posted on August 2, 2007 08:12:04 AM new
White House Cites Deficiencies in Bridge
Updated 10:13 AM ET August 2, 2007
By DEB RIECHMANN
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House said Thursday that an inspection two years ago found structural deficiencies in the highway bridge that buckled during evening rush hour in Minneapolis.
White House press secretary Tony Snow said the 40-year-old Interstate 35W span rated 50 on a scale of 120 for structural stability.
\"This doesn\'t mean there was a risk of failure,\"\"
(Well maybe THAT should change!)
\"\"but if an inspection report identifies deficiencies, the state is responsible for taking corrective actions,\" he said.
First lady Laura Bush will visit Minneapolis on Friday to console the victims of the fallen bridge, which buckled during evening rush hour Wednesday, killing at least four people and sending dozens of cars plummeting into the Mississippi River.\"\"
(Trying to raise that low approval rating?? Stay home!)
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
posted on August 2, 2007 08:45:55 AM new
Again, when something so terrible happens, we see America still has heroes. Heroes like those who risked their own lives to dive into the water and rescue the victims. One person, especially, that the news has mentioned that rescued one after another and continued diving back in to save people.
posted on August 2, 2007 11:42:23 AM new
See what happens when Craw goes skipping along the roadway.
"This doesn\'t mean there was a risk of failure,\"\"
Actually this isnt the lowest rating of a bridge in need of repair.
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Bridge was rated 'deficient'
By Dan Browning
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
August 2, 2007
MINNEAPOLIS
The highway bridge that collapsed into the Mississippi River on Wednesday was rated as "structurally deficient" two years ago and possibly in need of replacement.
That rating was contained in the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Bridge Inventory database.
Jeanne Aamodt, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, said the department was aware of the 2005 assessment of the bridge. "We've seen it, and we are very familiar with it," she said.
(So why didnt the Minnesota DOT do something about it at that time)
Aamodt said the department plans its bridge repairs using information from the Bridge Inventory database.
Many other bridges nationwide carry the same designation that the I-35W bridge received, Aamodt said.
Aamodt declined to say what the agency was going to do to address the deficiencies found in 2005 and referred further questions to Dan Dorgan, state bridge engineer and director of the bridge office. Dorgan wasn't available for comment.
The deficiency rating is derived from a complex formula that evaluates many factors and condenses them into an overall score. A score of 80 percent or less indicates some rehabilitation may be needed; a 50 percent score or less indicates replacement may be in order.
The I-35W bridge was rated at 50 percent. The rating data was provided to the Star Tribune by the National Institute of Computer Assisted Reporting.
The inventory data also summarize the bridge's status as "structurally deficient." Bridge components are ranked on a scale of 0 to 9, with 0 being "failed" and 9 being "excellent."
In 2005, the bridge's superstructure -- meaning the physical conditions of all structural members -- was rated at 4, records show. The bridge's deck was rated 5, and the substructure, comprised of the piers, abutments, footings and other components, was rated 6.
In 2001, a research report on the bridge had found that it was unlikely to experience any fatigue cracking in the trusses supporting its deck. The paper, prepared by the University of Minnesota's Center for Information Studies, evaluated both the main trusses and the floor truss of the bridge.
The report by the late Robert J. Dexter and others, concluded that the bridge's deck "has not experienced fatigue cracking, but it has many poor fatigue details on the main truss and floor truss system."
The authors said their research helped determine that "fatigue cracking of the deck truss is not likely." They added that the bridge shouldn't have any problems with fatigue cracking "in the forseeable future" and that there was no need to "prematurely replace this bridge because of fatigue cracking, avoiding the high costs associated with such a large project."
However, the report noted "many poor fatigue details" and said certain members of the main truss should be inspected every two years, as was being done at the time. In addition, the report said, certain sections of the floor trusses had high stress areas that should be inspected every six months.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Wednesday night that the bridge was inspected in 2005 and 2006, and that no structural deficiencies were identified.
Workers had been engaged since early May on a resurfacing project on the bridge that was to conclude in September. It included the installation of guard rails and lighting.
The span carried the name Bridge 9340 in the books of the state Department of Transportation, although it originally was dubbed the St. Anthony Bridge.
The steel-arch structure, opened in 1967, carried 140,000 cars a day at last count, in 2002, its 1,907 feet spanning eight lanes.
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.George S. Patton
posted on August 2, 2007 12:05:51 PM new
Reports issued by the Minnesota Department of Transportation over the past decade have detailed problems with the bridge. In 1997, the department noted problems with the approach spans on both ends, including "cracks . . . in the cross girder at the end of the approach spans." In a 2001 report, department engineers said that the bridge's deck truss "has not experienced fatigue cracking, but it has many poor fatigue details on the main truss and floor truss system."
posted on August 2, 2007 09:18:32 PM new
Another thing that Mingopig, cathy cowfarm didn't tell you is Laura Bush was already slated to be in Minneapolis on Friday to attend some type of Women's expo or something like that. The reason for her to be here is now changed, but the larger point is she was going to be here anyway.
But that is the demomoron way. Don't tell the real truth. Just the parts that they can twist.
.
.
.
If it's called common sense, why do so few Demomorons have it?
posted on August 2, 2007 09:48:22 PM new
As with most terrible things that happen in life, from that comes some good.
Right now it appears to me it's the public being made aware of just how many bridges have been terribly neglected, all over the country.
CNN's 'Keep Them Honest' - Anderson Cooper's program tonight - was discussing just how bad the problem is all over the U.S. even though our taxes are supposedly going to keep them in good shape.
How those put in the positions - whose responsibility it is - to be SURE our bridges are safe, have fallen down on the job. Severely. Telling taxpayers that they need to become more aware of just what shape the bridges they travel over are in. Become aware.
So....that may be the ONLY good thing that comes from this terrible event....but awareness will now be MUCH better than it has been. At least I hope we will learn from it.
For my state alone...there are 1,000 bridges that are in questionable condition. Learn the ones in your state that NEED to be more safe.
posted on August 2, 2007 10:01:51 PM newMore than 70,000 bridges rated deficient
By H. JOSEF HEBERT and SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writers
Thu Aug 2, 5:54 PM ET
WASHINGTON - More than 70,000 bridges across the country are rated structurally deficient like the span that collapsed in Minneapolis, and engineers estimate repairing them all would take at least a generation and cost more than $188 billion.
posted on August 2, 2007 10:42:53 PM new
I was just reading that same report.
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The federal government provides 80 percent of the money for construction, repair and maintenance of the so-called federal-aid highway system including Interstate highways and bridges. But states set priorities and handle construction and maintenance contracts.
A bridge is typically judged structurally deficient if heavy trucks are banned from it or there are other weight restrictions, if it needs immediate work to stay open or if it is closed. In any case, such a bridge is considered in need of considerable maintenance, rehabilitation or even replacement.
Congressional leaders say the number of bridges in need of repair is too high and the funding too low.
There is crumbling infrastructure all over the country, said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who heads the Senate panel that controls transportation spending, said the Bush administration has threatened vetoes when Democrats try to increase such spending.
posted on August 2, 2007 11:41:35 PM new
There was an overpass that collapsed in Quebec last year and it brought attention to the infrastructure right across the country as some of it is aging and requires closer inspection also.
posted on August 2, 2007 11:43:19 PM new
Lincoln was joined by 88 of her fellow Senators to pass the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005” (SAFETEA), a five-year $295 billion highway bill that includes more than $2.4 billion dollars in new highway money for Arkansas. Lincoln said this additional funding amounted to a 30.7 percent increase for Arkansas over the current six-year transportation bill set to expire at the end of the month.
=========
That is one of MY wacko liberal senators.
And SHE sure appears happy that the almost $300 BILLION dollar highway bill passed.
Get real - it only makes those who blame EVERYTHING on this President look like the nutcases they are.
posted on August 2, 2007 11:47:21 PM new
More from the link above:
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Democrats were not alone in calling for more bridge funding.
"People think they're saving money by not investing in infrastructure, and the result is you have catastrophes like this," said Rep. Tom Petri, R-Wis., a member of the House transportation committee.
The federal government is now providing about $40 billion a year to improve and expand the nation's highways and bridges.
The main source of revenue for roads and bridges, the federal highway trust fund, is failing to keep up with spending demand. The 18.3 cents a gallon in federal taxes hasn't changed since 1993, and the demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles could affect fuel consumption.
“We have infrastructure that is getting to be 60 and 70 years old in Ontario and I do not think we should be surprised if this happens in Ontario one day,” says Rob Bradford, Ontario Road Builders Association executive director. “The reason is, I am not comfortable that all are our bridges are being inspecting annually and properly because it is a big load for municipalities to bear.”
posted on August 3, 2007 12:09:34 AM new
Yes, I just posted that above. It was brought to the forefront when the overpass in Quebec collapsed and five people were killed. There is an aging infrastructure right across North America.
posted on August 3, 2007 06:44:24 AM new
And the 1989 California earthquake that destroyed many overpasses and bridges was all the Republicans fault too.
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.George S. Patton
posted on August 3, 2007 06:52:39 AM new
linduh, ""Lincoln was joined by 88 of her fellow Senators to pass the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005” (SAFETEA), a five-year $295 billion highway bill that includes more than $2.4 billion dollars in new highway money for Arkansas. Lincoln said this additional funding amounted to a 30.7 percent increase for Arkansas over the current six-year transportation bill set to expire at the end of the month.
=========
That is one of MY wacko liberal senators.
And SHE sure appears happy that the almost $300 BILLION dollar highway bill passed.
Get real - it only makes those who blame EVERYTHING on this President look like the nutcases they are. """"
WHa...?????
So Lincoln helps get more money for highways which YOU justed posted about needing fixing and you are STILL complaining about wacko liberals !!????
You DON'T want money spent to make highways safer ????
Do you have any idea about what you're posting????
posted on August 3, 2007 07:24:57 AM new
Minnesota relied on patchwork fixes to doomed bridge
By SHARON COHEN and BRIAN BAKST
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota officials were warned as early as 1990 that the Interstate 35W bridge was "structurally deficient," yet they relied on a strategy of patchwork fixes and stepped-up inspections.
"We thought we had done all we could," state bridge engineer Dan Dorgan told reporters not far from the mangled remains of the span. "Obviously something went terribly wrong."
Questions about the cause of the collapse and whether it could have been prevented arose Thursday as authorities shifted from rescue efforts to a grim recovery operation, searching for bodies that may be hidden beneath the river's swirling currents.
The official death count from Wednesday's rush-hour collapse stood at four, with another 79 injuries.
But police said the death count would surely grow because bodies had been spotted in the water and as many as 30 people were still reported missing.
In 1990, the federal government gave the I-35W bridge a rating of "structurally deficient," citing significant corrosion in its bearings. The bridge is one of 77,000 bridges in that category nationwide, 1,160 in Minnesota alone.
The designation means some portions of the bridge needed to be scheduled for repair or replacement, and it was on a schedule for inspection every two years.
Dorgan said the bearings could not have been repaired without jacking up the entire deck of the bridge. Because the bearings were not sliding, inspectors concluded the corrosion was not a major issue.
During the 1990s, later inspections found fatigue cracks and corrosion in the steel around the bridge's joints. Those problems were repaired. Starting in 1993, the state said, the bridge was inspected annually instead of every other year.
A 2005 federal inspection also rated the bridge structurally deficient, giving it a 50 on scale of 100 for structural stability.
White House press secretary Tony Snow said while the inspection didn't indicate the bridge was at risk of failing, "if an inspection report identifies deficiencies, the state is responsible for taking corrective actions."
Gov. Tim Pawlenty responded Thursday by ordering an immediate inspection of all bridges in the state with similar designs, but said the state was never warned that the bridge needed to be closed or immediately repaired.
"There was a view that the bridge was ultimately and eventually going to need to be replaced," he said. "But it appears from the information that we have available that a timeline for that was not immediate or imminent, but more in the future."
Federal officials alerted states to immediately inspect all bridges similar to the one that collapsed.
The eight-lane I-35W bridge was Minnesota's busiest bridge, carrying 141,000 vehicles a day. It was in the midst of mostly repaving repairs when it buckled during the evening rush hour. Dozens of cars plummeted more than 60 feet into the Mississippi River, some falling on top one of another. A school bus sat on the angled concrete.
Focus on fatigue
Engineers wondered whether heavy traffic might have contributed to the collapse. Studies of the bridge have raised concern about cracks caused by metal fatigue.
"I think everybody is looking at fatigue right now, fatigue due to heavy traffic," said Kent Harries, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in the University of Pittsburgh's School of Engineering. "This is an interstate bridge that sees a lot of truck traffic."
After a study raised concern about cracks, the state was given two alternatives: Add steel plates to reinforce critical parts or conduct a thorough inspection of certain areas to see if there were additional cracks. They chose the inspection route, beginning that examination in May.
Dorgan said officials considered the cracks on parts of the bridge to be stable and not expanding.
When conducting inspections, Dorgan said, inspectors get within an arm's length of various components of a bridge. If they spot cracks, that leads to more hands-on testing to determine the depth and extent of the fissures.
The collapsed bridge's last full inspection was completed June 15, 2006. The report shows previous inspectors' notations of fatigue cracks in the spans approaching the river, including one 4 feet long that was reinforced with bolted plates. A 1993 entry noted 3,000 feet of cracks in the surface of the bridge; they were later sealed.
That inspection and one a year earlier raised no immediate concerns about the bridge, which wasn't a candidate for replacement until 2020.
In a 2001 report from the University of Minnesota's Department of Civil Engineering, inspectors found some girders had become distorted. Engineers also saw evidence of fatigue on trusses and said the bridge might collapse if part of the truss gave way under the eight-lane freeway.
"A bridge of that vintage you always have to be concerned about that," said Richard Sause, director of the Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems Center at Lehigh University. "In a steel bridge of that age, sure you'd be concerned about those kind of things and be diligent about looking after it. And it seems like they were."
It takes time for a fatigue crack to develop, but a crack can then expand rapidly to become a fracture, said James Garrett, co-director of the Center for Sensed Critical Infrastructure Research at Carnegie Mellon University. "If you get a crack that goes undetected it would be something that appears to happen more rapidly."
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.George S. Patton
posted on August 3, 2007 07:47:17 AM new
First kiara with her proven lie. Then helen makes a fool of herself last evening with her false statement, and now mingo.
Poor libs. Give them a few minutes and they will show their azzes.
Are YOU a Bunghole?