The Miami bridge was designed as a SUSPENSION bridge. What idiot thought the span would hold with NO TEMPORARY SUPPORT??!!
The weight of the deck relies heavily on the cables being in place. They should have left the two lifting piers in place (or compatible temp support) if they didn't want total structural failure
*Comparable
>>676072 Yes, a detour would be prudent even if it's not mandatory.
>>676029 I find it stupid this was placed exactly where cars are routinely stopped under it & pedestrians traverse the crosswalk
Span the highway where cars are typically moving (less chance of a row of sitting ducks) & where pedestrians don't have to walk underneath. It should have been mid block in my opinion.
Exclusive footage of Florida Bridge engineers testing the feasibility of the span holding before the mast could be constructed
Galloping Gertie couldn't withstand the torque on the span created by funneling winds. Engineering disasters interest me. Today's bridge failure was due to far less interesting factors. Had I seen the bridge in its temporary state before the collapse I would have sounded the alarm. Sad to lose lives that could have been spared in so many ways.
The final design would likely have been structurally sound. The problem, as it seems to me at this point, was that they set one side of the span & inadequately temporarily supported it from below before the second deck, mast & cables could be constructed. If something was, indeed, dropped on it accidently while in that precarious, high stress situation, holding would be a miracle.
Suspension bridges are great but only when the whole system is in place & tension set correctly.
Can't tell me that no cars at that red light had a dash cam.
I've been looking for footage. If any Anons come across video of the collapse DO NOT ASSUME it will be there the next time you look. MAKE COPIES!!
I suspect the police would instructed to check cars for dash cams before they were allowed to leave the area. They will not want the public to be able to weigh in. The devices will be confiscated but cars that weren't blocked may have left the scene prior to police directing traffic