And it’s interesting that the power lines had more protection than the bridge… someone made a decision not to upgrade the protection around the pylons.
2 Likes
realistically the powerline protection is for small watercraft only.
Something like the DALI would run aground before it got to the powerlines.
4 Likes
Yeah. What this screams to me is an ancient design code not being updated due to costs. Every modern bridge has massive barriers around their legs to prevent this exact scenario. That risk hadn’t been addressed in the original design.
A fresh eyes review of that bridge would have identified a ship hitting a pylon as a catastrophic consequence hazard. The controls in place were administrative only, basically putting trained personnel into the drivers seat. The hazard was never engineered out using industry standard practice.
When left for enough time, a low likelihood hazard is going to result in a real consequence. The costs now are lives, a new bridge, the closure of one of the US’s busiest ports, massive traffic congestion, job losses due to the port blockage. Retrofitting concrete pylons around the bridge structure would have been a bargain in comparison. The only reason I can see it not happening is financial constraints and grandfathering provisions for design standards that don’t require old bridges to be updated.
Time will tell what the investigation into this finds, but I’m almost certain that it will have the vibe of this post.
4 Likes
Would the “dophins” used in the Florida Sunshine Skyway (replacement) bridge have helped here?
Probably yes, but the narrowness of the channel might have made that scheme unworkable.
1 Like
Someone made a call to not apply that upgrade to this bridge. I wouldn’t like to be that individual right now. There will be very real consequences if their decision making logic is flawed in any way.
It’s a very easy thing to say something is too expensive before it goes catastrophically wrong. It’s very difficult to argue that to the inquiry after the disaster.
1 Like
Perhaps someone should check out the Westgate bridge.
Things have gone wrong there before.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/news-items/2023/container-ship-went-track-yarra-river-channel-after-steering-failure
After the shock of seeing that happen, my first thought was could that happen to the west gate bridge? Considering I travel across it at least twice per day it seems a reasonable concern. Does anyone know of there are protections in place to prevent similar?
ADD
Not the whole bridge, but a few spans being affected.
I have a sneaking suspicion that large vessels need to have tugs in attendance as they pass through the narrow entrance to the Yarra and docks.
1 Like
Would be a good mitigation. Let’s hope.
Harbormaster’s directions Table 3(l)
Looks like 2 or 3 depending on weather, winds and ship capabilities and size.
There’s a few exceptions.
1 Like
The western pylon has some protection, but I don’t know how much that’s going to stop a fully laden cargo ship. Probably a better scenario than the Key Bridge, but I’m guessing.
1 Like
I know for a fact that a CEO of VicRoads did not drive over the Westgate and encouraged his family and friends to do the same.
2 Likes
There was the Tasman Bridge disaster in 1975. The ship’s master was blamed.
2 Likes
Best angle of the incident I’ve seen (and a slightly humerous backstory)
https://x.com/drblobb/status/1772678096153370942?s=46&t=VIFL5UYjxd376tbe4uqp6A
The pilot on the ship radioed a distress warning that they were going to hit the bridge. That was forwarded by maritime control to Baltimore police. “ship has lost steering, close the bridge to traffic”
4 minutes from warning to collapse and they succeeded in stopping all road traffic from being on the bridge.
Full story in this thread:
https://x.com/cfishman/status/1772966665531084836?s=46
9 Likes
I’m surprised that has been mentioned more in relation to this accident. Four cars did plunge to the sea when a relatively small section of that bridge collapsed. The reconstruction took nearly 3 years, and turned a 3 minute car trip into a 90 minute trip for the 30% of people living on the East side of the bridge. Extra ferries were built to help cover people who needed to commute daily.
Next year will mark 50 years since the disaster.
It was horrific. We crossed the bridge about 25 minutes before the accident.
I’m not certain it’s still in place but traffic was halted in both directions whenever a ship of significant size sailed under the bridge
3 Likes
Meanwhile, in Japan…sales of adult nappies outpaced those for infants in the country for more than a decade.
2 Likes
It did allow Tasmania to claim the world record for longest Bailey Bridge, though.
1 Like
Japan’s population age demographics are terrible, but not as bad as China and South Korea apparently. There’s going to be some big economic impacts from this in the next few decades as less people enter the work force than those that are retiring. It’s happening in many countries all over the world (Germany and Russia being towards the top of the list as well).