Free Republic

The "American Heritage Invention and Technology" magazine has an article on interstate highway bridge construction. The article was prompted by the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis a few years ago. The legal weight limit for semi-trucks was quoted as 80,000 pounds. This weight limit is what interstate highway construction in America is designed to carry. The article also mentioned that Nevada has found one in 14 trucks exceed the 80,000-pound legal limit. It was not clear from the article if the legal limit of 80,000 pounds is a federal limit and applies anywhere in the United States or...

May 13, 2003 Estimated Passenger Weight Raised in Air Safety Effort By MATTHEW L. WALD WASHINGTON, May 12 — The Federal Aviation Administration today ordered airlines that fly planes with more than 19 seats to raise the assumed average weight of each passenger by 10 pounds and the assumed weight for each checked bag by an additional 5 to ensure that their planes are not overloaded. The notice, which was sent to all airlines, gave them 90 days to adopt the new weight rules or to conduct their own surveys of passenger and luggage weight. The actions were prompted by...