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[benn600]

If I'm not mistaken, then the large bridge to the left of a smaller bridge is the one that collapsed.  Can anyone else confirm this?  Here's a google map of it.  I'm surprised they didn't take a new graphic of it after the collapse--unless I'm not looking at the right bridge.  But it is close to J River and is 8 lane like I read it was.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=211+N+First+St,+Suite+375+Minneapolis,+MN+55401&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.79719,104.0625&ie=UTF8&ll=44.981192,-93.255129&spn=0.017424,0.053558&t=k&z=14&om=0

[bob]

Here is a link to current pictures I took from the 10th street bridge (the smaller bridge that parallels the 35w bridge that was just reopened last Friday). I live about 1.5 mi from the bridge.

http://pix01.com/RB@wxj5

[KingSparta]

On A Recent Show "Seconds From Disaster"

As you may know japan has many faults running the length of the country and japan is considered one of the most quake proof countries. Mostly Due to the study of quakes and what they have learned changed there building practices to take in account earthquakes.

In January 1995 a strong earthquake hit the city of Kobe and surroundings. The Southern Hyogo Earthquake (also called Great Hanshin Earthquake) killed 6,000 and injured 415,000 people. 100,000 houses were completely and 185,000 partially destroyed (Many Of Them Old Structures).

Along with that many roadways and bridges collapsed. It Was Interesting to see how they took moment by moment and figured out why and how the roadways were destroyed. Many Structural Specialists Figured the roadways were safe.

On 9\12 They Will Be Showing The Pentagon On 9\11
On 9\20 They Will Be Showing The Crash Of The Concord
On 9\20 They Will Also be Showing The Hindenburg Air Ship

[KingSparta]

any update on why?

[bob]

any update on why?

Not that I've heard.
Most of the concrete is gone at this point. All jackhammered out. Now they need to get the steel off of the two roads it's still blocking...

[jimn]

any update on why?

All the off-the-cuff theories have pretty much already been vetted through the media. Now everyone is waiting for the NTSB report, which will be released when they are good and ready. Unless one of a couple other investigations release their conclusions earlier.

Our department of transportation has awarded the contract to build the replacement, which is expected to begin the middle of October.

JimN

[KingSparta]

From Wikipedia

The New York Times and Washington Post reported on January 15, 2008 that the National Transportation Safety Board investigators had determined that the bridge had a design fault which led to the collapse, that inspection of the bridge could not have prevented. The NTSB reports that the designers had specified that steel gusset plates connecting several girders were undersized and inadequate to support the intended load of the bridge. As the bridge carried more weight over the decades, such as concrete lane barriers, and other dead load, the margin of safety was much less than the original design intent. The addition of tons of construction equipment and material exceeded the inadequate ability of the plates to carry the load. The NSTB recommends that similar bridge designs be reviewed for this problem.

Also From The NTSB

http://www.ntsb.gov/pressrel/2008/080115.html

National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, D.C. 20594
Safety Recommendation

http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2008/H08_1.pdf

Note: Although the Board's investigation is still on-going and no determination of probable cause has been reached

But How It Reads, Is The Original Calculations Of The Original Bridge Plans Are In Error, It Seems They Did Not Re-Evaluate The Loads And Bridge Prior To Adding More Loads To The Bridge That Over Stressed The Gusset Plates. You would think this would be done whenever making modifications to a bridge.

[hit_ny]

Ain't she pretty

[bob]

I'll try to take a night picture sometime. It's got a blue cast to it from soft lighting along the edge.

[Frobozz]

It looks a lot more pretty than the old bridge.

[hit_ny]

I'll try to take a night picture sometime. It's got a blue cast to it from soft lighting along the edge.

Found some, most unusual