Recent I-5 bridge horror collapse

[Gigas]

Most of you know of this recent bridge collapse in washington state on the I-5 corridor.

For those who missed it all, a multi span bridge with a girder suspension system failed and fell in the river taking a couple a car with. No deaths.

Washington officials are blaming a truck crossing with an oversize load as hitting the top suspension thus causing the collapse.

REALLY!!!

Wait a minute and lets allow the reader to really think about this. But first you have to read further to have a clue.

The official immediate blame is on the truck as the cause. They claim the trucks high load hit the top span and that's all it took for it to collapse.

NO, that's not entirely true and not the major cause. You see, they know that bridge has sustained previous damage from high load hits and stamped it all good and a go. They won't tell you it was a failing bridge they knew about and it was in desperate need of replacement or imminent substantial dollar repair.

If you look at the images of the fallen trusses you can see, yes, a support girder was hit by something but not the following girders. So your mind is going ok, so what, the trucker did it.

Look again and really think hard on this. If that truck was to high for that bridge girder system, the following girders would be hit as well right along with the first hit.

Now here you have to logically reason if the truck hit the girder(s) the trucker should have stopped immediately. But the driver and truck didn't, the driver drove the rig across the bridge and stopped on solid ground knowing something just happened as he says looking back, he saw the bridge disappear.

If this truck was to high for that bridge height, that bridge would have sustained numerous girder hits and not to forget, this wide load had an escort that drives ahead of the truck load and attached to the front of that escort is a pole either equal to the highest part of the following load to warn that escort driver the bridge will be hit and by radio, that escort driver will alarm the driver to stop and not precede any further.

So what the hell am I tellin you, I'm tellin you that bridge was in a state of collapse as that truck rolled upon it and the girder that was hit was in that collapase state as it sagged for the high load to hit it. The truckers load failed to hit any other girders, just the low point as the bridge began to collapse.

If they hold this trucking company who had all the necessary paper work, logged routing and permits to drive that route,  responsible, I want you to know that's an official libelous lie.

http://www.mail.com/news/us/2107460-trucker-bumps-i-5-bridge-sees-horror.html#.23140-stage-mostviewed1-1

[Gigas]

Here's an old trucking story I can tell you is fact.

Back in 86 when I started to drive for Schneider transport, I had to go thru <-(ya I know) their driver training. I was in a class of 12 people for 6 weeks.

We all graduated and went on to drive truck for Schneider. One of the guys who I knew personally and who lived within my small town, was worried he might fail and he needed this job to support his wife and kids. Well he passed too.

We all were haulin loads now and everybody was excited they made it. You see, we were truckers now rolling down that long highway with big loads to places we never seen before.

So one sunny day, several weeks on the new job, I was in iowa delivering when schneider dispatch calls. They ask, did you hear what happened, I say, no. Well, this kid (name redacted by this space) was killed last night in new york state as he crossed a collapsed bridge. I go WTH happened. They don't say much more but I go to a truck stop and get the news.

A bridge was washed out that night by a flash flood and it was the I-90 sheshone bridge. This guy, in the dead of a rainy night never seen it coming as he drove off the highway into a watery abyss to his death. Took several days to find the truck and his body.

I and most of the guys and girls who made it from the driving class were allowed to attend along with the driver managers.  It was a sad moment for that family to loose a man whose only care was to have this job and take care of his family.

[1Worldwatcher]

Yes Gigas, this is a sad tale for sure. The USA's infrastructures are going down, some have been out dated for decades now. Even the bridge collapse in Minneapolis MN, they were trying to give blame to the designer and builder of the bridge, there by laying blame on the contractor for the failure. It ia all smoke and mirror's for sure.

Funny, we can go a head and fund the clean up of the Ru$$ian Mil. clean up for all the Nul3ar reactors they dumped with in the ocean, but can't supply sufficient funds for allocation for infrastructure for our own country? is total BS for sure. Gitmo $445M a year, Tunnels for turtles $1.8M, Average clean cost for Ru$$ian Nucl3ar dumping annually $3.6M, the leaders of this country are leaving the people and what the USA stands for behind with minimizing our needs and the apparent ease of misappropriated funds harder to track with in such acclimated foundations and groups. Now I am getting PO'ed!!  LOL

All these seemingly 'Small Amounts' too our Gubment adds up to a hefty wasted sum, and thanks for the heads up, will be keeping my eye's and ear's open for any farther updates about this alleged Semi tractor trailer, over sized Load explanation closely. I come from a Cross Country truck driving family, and my father has hauled some very dangerous stuff for the Gubment in the past, they need to get their heads out of the stinky shade they have them shoved up in.

1WW

[Gigas]

Keep a blind eye on how this countries highway infrastructure is being sold to foreign interest who only care about how much they can milk a profit over any repair replacement costing. Soon, we will see nation wide toll roads.

Anyone ever stop in a traffic lane on a bridge with traffic moving on that bridge. That bridge shakes up and down as you sit there in your car bouncing up and down.

You fellow human beings living in the eastern seaboard states know how the situation goes with all those bridges out there and you New York state drivers know oh so well the george washington bridge tolls and the condition that thing is in.

Back in the 90s when I trucked into new york from jersey, I paid hundreds in bridge tolls. G washington bridge into the city alone costed me $25 to cross. Multiply that by at least several thousand trucks a day paying that times 365 and you will see that bridge should be gold plated and the shiniest man made structure on the face of the planet.

But it's not, and for the longest time it was rutted and pot holed and if you stopped in traffic on it, you would pee your self from the shaking of that bridge.

[robomont]

i saw a closeup of the bridge.it was angle and box.the boxed stuff cant be properly painted .i work on structeral steal.radio towers.and i bet that steal box was paper thin and full of holes.northern state salt on bridges.that thing was ate from the inside out.plus a beam or two can easily be missing and  a decent steal bridge would have held.that bridge should have been replaced years ago.
or it was not designed right.weve taken eight strut braces out of a tower before and it held but scared the pooh out of me.

poor infrastructure .

[Gigas]

Well than, they need to quiz bridge inspectors who stamped it all ok. How could they slip up on a major interstate highway that carries hundreds of thousand vehicles a day. Knowing time and wear statistics, they should have had an emminent failure time already on the books.

[Sgt.Rocknroll]

talking about shaking bridges, How many of you have been over the Huey P. Long bridge here in New Orleans. I travel that sucker everyday and its really fun with 18 wheelers and a train going over at the same time...Shake Rattle and Roll time...Thank God they're almost finished with the upgrade and widening of that old sucker....
The Washington Bridge is fully on the state inspectors. They, in my opinion, never do they're job properly and are usually paid off or under pressure from state authoritys to keep those bridges open....

[zorgon]

Shake Rattle and Roll time...

They should rename it Rock N Roll Bridge

The Washington Bridge is fully on the state inspectors. They, in my opinion, never do they're job properly and are usually paid off or under pressure from state authoritys to keep those bridges open....

Washigton always had issues with bridge engineers... seems they don't understand the basics...

A 42 mph breeze did this...

[burntheships]

Now that is what we could say ...was blowing in the wind!

Supposedly, there are 70,000 "structurally deficient" bridges
in the country ...

Of course, who knows why, that is the big question.
How does this happen?

[robomont]

ive seen that video many times.
its amazing it held together for as many minutes as it did.
thats what looking up or down the leg of a guy tower looks like.a spaguetti string.especially when the guy wires are a little loose.
check it out sometime if you get the chance.a noodle in the wind.

[sky otter]

welllll there is no where around here..western pa - pgh area ...that you can go without crossing a bridge of some type ...i think we have the most bridges in the nation

but the infrastructure is what is going to bring this country down.. not the poltics or opinions

this was a very progressive little boro and all of the stuff is very old and in need of replacement
all the old guys who did it  never thought they would die and someone would need to know where stuff was..so when the new companies are looking for lines.. it's a guess
there is no way there is enough money to fix it all as it breaks and/or needs repaired

sadly there really are too many people

[VillageIdiot]

I fail to see how this is a "horror". No one died. I'd say that makes it a minor miracle.

That being said, truck drivers need to pay closer attention to what they're hauling. Overall, they do a pretty good job, but all it takes is one to significantly affect a large number of people.

[The Seeker]

I fail to see how this is a "horror". No one died. I'd say that makes it a minor miracle.

That being said, truck drivers need to pay closer attention to what they're hauling. Overall, they do a pretty good job, but all it takes is one to significantly affect a large number of people.

Let me explain something to you; I was in the "superhauler class" for a very long time; in the first place, the state permitted that load and gave them a very specific route that has to be followed; item two is there was a pole car in the lead, just in case the state farks up; the pole touches anything the little convoy immediately stops;immediately.

Considering only one support was damaged, my conclusion is the bridge gave way as the truck traversed it and the support dropped; I have seen numerous accidents on the road, some due to driver error, some not...

Do not automatically blame the driver unless you are qualified; I have had a Class A-x unlimited license with Hazmat, tanker, doubles, and triples for thirty years...


seeker

[VillageIdiot]

Sometimes there's a reason I'm the Village Idiot. You just told me something I didn't know.

Now why didn't the system work?

[Edward]

Sometimes there's a reason I'm the Village Idiot. You just told me something I didn't know.

Now why didn't the system work?

And all along I thought you were the resident troll.   


Edward