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Florida International University ("FIU") needed a foot bridge to cross a canal and busy street. An FIU committee selected a design without redundant structural support because they were wanting a dramatic landmark (the bridge looked like it was a cable stayed design, but it wasn't -- the faux cables were almost entirely aesthetic). The original specs had called for structural redundancy so that the failure of one structural member would not cause a collapse -- the committee ignored this requirement in favor of visual appeal.
The engineering firm selected for the bridge (FIGG) made an error in calculation for a critical member at the end of the span. The engineering firm providing peer review of the design (Louis Berger) has refused to turn over to OSHA, certain documentation regarding what it was supposed to evaluate and what it actually did. When the bridge section which had been built on the side of the road was moved into place, experienced workers became extremely worried about cracks that started appearing and made their worries known to those up the chain. A FIGG engineer examined the cracks but determined they "did not present a safety concern even though its engineers did not know what caused them — and despite clear evidence that they were growing daily." Apparently, the guidelines are that cracks deeper than a half inch are to be taken seriously and these were much deeper and growing daily -- one photo shows a crack 4" deep.
The final bridge would have two sections -- the long section over the roadway and a short section over the canal. The canal section was to be built in place and tied into the long section. Had the canal section been built first, the risk of collapse for the section over the roadway would have been reduced because it would have shored up the longer road section.
The bridge collapsed killing six and permanently disabling another.
Article regarding the OSHA report: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article231428938.html
Article regarding independent engineering review with some good explanations which I, as a non-engineer, found informative: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article212571434.html
Time Lapse Video of Bridge Collapse (released by FIU): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrBOF2jugFM
Original Soylent item: https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=18/03/19/1746219
Link to the OSHA report itself: https://www.osha.gov/doc/engineering/pdf/2019_r_03.pdf
(Score: 3, Insightful) by jrbrtsn on Thursday June 13 2019, @03:59PM (5 children)
When the workers saw big cracks appear and grow, that should have been the end of that design right then and there. There was plenty of advanced warning that this design is unsafe, and those in charge chose to ignore all of it. I'm sorry, but some people need to go to prison for this.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by RS3 on Thursday June 13 2019, @05:08PM (4 children)
I'm pretty sure some people will go to prison. Shame that these investigations take so so long.
I agree. Not sure if the design is unsafe- not my specialty. IE, it's possible that the design was okay, but that the materials, or some small details like the specified 1/4" roughened surfaces, or other specs. were not followed in the actual construction; field design changes (like St. Louis Hyatt Regency disaster https://interestingengineering.com/understanding-hyatt-regency-walkway-collapse [interestingengineering.com]) No question it's not a rugged robust design, and requires very high-tech materials and precision assembly.
I'm often the one who catches mistakes or flaws in design or construction. I alert co-workers and bosses, but usually get rebuffed. More than once I've been advised to document, paper trail, etc. I guess I wish that everyone would want better designs (of anything) and anyone who catches a flaw would be rewarded, at least by other people caring and acting- design reviews, testing, etc. Unfortunately, as many comments here point out, greed and short-term profit are the priority and rule, and the very wrong people are in charge.
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Thursday June 13 2019, @05:35PM (1 child)
If I was anywhere in the responsibility chain, and I saw the giant crack linked in TFS, I would make damn sure to not be on/under/near the bridge, and tell my boss that he would have to personally overrule me in writing if he wanted to continue the work without a thorough review by the designers.
Calling the city to send an inspector asap would be step 2, if the answer was that a crack like that is no big deal, in a fucking concrete bridge.
I've been on many many construction sites. I have never seen a crack that big (yes, even in plumbers' pants) that wasn't flagged as an "Oh Shit! Wait.".
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 14 2019, @02:33AM
No no, those cracks are necessary- concrete has to out-gas to fully cure and toughen up.
(Score: 3, Informative) by hemocyanin on Thursday June 13 2019, @07:39PM
It is also the problem of placing aesthetics over function. It would be nice if people responsible for such things would read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to help them understand that function has an esthetic of its own -- that "functional" is a form of beauty.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 14 2019, @03:26PM
This report is pretty clear that the bridge was constructed properly as specified, but that specification was rubbish.