Who Broke The Bridge?

[/pine]

Don't know about this bridge...but lots of bridges have utilities and pipelines within their infrastructure...

 

[Dftodd]

Who to blame? Probably whoever was supposed to inspect it on a regular basis, or did not inspect it in a thorough manner and missed the impending signs of failure.

Probably a combination of corrosion and metal fatigue.

At least they caught it before it collapsed and killed people.

Been over that bridge many times. It's been showing signs of needing a refurb or replacing for the past 10 years.

Thats not the only bridge in Memphis that needs to be overhauled.

They have the notice boards up going into little rock saying that the bridge is closed and to seek an alternative route. Talked to a hauler the other day and he said that the interstate is a mess over there.

 

[ruffdog]

It sounds like a guy took pictures of the bridge in July 2019 that shows the crack. The last inspection was in August 2019 and the crack was not reported? Something fishy going on and I'm not talking about the river.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

The failed member is integral to keeping the arch from spreading at the bottom and dropping the entire span in the river. Only a moron would refer to it as "just a brace".

That’s Mr Moron to you.

It’s just bracing

as long as the ones on the next section aren’t missing, it ain’t going anywhere. There are also diagonal bracing members. There’s also multiple top ones holding the deck, and the deck itself. It’s not going to spread unless a whole lot more things fail.

Maybe a simple engineering class is in order?

 

[RickB]

It’s just bracing

as long as the ones on the next section aren’t missing, it ain’t going anywhere. There are also diagonal bracing members.

Maybe a simple engineering class is in order?

For you? Maybe that would help.

from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:


But in addition to its age, the bridge is automatically under heightened scrutiny because it is a "fracture-critical bridge" and must be inspected every year, Arkansas officials said Tuesday. Most bridges are inspected every two years.

"A "fracture critical bridge" has, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation officials, "fracture critical members ... items defined as steel primary members, or portions thereof, subject to tension whose failure would probably cause a portion of or the entire bridge to collapse." "

 

[Diggin It]

Do any of you remember building a wooden bridge in school? We'd get a pre-packaged kit of sticks, glue and some string. You could only use what was included in the kit and it had to span a prescribed distance, but those were the only requirements.

Once they were completed, they were tested until failure. Whichever one held the most weight won.

 

[rekees4300]

Hmmmm wonder if the break could be connected to the New Madrid Seismic Zone?

The infamous New Madrid earthquake is overdue - Strange Sounds

 

[Diggin It]

^^^^ USGS shows 773 earthquakes since 1-1-19, all less than M4 and all well north of Memphis.

Latest Earthquakes{%22name%22:%22Search%20Results%22,%22params%22:{%22starttime%22:%222019-01-01%2000:00:00%22,%22endtime%22:%222021-05-15%2023:59:59%22,%22maxlatitude%22:36.586,%22minlatitude%22:34.738,%22maxlongitude%22:-89.22,%22minlongitude%22:-90.319,%22minmagnitude%22:1,%22orderby%22:%22time%22}}


Can't see that being a major factor.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

For you? Maybe that would help.

"

I already have multiple Engineering degrees, and a PE. So I have that going for me. I know it’s not as in-depth as a cut and paste newspaper degree. But I also did not stay at a Holiday Inn express last night.


I didn’t say, don’t shut the bridge down, I said it’s not going to fall just because of that one crack, and boats can go under it. Common sense prevailed and they opened the river.

I know of at least one closed bridge over the Ohio in way worse shape than this. Supposed to have been torn down years ago, but still standing, and they haven’t closed the river for it.

The one picture seems to show another piece next to the cracked one, that appears intact.

I cross this bridge multiple times a year, and usually take pictures of it every time. It’s a magnificent bridge, but they really need a bridge north of this one, straight across from the I40 north loop. I guess my next trip will be through Dyersburg.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Do any of you remember building a wooden bridge in school? We'd get a pre-packaged kit of sticks, glue and some string. You could only use what was included in the kit and it had to span a prescribed distance, but those were the only requirements.

Once they were completed, they were tested until failure. Whichever one held the most weight won.

I have built model bridges, but not as a school assignment.