Here is the element level data.
https://infobridge.fhwa.dot.gov/Data/BridgeDetail/22435238#!#NBETab
All 4 steel columns were at condition state 4 (severe)
2 of 4 movable bearings were at CS3 (poor)
I would expect that having a CS4 condition on a primary structural element like that would have...
The link to inventory data above is outdated. I downloaded the 2021 inventory data below.
This represents the 2019 routine inspection and 2020 fracture critical and special inspection. All seemed to be on a September schedule. There likely was a +/- September 2021 inspection after this data was...
Looks like maybe the city was considering repairs as of 2019:
From the 2019 capital budget
https://apps.pittsburghpa.gov/redtail/images/4499_2019_Capital_Budget.pdf
Page 172:
Legislative & Contractual Committments [OMB] Maintenance and Improvements to Forbes Ave Bridge $ 3,000,000.00 $ - 4
I...
Gathering some data...
Story says there was an articulated city bus on the bridge and at least 4 vehicles.
There was at least some snow on the bridge.
As of the May 2019 street view photo, the bridge was posted at 26 TONS.
From Wikipedia, PAAC has New Flyer D60LFR buses, which have a...
https://bridgereports.com/1456104
Name: FORBES AVENUE over 9 MILE RUN & FERN HOLLOW
Structure number: 000000000002410
Old structure number: 027301000030330 (from 1992 edition)
Location: 301033 NEAR S BRADDOCK AV
Latest Available Inspection: September 2017
Good/Fair/Poor Condition: Poor
Status...
Here is the location:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4395116,-79.9005108,19z
This is not a small, forgotten bridge on a back road somewhere.
Bradley Wilder, P.E.
Construction P.E. (KY), MBA
Bridge Rehab, Coatings, Structural Repair
I would assume an accident. People drive drunk. Elderly drivers get confused and hit the wrong pedal. People get their foot stuck. In the middle of the night in the dark especially, none of those things alone would be surprising. Someone took out the stone planter and fountain at the entrance of...
As far as litigation, who knows? My experience in much, much simpler cases is that everyone who possibly had anything to do with the loss gets sued. Then that gets narrowed down during litigation until they find the few parties most at fault with the biggest pockets.
As for 'take away lessons'...
Another thought on the possibility of a vehicle collision with a parking garage column instigating the initial failure:
Many (most?) newer car models have a black box (Event Data Recorder) that records - among other things - the speed directly before a crash event. That would be a way once...
Maybe someone who has worked on an urban search and rescue task force could speak to this? From what I can gather, these teams are equipped to be deployed for around 10 days. At some point, the operation ceases to be rescue-focused and becomes recovery-focused. That's got to be a hard call for...
More on the concerns that led to the halt of searching overnight:
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article252490903.html
Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said engineers raised several concerns with structural issues of the building. Mainly, they...
@TheGreenLama
(Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer, just relaying related experience)
1) I'm in KY not FL, but a few years ago here several HOA's banded together to buy the golf course in their neighborhood after it went bankrupt. They used a special assessment spread over several years. I'm fuzzy on...
@Retiredat46
I don't have a clear comparison on saltwater vs fertilizer corrosion but here are some thoughts... Corrosion is an electrochemical process that needs the presence of an electrolyte for ions to flow and the corrosion process to continue. Unfortunately, saltwater is an excellent...
Do we know what the actual design loads were and how they compare with modern-day assumptions? For example, going to the tables of ASCE 7 the assumptions for LL are baked into the intended use of the space. Dead loads are calculated and include some level of finishes, cladding, and permanent...
Sorry about the paywall. I can't find another source that's not. I think the headline is misleading in that I don't believe he had "signed off" on anything yet, just made comments at a meeting. Still, I thought this would be of interest to the group:
Surfside Official Who Signed Off on...
I think inspections with open and transparent results would be a good start. Then the owners would be strongly incentivized to maintain their own common property to preserve their individual unit property values. Bridge inspections can be boiled down to a 0 to 100% "sufficiency rating". If...
I've never thought much about this until this happened, but it's bothering me. Coming from a bridge guy, I see a huge disconnect in the near-constant engineering eyes watching over our bridges but the opposite for buildings. Bridges are inspected typically every two years, in some states every...
