buckeyefarmer
Epic Contributor
On the Arkansas side of this bridge, I40 is mostly all elevated until it hits I55.. they have just rebuilt the entire road from this bridge to where I55 goes north from I40.
Who Broke The Bridge?
- Thread starter Diggin It
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OP
Diggin It
Super Star Member
Apparently it's been there for at least two years:
"Arkansas Department of Transportation Director Lorie Tudor said the inspector was fired after drone video showed the crack o n the bridge spanning the Mississippi River in May 2019. Tudor said the crack was not noted by the inspector in his reports that fall or the following year.
“This is unacceptable," Tudor said at a news conference. The department did not immediately name the employee and said the incident is also being referred to federal investigators.
Arkansas’ DOT on Monday released an image and video from the drone, which showed the crack. The drone footage was taken by a consultant inspecting the bridge's cables."
Makes ya kinda wonder about the closure and any imminence of failure.
"Arkansas Department of Transportation Director Lorie Tudor said the inspector was fired after drone video showed the crack o n the bridge spanning the Mississippi River in May 2019. Tudor said the crack was not noted by the inspector in his reports that fall or the following year.
“This is unacceptable," Tudor said at a news conference. The department did not immediately name the employee and said the incident is also being referred to federal investigators.
Arkansas’ DOT on Monday released an image and video from the drone, which showed the crack. The drone footage was taken by a consultant inspecting the bridge's cables."
Makes ya kinda wonder about the closure and any imminence of failure.
Darryle
Silver Member
Unfortunately for the fired inspector, he's going to be the example they set about thoroughness and the results when they discover that you are not doing an adequate job.
RickB
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So what should they have done, promoted him?
dodge man
Super Star Member
Surprised they just didn’t throw him off the bridge. The question is should he have found it? They found it with a drone. Should he have used one or did he have one available? Seems like when this stuff happens there has to be a fall guy, and in this case it may or may not be justified.
ruffdog
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Why inspect bridges if they couldn't see that break?
dusty3030
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They went back and reviewed the drone footage the inspector viewed and clearly saw the crack before it fully broke. Inspector missed it twice.
OP
Diggin It
Super Star Member
But they didn't. They reviewed the drone footage after the crack was found and the bridge closed.
As I read the story, the footage was taken by another company inspecting a different portion of the bridge.
I don't know if the guy they canned inspected by drone or some other method.
Darryle
Silver Member
My point was that his punishment will be excessive to send a mock message, regardless of the fact finding they do. Kinda like the shutting down of an entire country and now imaginary "science" that says it is safe to quit doing this or that.
Who knows what portion of the bridge he was tasked with inspecting. It is apparent that that no one person or company was responsible for inspecting the bridge 100% because they have mentioned other inspections on different portions of the bridge. He will most likely not be the last sacrificial lamb.
RickB
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It's not very likely they fired him without determining his area of responsibility included the failed beam. Based on the info provided he should have been fired.
PILOON
Super Star Member
What about expansion joints? or are they omitted in that style of construction, or climate.
Streetcar
Veteran Member
Cause of failure has not been determined.
Speculation at this point
Speculation at this point
Streetcar
Veteran Member
It has been long time since bridge in us failed from normal winds
Streetcar
Veteran Member
Fracture critical members of bridge require yearly inspection. He deserves to be fired if crack is shown in 2019
PILOON
Super Star Member
Expansion joints have nothing to do with winds.
They are to allow expansion/shrinkage from temperatures.
At 30-40 below steel can shrink as much as 2-3 inches over a typical bridge span and if firmly affixed, i.e., welded the metal can fail.
Heat can stretch most metals, ('cause them to expand').
ArlyA
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No pic from 2016?They better start going back in time then: There are pics of the crack visible going back to 2016!
This is per a pic shown on the TNDeer.com site.
OP
Diggin It
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Darryle
Silver Member
Picture #1 Photos of the Hernando de Soto bride, captured by Memphis resident Barry Moore during an August 2016 canoe trip, suggest the fracture in the steel box beam began much earlier than previously acknowledged.
Picture #2: Based on the meta data from Barry Moore's submitted photo taken in 2016, the Commercial Appeal input the coordinates (35° 9' 13.40"N, 90° 3' 40.00" W) into Google Earth to find approximate location that the photo was captured.
