Maryland governor calls for ‘full accountability’ in bridge collapse

The Hill ^ | 03/27/2024 | RASHAD SIMMONS

[DeWalt]

A Chesapeake Harbor Pilot was in control of the vessel.

[ridesthemiles]

SHIP is 1000 feet long & loaded with 10 layers of cargo containers.

I do NOT see anything in that photo that would stop such a ship.

HOW about we stop building bridges that large shipping ports have to navigate???

[ridesthemiles]

THOSE revetments might puncture the hull-—BUT I do NOT see them stopping today’s HUGE container ships.

THEN—a SHIP & entire cargo are IN THE WATER

[Robert DeLong]

Okay. It wasn’t on twitter that I heard it though. Thanks for your input.

[ridesthemiles]

WHAT BIDS????

I would not be surprised if it was a NO BID situation.

[ridesthemiles]

1977 SHIPS were NOT what today’s SUPER CONTAINER SHIPS ARE ===APPLES & ORANGES

[OldHarbor]

Thanks for that link.

I don’t consider this a steel bridge issue. It is more of an issue with adequate protective structures around bridge supports and procedures

Yep. The ship steamrolled right through what little protection there was , which it turns out , was woefully inadequate safety measures for a vital bridge that spans a major port .

Ouch ! Some lessons are learned the hard way.

[ridesthemiles]

WOULDN’T MATTER IF HE WAS AN ALASKAN DWARF-—

NO SHIP ENTERS OR LEAVES A PORT/HARBOR WITHOUT A LOCAL “CHANNEL PILOT”.

SUCH PERSON IS IN CHARGE DURING SUCH MOVEMENTS-—NOT THE SHIP CAPTAIN

[ridesthemiles]

Bridge built in 1977

TODAY==2024

47 years of difference in construction of bridge & SIZE of SUPER CONTAINER SHIPS.

[Robert DeLong]

I understand that. Don’t get excited & scream. 🤣

[OldHarbor]

Without a doubt, all the more reason to beef up the bollards, no ? 🤔

No infrastructure for us but billions for wars around the world.

[chickenlips]

Fenders or concrete deflectors that prevent the power pole from being knocked down by an errant ship.
Why were none installed on the bridge supports?
*******************************************************
What would adding fenders or deflectors do if they were dependent on the bridge supports? It just makes the bridge structure a bigger target because they will just transfer the impact back to the supports that need protecting.

Any added protective measures need to be independent of the foundation and structure of the bridge. To put retrofitted protection in a deep, narrow channel that is strong enough to resist a blow by a large cargo ship would be quite the engineering feat.

It will be interesting to find out how the bridge pier that was struck held up below the water line.

[FrogMom]

“We’re finally allowed to know JFK was shot in the head three times from three different directions and the government has been hiding that fact for 60 plus years.”

Wait. What?

[9422WMR]

“What would adding fenders or deflectors do”
fenders or deflectors are made of concrete and steel pilings and are built strong enough to deflect a ship from crashing into what the “fender” is designed to protect.
The concrete support structure for the bridge appears to be in good condition, except where the steel anchors on top that hold the roadway was ripped off. They may be able to re-use those for the rebuilt bridge section. (depending of course on damage)

[enumerated]

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4227198/posts

[Rummyfan]

Charles
@charlesbonnerjr
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No surprise maritime professionals wanted a tunnel, but the government cut corners and built a bridge, now we suffer the consequences - “just a matter of time”

The Key Bridge
Plans to complete the Baltimore beltway loop with an outer harbor crossing were in the works for years. A tunnel was to be built just inside Fort Carroll at the entrance to the harbor. They actually started the approach ramps for the tunnel, then some bright engineer calculated that they could save a ton of money and carry more traffic by building a bridge there instead of a tunnel. It was a terrible place to build a bridge - over a main shipping channel - at the harbor entrance where ships' engines were just warming up and would most likely experience difficulties, or where the ships were slowing down to meet tugs or just having completed one of two large turns before reaching the bridge.

Short-sightedness and cost-savings made this situation possible. Whom is the governor going to blame for that?!

[Alter Kaker]

Re: Skyway bridge, the ship that knocked it down was 33,912 deadweight tons. The MV Dali that hit in Baltimore yesterday is 116,851 tons... 3.5 times bigger. I'll defer to engineers on this, but I don't think too much could stand up to that.

why not regulations that require Tug Assist under these Bridges?

Not an expert but I think the channel is too narrow.

[lightman]

Vital bridge my rosy red arse.

Baltimore lived without that bridge until 1977.

[AnAmericanMother]

The takeaway (exactly what I noted earlier):

"According to experts, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, constructed in 1977, did not incorporate fenders or protection cells, technologies that became common in the 1980s following similar accidents."

[OldHarbor]

Then I guess the increased traffic will be welcomed . Enjoy.