Oh shit . . . . .

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Coolest bridge collapse EVER:  Tacoma Narrows, 1940:





Boru

[brewer]

Other bridge failure.

http://www.phuketdentalhomeclinic.com/im...ridges.jpg

[Whateverist]

So giving our failing infrastructure I guess we should avoid bridges in this country.

[vorlon13]

Barge 1, Bridge 0

Frasier River Canada, railroad bridge

[Jackalope]

Coolest bridge collapse EVER:  Tacoma Narrows, 1940:





Boru

Neat. I've dove the Tacoma Narrows. (SCUBA). Very fast current. It's like flying.

[Anomalocaris]

Note the sag in this bridge midspan.




Repairs were unsuccessful, and possibly hastened the inevitable collapse.

I like how the tensioning cables ripped out of the bridge and stayed up in the air.

[vorlon13]

That was kinda odd in several ways. There may have been some unanticipated material problems with the concrete, creep and possible deterioration in the salt air, the bridge was very long for it's type, 600 or 700 foot span. The bridge gave indications that it was having troubles when it sagged over 40 inches midspan. The engineers did some work on it, but delamination and maybe (my take) adding too much weight where the sag was probably hastened the collapse. Killed a couple people when it failed too.

Strikingly beautiful tropical islands, the failure cut off access to an airport and some vital businesses as I recall. Japan stepped in and helped build a cable stayed replacement span.

[vorlon13]

Overpass failed in Brazil.  Outcome for the dump truck drivers was not good.  There is a car under the bridge too.

[Angrboda]

[vorlon13]

This just happened in Canada to a bridge opened just a couple months ago.




Looks like the extreme cold caused sufficient and apparently unallowed for contraction in the bridge support system, resulting in a failure of an expansion joint.  The road surface is misaligned 2 feet now.

Ouch.

The original bridge still stands, but was slated for demolition, it isn't clear if traffic can be diverted back on it till the new one is repaired.