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Replies: 21
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CU Medallion [65528]
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Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
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Mar 26, 2024, 10:12 AM
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might think. Since 1960, there have been THIRTY FIVE incidents worldwide where these ship / bridge collisions happened, and the bridge actually collapsed.
If I were a city commissioning construction of a new bridge, like Baltimore will have to do to replace the Key Bridge, I would DEMAND two things:
1) The bridge clearance underneath would allow even the TALLEST ship with the capacity to cause the bridge to collapse to pass underneath safely. Now, container ships get bigger and bigger, but a new design with a 20% height safety factor built in for the tallest current container ship would be a good start.
2) The bridge support towers must be either built strong enough to withstand such a collision (probably very expensive), or they must have "artificial islands" built around them to accomplish the same thing. Meaning, enough of a rock or other material barrier that a ship would run aground on it prior to actually hitting the bridge support.
Now, there would certainly be a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth over the expense to do the two things above. But, no matter how expensive it would be, it would be less expensive than having to build another bridge, and pay the lawsuits that you KNOW are coming out of this disaster.
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Legend [16439]
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Doesnt TigerDug work as a harbor pilot in Baltimore?
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Mar 26, 2024, 10:30 AM
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Hope he wasn’t involved…what a traumatic event. Even if he wasn’t, he had friends who were. Prayers for him.
Tigerdug23®
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All-In [38124]
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Re: Doesnt TigerDug work as a harbor pilot in Baltimore?
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Mar 26, 2024, 3:03 PM
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I was thinking the same thing. I'm sure everything is shut down and in disarray right now.
I would love to hear from him about this, and that he's ok.
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110%er [5677]
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All-TigerNet [10924]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
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Mar 26, 2024, 10:48 AM
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I remember the one about 15 years ago in Minnesota over the Mississippi River. I think they built that thing back in a years time.
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110%er [5101]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
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Mar 26, 2024, 10:55 AM
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Surprised it doesn't happen more often.
The currents, fog, wind and other factors.
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CU Guru [1932]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
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Mar 26, 2024, 11:45 AM
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Imagine the surprise to the vehicles on the bridge. Talk about a bad start to your day.
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CU Medallion [65528]
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Whenever I think of bridge collapses, the first thing that comes to mind is
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Mar 26, 2024, 11:51 AM
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ALWAYS the bridge collapses out in the San Fransisco / Oakland area during the 1989 World Series game. Double deck bridges where the vehicles on the lower level were squashed down to less than two feet tall by the upper level collapsing onto them. No chance for the people who were on those spans at the time. It was truly horrific.
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CU Guru [1796]
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Re: Whenever I think of bridge collapses, the first thing that comes to mind is
Mar 26, 2024, 1:01 PM
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Not a bridge, but an elevated freeway built over land. Even so, I'll allow it... :0)
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110%er [5011]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
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Mar 26, 2024, 12:06 PM
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Oh my, this seems like one of those “build the entire airplane out of the black box “ ideas.
There is no safer cost effective way to product than by ship. I don’t think anyone yet has come with a way to guarantee your safety in every possible way.
Your bridge height idea would have most bridges closed as much as open due to high winds , not to mention many folks not using the bridge due to the average persons fear of heights outweighing their fear of going over a bridge and it suddenly disappearing due to a shipping container losing power
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Orange Blooded [4059]
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The problem is generally older bridges
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Mar 26, 2024, 1:31 PM
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They were built before we knew much about “scour”, which is erosion around and unearth the bridge piers, caused by currents. Most modern bridges (Ravenel Bridge in Chas) have rock islands protecting the piers that won’t allow marine vessels to get close enough to the pier to do damage. When working on the original Charleston Harbor deepening in 200/2001, I was onboard a tug near the Pearman Bridge which lost power, including steering. The Captain very carefully avoided being smashed into the piers by alternating power bursts from his twin diesels. Masterful skill when necessary.
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Orange Blooded [3422]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
Mar 26, 2024, 6:20 PM
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Recall hearing the one of Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnels was hit several years ago. Couldn't get out of those fast enough travelling that route.
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Asst Coach [709]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
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Mar 26, 2024, 7:57 PM
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Cooper River Bridge in Charleston was hit by a foreign freighter in winter of 1946. Lives were lost there. My Mama was a little girl then. Granddaddy, who worked at the shipyard walked down to the pier when word got out that some bodies were recovered. They could see the bridge from their house. That bridge was opened in 1926. I crossed it a few times myself,, 1960s- late 1980s. Cool old 2 lane bridge.
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All-In [27344]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
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Mar 26, 2024, 8:53 PM
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The grace was the scariest bridge I've ever driven over. I remember going to Sullivans island as a teen and hated driving back over that bridge especially when there where big rigs coming at you. Had to be less than 12inches between mirrors.
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CU Medallion [65528]
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Yep, that was one NARROW sucker of a bridge. I never liked crossing on it
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Mar 26, 2024, 9:31 PM
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at all!
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Orange Blooded [3141]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
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Mar 27, 2024, 7:25 AM
[ in reply to Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you ] |
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I had to look up the Cooper River bridges, remembering how much trouble they had taking down the old Grace bridge. That one had been declared unsafe ten years earlier (as well as every time my mother had to cross it) but took about as long to demo as the new bridge took to construct. The Ravenel bridge is supposed to withstand 300 mph wind or a 7.4 earthquake, and has an acre of rock around each of the support towers.
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CU Medallion [65528]
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And, it's purty. If a bridge can be considered a work of art, the Ravenel Bridge
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Mar 27, 2024, 7:48 AM
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comes as close as any.
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Legend [16733]
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Orange Blooded [2420]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
Mar 26, 2024, 9:33 PM
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You are familiar with F = M x A ?? Even with A being very low . . incredible mass makes the force unbelievable. Have you seen cruise ships moving so slow you can walk next to them, totally take out mainland, Hotels etc? It's a force so large that you just can't stop it.
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Orange Blooded [2420]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
Mar 27, 2024, 12:53 AM
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BUT . . . I will say that maybe something can be done under the water to direct a ship away some??
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Orange Blooded [3290]
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Re: Wow, bridge collapses due to ships hitting them is a lot more common than you
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Mar 27, 2024, 6:18 AM
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Tampa Bay Skyway bridge got hit and collapsed in a similar accident in 1980.
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CU Medallion [65528]
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Being near the local area, another, thankfully involving no loss of life bridge
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Mar 27, 2024, 7:52 AM
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problem that always comes to my mind was the cattywhompussed condition Hurricane Hugo left the center section of the Ben Sawyer swing bridge in when it came through in September 1989. Still seems like yesterday.
https://youtu.be/pMPqu0_wkM4
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