A long section of the towering Ponte Morandi Bridge completely collapsed in Genoa, Italy, on Tuesday, sending cars and trucks on the A10 highway crashing down below. Dozens of people died in the bridge failure, officials say.
As news emerged from the chaotic scene, the death toll fluctuated several times Tuesday. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said there were 22 dead, according to public broadcaster Rai News. But Italy's ANSA news agency has reported at least 37 people died, citing the fire brigade.
Workers have found bodies and vehicles in the massive amount of wreckage left by the collapse — and at least 11 people have been pulled from the rubble alive, Italian media report.
[...] The disaster struck shortly before noon, when one of the bridge's central pillars collapsed during a violent rainstorm. A witness told ANSA that lightning had struck the bridge before the collapse.
[...] The bridge was built in the late 1960s, at a length of more than 3,600 feet. It had recently been the subject of renovation and repair efforts. Italian roadway company Autostrade says the most recent work included consolidating the viaduct's base — a project that included installing a bridge crane.
Besides the obvious news value of this event, I'd be curious of any civil engineers or structural engineers could comment on the engineering behind such things. What causes these types of crumblings to happen, and exactly how reliable is infrastructure around the world?
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 16 2018, @12:03PM (5 children)
No way we would have that type of problem here in the US. Just look at this bridge report [artba.org]:
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday August 16 2018, @07:07PM (4 children)
We just need to convinced the Pentagon that Canada and Mexico are about to invade, and suddenly there will be money printed to safely accommodate ten tanks of every bridge.
Priorities...
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday August 16 2018, @09:19PM (3 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday August 16 2018, @09:26PM
If you bomb random US bridges, 10% will be deficient ones that needed replacement, so you just saved yourself the corrupt process of naming a demolition company.
I expect that the further North you bomb, the more the percentage of deficient bridges increases.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Thursday August 16 2018, @10:48PM (1 child)
We COULD get rid of Trump for you, lol.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Saturday August 18 2018, @08:56AM
Or not. I'm one of those who thinks that revolution is more effective than evolution, and think that Trump is merely good progress towards an ultimate implosion that leads to the ultimate putsch.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves