traffic for a very long time (the route around it took them a long time), almost completely rebuild the supporting construction and closed the waterway for one way at a time.

The second bridge I drive over every day I go to work, the picture shows a replacement bridge they placed last year. About 90% of all the traffic crossing it is freight hauling, it connects the harbor peninsula where all the big container handling terminals are situated (largest container handling port in Europe) with the "mainland". The surface got a bit wobbly from all the high weight trucks. A few years ago a big river barge crashed against the bridge. 2028 a new bridge should be completed, without pillars and a bit higher so it should not be opened when a high barge has to pass when the waterlevel is higher, also because cargo by rail is passing this bridge and gets a bit more important the comming years.

There is a lot to complain on how much of your hard earned Euros end up in the pockets of governments, but I think the maintenance of infrastructure is top notch in this country.

Merwedebrug.jpg
a15-suurhoffbrug_tcm26-310372.jpg
 

Attachments

  • Suurhoffbrug.jpg
    Suurhoffbrug.jpg
    20.8 KB · Views: 0

kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
13,510
22,095
77
Olathe, Kansas
Politicos don't like setting aside money for maintenance when they could be spending it on a do-good project of some kind. Then when things break they they go "Who build this piece of crap" and raise taxes or run to Uncle Sam saying it was his fault anyway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: renfield and STP
Damn, looks like a bomb went off!

Owning and after that using here is preposterous expensive overhere, roadtax is for my cars about a 1000 euros a year and fuel is about 2 euros a litre with about 75 to 80% being taxes. But I must say, they use those tax euros on maintaining the roads very well.

The first bridge they found hairline damages on the steel construction and concrete. Closed the bridge for freighthauling traffic for a very long time (the route around it took them a long time), almost completely rebuild the supporting construction and closed the waterway for one way at a time.

The second bridge I drive over every day I go to work, the picture shows a replacement bridge they placed last year. About 90% of all the traffic crossing it is freight hauling, it connects the harbor peninsula where all the big container handling terminals are situated (largest container handling port in Europe) with the "mainland". The surface got a bit wobbly from all the high weight trucks. A few years ago a big river barge crashed against the bridge. 2028 a new bridge should be completed, without pillars and a bit higher so it should not be opened when a high barge has to pass when the waterlevel is higher, also because cargo by rail is passing this bridge and gets a bit more important the comming years.

There is a lot to complain on how much of your hard earned Euros end up in the pockets of governments, but I think the maintenance of infrastructure is top notch in this country.

View attachment 124717
View attachment 124739
This will blow your mind. In the US, our gas is half paid for by the US government for us to use at a more affordable costs. They call it subsidies. So, the US Gov pays about $2.50 of our gas per gallon, and then our state charges us $0.28 a gallon, of which we all get pissed at, ha ha. This money is to pay for road repairs, but in reality, my state uses this money to fund prisons, and only uses federal monies to pay for road repairs.
I have to pay about $100 for my car tag, which we are told pays for roads and bridges, but in reality funds state workers.
It's like the largest shell game in history. Keep your eye on the peanut...
Madigan' shell game: Teachers should pay the state's share of the pension  obligation. – Fred Klonsky

Oh, and I forgot to add that the state waits till just before a state election to repair the roads with federal monies, so that they can say that they did it. Haha.
 
Last edited:

craig61a

Lifer
Apr 29, 2017
5,824
48,370
Minnesota USA
Infrastructure issues go back decades and span multiple administrations…

The box girder construction of bridges built from the late 1950’s through the 1970’s are particularly concerning.

Up until the middle of the last century, bridges tended to lean towards being over engineered. That’s not to say that there weren’t some spectacular failures prior to that, but many of those were non-typical designs, or it was found that the contractors had taken shortcuts.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,836
29,675
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Sadly, it’s reported that they are over 100 other bridges in the area w/similar ratings.
yeah and a lot of them you can see it without knowing much about structures and their integrity. Some of them you can feel it when you drive over them. It's a great combination of neglect (and mainly because it's a boring issue and bipartisan in it's interest [almost no one wants their bridges to fail]) and this state having a combination of weather that is extra rough on roads and bridges. We get extra cold in winter and extra hot in summer. Also cycles of humidity and dryness. And I promise you that report is selling it short.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,836
29,675
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Infrastructure issues go back decades and span multiple administrations…

The box girder construction of bridges built from the late 1950’s through the 1970’s are particularly concerning.

Up until the middle of the last century, bridges tended to lean towards being over engineered. That’s not to say that there weren’t some spectacular failures prior to that, but many of those were non-typical designs, or it was found that the contractors had taken shortcuts.
thanks key note goes back decades and administrations. It's an endemic issue.