FIU Pedestrian Bridge - EOR aftermath 9

[samwise753]

thread815-477378
It's been very quiet regarding what became of the EOR on the FIU Pedestrian Bridge, and the Florida Board finally posted the reckoning.

https://fbpe.org/pate-w-denny/

I figured there'd be a lot of us out there interested, and I was surprised it was so quiet. An interesting read if y'all have the time.

 

[Sym P. le]

To tidy up my previous post, from the transcript of the Jose Morales' (BPA) interview, page 55,

Although this may be indicative of a steady state being achieved, it needs to be considered cautiously in light of
[ul]
[li]ongoing structural dynamics[/li]

[li]Mr. Morales' memory blank stemming from his injuries acquired as a result of the collapse[/li]

[li]lack of documentation (some documentation is discussed during interviews but I don't recall where, if in fact, it is publicly presented)[/li]

[li]http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article205432799.html]public statement from an employee of FIU[/url]

Jorge Mesa, 31, who works as the content strategist for the Center for Leadership at Florida International University, was stopped underneath the bridge at 8:56 a.m. while on his way to work. He was enjoying the brisk morning weather, so he turned off his music and rolled down the windows of his Mercedez [sic] Benz SUV.

“All of a sudden, I hear a crack,” Mesa said. “I see a [construction] worker; he looks up at the bridge and he gives me this face.”

[/li]
[/ul]

To recap, the slight cracks that appeared on the east/west faces of Member 11 when construction scaffolding was removed became more pronounced upon bridge placement (photographed by FIGG, Mar 10, noonish), became alarming prior to detensioning (photographed by Morales, Mar 10, 3:30 pmish), progressed while monitored the next few days though ceasing by Mar 15 (vague as to time of observation). Much of the discussion regarding the cracks is muddied (including in the WJE report) by references to when photographs were sent/received rather than when (or temporal context of when) they were taken, an important distinction in terms of structural or legal dynamics.

 

[spsalso]

These points are all very important and interesting, but there's the other question about whether this science experiment should have been taking place over innocent civilians. And killing them.



spsalso

 

[Sym P. le]

Rebar 101 for a concrete column, for one, is not an experiment, nor is professionalism. The technology should not be maligned on account of a few bad actors. Arrogance and puffery is the experiment, the structure being a ticket to glory and riches. Unfortunately, everyone involved in the design and investigation is spewing bullshit to cover their assets and hoping no one will notice. I'm calling their bluff. Let's have a frank discussion about the real shortcomings of the structure rather than apples to oranges comparisons, shell games for timelines, or strut and tie illusions for two ships passing in the night.

Let the judges/juries pass judgements on the bad actors. Let the professional engineers design stuff.

... the attitude of "leave it to the courts" gives off the appearance that engineering professionalism in Florida (and beyond?) is dead. If a professional regulator just passes the buck, then they had might as well close up shop and shut down. There's no point in regulating the practice of engineering if blatant & fatal malpractice go un-punished.

The professional engineers need to be pounding the table on this, demanding an accounting from their own as well as the courts lest they become a caricature of irrelevance.