FL - Pedestrian bridge collapses at Florida International University, Miami, 2018

[whitelilac]

Homicide as in someone is responsible, I guess. This was not a natural disaster as an earthquake.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

:tyou: Betty P for the recap of the presser. DH and I were watching Jeopardy!

 

[Gardenista]

From the renderings, looks like the base of the center mast goes in the ground next to the water then bridge extends from there. The extension has not been done yet.

https://news.fiu.edu/2018/03/commun...ridge-move-across-southwest-8th-street/120395

 

[Ari]

My heart is heavy for the victims and their families.

 

[fred&edna]

One life lost is one too many but I suppose it's remarkable there wasn't a higher death/injury toll considering all the lanes of traffic, the number of construction workers, pedestrians, etc.

 

[x_files]

They didn't want "big government" getting in the way of "job creators"? Isn't that what they usually say?

Someone earlier said the Miami govt is corrupt. They sure didn't want to talk about this tragedy very much.

That's why regulations help prevent these kind of accidents.

 

[Betty P]

That was the last thing I heard during the presser. HOMICIDE??? WTH is going on here?

It sounded like SOP. Mistakes or negligence in this kind of situation are criminal offenses, even if only manslaughter, etc. We sometimes forget people in positions of responsibility are subject to the same laws as the rest of us. If you do something that leads to the death of another, it's a crime. Wish they would do that more often.

 

[fred&edna]

Funding for the bridge:

Funding for the $14.2 million bridge, connecting plazas and walkways is part of a $19.4 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Other funding agencies include the Federal Highway Administration, Florida Department of Transportation Local Agency Program, FIU and the City of Sweetwater.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rel...trian-bridge-swings-into-place-300611973.html

US DOT "TIGER" grants:

https://www.transportation.gov/tiger

 

[whitelilac]

[FONT=&quot]"An emerging way of installing bridges was touted as an "engineering feat," a model for the future with safety at the forefront."

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]"It will be the largest pedestrian bridge move via a Self-Propelled Modular Transportation (SPMT) in U.S. history,"

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]"It was designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and have a design life that would exceed 100 years, according to the fact sheet."



[/FONT]https://www.yahoo.com/gma/florida-bridge-collapsed-touted-engineering-feat-come-life-233503040--abc-news-topstories.html

 

[Betty P]

That's why regulations help prevent these kind of accidents.

Also, enforcing the penalties when people and companies violate or ignore regulations.

 

[x_files]

Apparently road was closed during installation of the span on Sat. 3/10

I truly hope they get to the bottom of this. Miami is a city where locals can bribe inspectors to get faulty work approved.
And sadly this construction company can close up shop, file bankruptcy, and open tomorrow as a new LLC.
Builders do it all the time when they have financial problems. A year from now this construction company will not
exist as same company on paper.

wow...how is this even legal!!???

 

[Betty P]

[FONT="]"An emerging way of installing bridges was touted as an "engineering feat," a model for the future with safety at the forefront."

[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#26282A][FONT="]"It will be the largest pedestrian bridge move via a Self-Propelled Modular Transportation (SPMT) in U.S. history,"

[/FONT][FONT="]"It was designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and have a design life that would exceed 100 years, according to the fact sheet."



[/FONT]https://www.yahoo.com/gma/florida-bridge-collapsed-touted-engineering-feat-come-life-233503040--abc-news-topstories.html

It sounds like NTSB plans to take a very close look at how well the Accellerated Bridge Construction System works. He said they would be looking at all the bridges that had been built in similar fashion. They don't mess around. Its the same agency that investigates plane and train crashes


https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/default.aspx

They also said OSHA will be investigating.

 

[fred&edna]

[FONT="]"An emerging way of installing bridges was touted as an "engineering feat," a model for the future with safety at the forefront."

[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#26282A][FONT="]"It will be the largest pedestrian bridge move via a Self-Propelled Modular Transportation (SPMT) in U.S. history,"

[/FONT][FONT="]"It was designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and have a design life that would exceed 100 years, according to the fact sheet."



[/FONT]https://www.yahoo.com/gma/florida-bridge-collapsed-touted-engineering-feat-come-life-233503040--abc-news-topstories.html

Certainly innovative.

Older bridges/overpasses have worried me, now I'm worried about the newer ones, too.

 

[Betty P]

Apparently road was closed during installation of the span on Sat. 3/10

I truly hope they get to the bottom of this. Miami is a city where locals can bribe inspectors to get faulty work approved.
And sadly this construction company can close up shop, file bankruptcy, and open tomorrow as a new LLC.
Builders do it all the time when they have financial problems. A year from now this construction company will not
exist as same company on paper.

IIRC, when we lived in Texas it was like that,too. Businesses down there went bankrupt all the time, multiple times, in order to get out of debt or avoid fines, legal challenges. IIRC, that's how the Savings & Loan Crisis began back in the late 80's. Texas "investors" went out, got federal money and opened up Savings & Loan companies knowing if they went under the federal government would bail them out. We used to say that the state motto was "caveat emptor". It's just a normal part of doing business in some states that allow it. Unethical and wrong, IMO.

ETA: Maybe criminal charges are the only way the government can hold these folks accountable.

 

[whitelilac]

Certainly innovative.

Older bridges/overpasses have worried me, now I'm worried about the newer ones, too.

Yes....to get to LAX I have to go through a long tunnel underneath a runway, and if traffic is bad it can take 20 minutes. Always makes me nervous, especially with earthquakes here...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Miami pedestrian bridge collapses, killing at least four, officials say

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...lapses-trapping-unknown-number-people-n857011

 

[lonetraveler]

Why wasn't the road closed? Let me guess lack of regulations.

Believe me, there are plenty of regulations, they just weren't followed.

 

[drama_farmer]

The Daily Mail has a photo up claiming to be "the moment the bridge collapsed." You can see it here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5506597/Pedestrian-bridge-collapses-cars-people-campus.html

There is a crane/boom in the upper right of shot, and what looks to be a snapped (or maybe just short or hard to see) cable hanging down from it. IMO.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

My Lord just looking at the span makes me physically ill.

NO supports whatsoever in the middle.

The no supports in the middle isn't exactly a problem. The problem seems to have been that they allowed traffic underneath before the bridge was completed and before the suspension part of the construction was installed.

This bridge is over 150 years old and still going strong.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Suspension_Bridge

This one is even older - almost 200 years old and still carrying heavy traffic every day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menai_Suspension_Bridge

 

[lonetraveler]

I'm so angry right now, I hope I make sense here. First, I have twenty-five years experience in heavy construction, Capital project administrator experience with DuPont. I've built industrial plants, railways, chemical tank farms, roadways, bridges, many, many, major concrete support structures. This bridge project, in my opinion, was not built to any approved concrete design standards at all, the fact that the span was not supported at the time is totally unacceptable. At no time is it acceptable for the entire construction site to be open to pedestrian or for any traffic or work personnel until all spanning cables are in place for support, and for all testing is completed and signed off by structural engineering. Concrete testing reports of each and every pour is required to pass all standards. Concrete core samples have to pass a cure test as well. But most importantly, absolutely no personnel, equipment is allowed in the construction area at all times until the bridge is 100% complete, inspected and signed off from every engineer and state inspector there is. There are so many violations here it is impossible to cover them all right now. This is a multiple homicide event. There had to have been a lot of corruption and inferior work and lack of oversight on this project. Heads should roll.