An expert says that the images, revealed by the CM & newscast, would indicate problems in the construction or design.
The Noticiero CM & revealed a video recorded by a security camera where the Chirajara bridge collapsed. In the circle it is observed how the bases of the structure yield.
Argelino Duran, President of the Colombian Society of Engineers, says that the video would reveal problems in the construction or in the design or in those two variables.
"The support column of the bridge that in that area where the road goes opens in two in a geometry as a diamond begins to move and begin to break the vertices of that rhombus and the diamond, which was elongated, ends up trying to become like square as it falls. Those columns that were part of the diamond did not support the effort that at that time they had to endure, "said Durán.
The engineer Duran, warned that it is necessary to thoroughly review the part of the viaduct that remained standing and does not rule out that it must be demolished.
QBE Seguros, the company that has the policy that protects the construction of the structure of the Chirajara bridge, assures that it will wait for the end of the investigation to respond.
"Our obligation is to investigate the events that occurred, we have a team of internal and external experts who are in the work reviewing what happened and trying to find the cause of the incident," says Antonio Sales, vice president of QBE Seguros.
However, the vice president of the insurer says that the work has several policies and that some of them must already be responding for the nine people who died and the eight who were injured.
"From the insurance point of view, different types of insurance operate here, for the victims are the personal accident policies, the group life policies and the ARL policies," adds Sales.
Only when the investigation is over can the operation be started to remove the debris from the bridge from the bottom of the canyon. For now the government estimates that the collapse of the bridge will delay the delivery of the dual carriageway to Llano for at least two years.
Commission of international experts that analyzed the area warned that what affected the collapsed part could be replicated in the second.
The three American engineers members of the American Concrete Institute who visited the area concluded that the part of the bridge that is still standing presents a latent risk of collapse.
"They have been able to detect that the current bridge say that it is presenting a cracking that can make the collapse of this structure imminent," said Transport Minister Germán Cardona.
For this reason, the Ministry of Transportation informed the Coviandes concessionaire so that it immediately takes measures to guarantee the lives of the people who work in the area.
The president of the ANI explained that the North American experts have extensive experience in collapsed structures around the world and that they will deliver their report in one or two weeks.
Coviandes, concessionaire of the road between Bogotá and Villavicencio, signed a contract with the American firm Modjeski and Masters (M & M), to carry out the studies and analyzes that allow determining the possible causes that led to the collapse of stack B of the Chirajara bridge, which is part of the works of the double carriageway in the second section of this road corridor.
Do not rule out demolishing remaining section of Chirajara bridge
The chosen firm will be accompanied by the American Geotechnical Engineering Services (Ages), with the aim of deepening the geotechnical analysis.
According to Coviandes, after doing a study of 20 foreign firms, the selection of Modjeski and Masters was made not only taking into account their great experience in this type of research, but also to "guarantee total independence and transparency in their conclusions".
As part of the contract signed, this February 1 will arrive in the country, to move to the site of the incident, eight officials of the firm, who in addition to their studies of Master and PhD have extensive experience in design and analysis of structures, as well as research forensics of bridge collapse. "The team will be led by M & M vice president Thomas Murphy," added the concessionaire.
The specialists will evaluate the causes of the incident on the Chirajara bridge, study the current condition of the bridge foundations and make an exhaustive review of all the designs of the structure. "The activities include sampling of parts of the collapsed structure and quality verification tests, thorough review of the construction procedures, the results of the tests that served to verify the quality of the works and compliance with standards," added Coviandes.
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