Within minutes of the announcement that a bridge on Interstate 5 in Washington state had collapsed, people posted comments saying that this was further proof that our infrastructure was in terrible shape and that America was becoming a third-world country. The comments then descended into a debate over whether the Repubicans or Democrats were to blame for this sorry state of affairs.
Click image for a larger view. Flickr photo by Martha T.
This morning, the Washington Department of Transportation announced that the collapse happened when an oversized truck hit an overhead span. The 58-year-old bridge’s most recent maintenance inspection, in 2010, found that it was in “better than minimum adequacy to tolerate being left in place as is.”
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So the failure wasn’t the result of poor maintenance, although it could be called a design flaw. The bridge is one of 18,000 nationwide that is of a “fracture critical” design, which means if one part goes out, the entire bridge fails. Now, 18,000 may sound like a lot, but there are more than 600,000 highway bridge nationwide, which means less than 3.0 percent are fracture critical.
A total of about 11.0 percent of all highway bridges are “structurally deficient,” which means they need extra maintenance. This is down from 15.2 percent in 2000. Another 14.0 percent are “functionally obsolete,” which means they have sharper corners, low clearances, or in some other way are not up to modern design standards. This is down from 15.5 percent in 2000. The number of structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges has declined in every year since 1992, the first year for which data are available on line.
The Skagit River Bridge was considered functionally obsolete because it had 14.5-foot overhead clearances, instead of 16-feet which is considered the standard for interstate highways today. This combined with the fracture-critical design meant that it should have been a candidate for replacement soon.
But this doesn’t mean the United States should engage in a crash program to replace all such bridges. The failure of such bridges is extremely rare, while the cost of replacing them is high (and includes delays to motorists and possible accidents during the replacement). Those who advocate such crash infrastructure programs mainly include the construction industry, which would be happy for any government infrastructure program; and the anti-highway crowd, which would rather see scarce highway funds devoted to replacement, not expansion. Instead of some national mandate or funding program, decisions to replace bridges should be made by state or local highway engineers and funded out of highway user fees.
I am glad no one was seriously hurt or killed in this incident. Looks like the crash may be the fault of very tight clearances. Supposedly, the trucking company had a permit to cross, but a passing vehicle prevented the truck from driving in the center of the two lanes in order to clear the girders.
On a side note, it is odd how comments on the Oregonlive stories excoriate the $15 million that the repairs are supposed to cost, or the cost of upgrading or improving other bridges on Interstate facilities. Yet oddly, the same people are curiously silent when billions are spent on useless light rail projects.
David Axlerod immediately blamed Republicans; apparently unaware of the fact that Washington’s Senate is effectively controlled by Republicans. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them allocate $100 million to replace the entire, nearly 60-year-old structure and dump funding for the CRC light rail project; essentially killing it.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see them allocate $100 million to replace the entire, nearly 60-year-old structure and dump funding for the CRC light rail project; essentially killing it.
I hope so.
The Antiplanner wrote:
A total of about 11.0 percent of all highway bridges are “structurally deficient,” which means they need extra maintenance. This is down from 15.2 percent in 2000. Another 14.0 percent are “functionally obsolete,” which means they have sharper corners, low clearances, or in some other way are not up to modern design standards. This is down from 15.5 percent in 2000. The number of structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges has declined in every year since 1992, the first year for which data are available on line.
Though when a bridge is “posted” (restricting truck weights, either gross weight or axle or tandem axle loadings), then it’s probably time for some significant reconstruction or even replacement. In my opinion, the same applies if the bridge is “posted” to restrict trucks above a certain height (but less than the current 16 foot standard).
The Skagit River Bridge was considered functionally obsolete because it had 14.5-foot overhead clearances, instead of 16-feet which is considered the standard for interstate highways today. This combined with the fracture-critical design meant that it should have been a candidate for replacement soon.
Correct. Closer to me here in the East, there are quite a few bridges over I-95 in North Carolina that are well below the 16-foot current standard, so there are many points with signs and overheight detectors (which activate flashing lights) to warn trucks with tall cargos to exit the freeway and use a parallel arterial route (usually that means U.S. 301 in North Carolina).
But this doesn’t mean the United States should engage in a crash program to replace all such bridges.
I agree. And in some cases, instead of replacing the entire bridge, it is quite possible to replace the bridge deck only, which is somewhat less expensive.
The failure of such bridges is extremely rare, while the cost of replacing them is high (and includes delays to motorists and possible accidents during the replacement). Those who advocate such crash infrastructure programs mainly include the construction industry, which would be happy for any government infrastructure program; and the anti-highway crowd, which would rather see scarce highway funds devoted to replacement, not expansion.
Unfortunately, I have heard more than a few members of that anti-highway crowd assert that highway bridges should not be maintained at all, to free up tax dollars to be spent building and expanding and maintaining the rail transit systems that they treasure.
Instead of some national mandate or funding program, decisions to replace bridges should be made by state or local highway engineers and funded out of highway user fees.
Bridges need to be replaced for several reasons, including not meeting bridge standards that you mention above, or in some cases, to add capacity. And there are special federal funding categories for bridge replacement and preservation and repair, and I have not heard anyone ever make a critical comment about them.
The problem with these steel bridges is they have too much surface area exposed to the elements. Nuts, Bolts, steel I-beams all exposed to water, salt, snow, bird shit which is acidic, microorganisms. A steel tube has less surface area than a steel I-beam.
The Romans knew how to mix crushed rock (“caementitium”), with burnt lime and water to make a versatile building material. The Pantheon in Rome boasts the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome, still just as strong after 2,000 years. But cement was unknown in medieval times, with lime mortar serving as a poor substitute. However, by the 1950s, it was obvious that much modern cement is not as durable as the ancient variety, and many buildings succumbed to concrete cancer caused by water penetration and chemical action. Ukrainian scientist Victor Glukhovsky looked into why the ancient cement recipes were so much more durable than modern ones and found that adding alkaline activators gave a greatly superior product.
The Air Force Research laboratory has funded geopolymer research for runways, insulation material, rocket nozzles, and other applications. It’s even been developed as special glue for holding satellite components together in the harsh conditions of space. Geopolymers are technically described as synthetic aluminosilicate materials, but they might be more easily described as super-cements or ceramics that do not need firing. A mug made of Geopolymer will bounce off a concrete floor.
Bridges made of concrete expose far less surface area and thus less likely exposure to damage. And new concrete recipes such the including of silica fume or blast furnace slag reducing greenhouse gases by up to 50-70%, increasing strength 500%. The new I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge is made of newly innovative concrete, using anti icing sprayers instead of damaging salts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYx92ow7xmc
I agree with LR that the outdated design of this bridge (and many more like it) led to its failure.
Nonetheless, since Randal likes grades and scores so much, let’s remind ourselves that the ASCE recently graded our infra as a D+, roads a D, WA’s bridges as a C- and WA’s roads as a D+ (looking at you Tim Eyman). And our spending on roads is cratering.
Again, American Exceptionalism graded. We’re not #1. By choice.
Best,
D
“… further proof that our infrastructure was in terrible shape and that America was becoming a third-world country.” The tense is wrong — s/b present instead of past. But, as someone who no longer lives in the US, this is otherwise correct.
Hmm planner boy, maybe if government wasn’t so busy wasting money on the toy trains and smart growth crap you like so much, there’d actually be money for necessary, versus fantasy projects.
metrosucks,
You’re talking to a fundamentalist.
Test.
Metrosucks: You’re talking to a fundamentalist. Interesting how he’s taken his last initial off his signature. Too late. There are 793 Google results with DS intact.
Highways pay for themselves. Its the diversion of funds to wasteful projects, like the South Lake Union Trolley, that has lead to our highway infrastructure problems.
Most road funding comes from property taxes, but I don’t doubt that motorists and trucking companies need to pay more to help maintain roads.
Today marks the 130th anniversary of the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge. History that carries onward beyond the street cars that once ran on two center lanes and beyond the two inside traffic lanes that once carried elevated trains until their relocation to the protected center tracks in 1944. The streetcars halted service in 1950 at which time the bridge was restructured to carry six lanes of cars. A bridge that could hold 21 elephants in the late 1800?s still stands in towering defiance to those that had doubted its strength. Iconic distinction in stone and cable carrying 4,000 pedestrians and 3,100 cyclists cross the Brooklyn Bridge each day. Landmark, tourist attraction and hell of a piece of engineering. If they can build a bridge that lasts 130 years in the bureaucratic hellhole of New York of all places, certainly do so in Washington.
Interesting how he’s taken his last initial off his signature. Too late. There are 793 Google results with DS intact.
I like it how that’s the best they can do – if that reed were any thinner, you’d need an electron microscope to see it.
Nevertheless, the topic is the woeful state of our transportation infra. and the funding for the woeful state of our infra is cratering – and the apologia that are being written ignoring this deficit.
DS
[kinspeeercy – it’s back!!!! whut’ll hit be next?!!?!?]
Don’t you have a Jeep Wrangler trip scheduled for the weekend?
Another accident. A highway overpass in southeast Missouri collapsed early Saturday when rail cars slammed into one of the bridge’s pillars after a cargo train collision, authorities said. Seven people were injured, though none seriously. The bridge collapsed after a Union Pacific train hit the side of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train at a rail intersection. Derailed rail cars then hit columns supporting the Highway M overpass, causing it to buckle and partially collapse. Was this just an accident or a byproduct of inferior quality overpass. The overpass was about 15 years old and in good condition according to authorities but just couldn’t withstand the impact from the rail cars.
The minimum clearance in urban areas is only 14.1 ft. The 16 ft clearance applies in rural areas. These are the current clearances. The rule night have been different when the bridge was built.
rmsykes wrote:
The minimum clearance in urban areas is only 14.1 ft. The 16 ft clearance applies in rural areas. These are the current clearances. The rule night have been different when the bridge was built.
Someone told me that this bridge was originally built as part of U.S. 99, not I-5, which presumably is one reason why the overhead clearance is less than 16 feet.
Why should the Federal Gov be involved with anything local?
The money basically comes from the same source — the citizens, with big deductions by federal admin/bureaucracy & regs with some variations/differences by geography [return to states] in redistribution, along with printing (electronic creation) & borrowing (eventually back to same sources, years removed w/interest).
Roads (including the bridges traversed) are mostly (should completely) paid by gas taxes & property taxes. Increase those if more is money is really required, & increase efficiency in admin & labor (ie construction).
I think the real question is… Was the truck driver a republican or democrat?
Where did the money go?
Has everyone forgotten that $760 billion was allocated for “shovel-ready” projects for infrastructure. The money is gone and very little infrastructure work was done. Certainly nothing for this bridge and others like it.
Another Obama scandal.
“Where did the money go?
Has everyone forgotten that $760 billion was allocated for “shovel-ready” projects for infrastructure. The money is gone and very little infrastructure work was done. Certainly nothing for this bridge and others like it.
Another Obama scandal.”
Are you joking? I’ve seen so many “This project was funded by ARRA” signs it made my head spin. Roadway improvements, facilities and even bridges here in TX. Where has all the money gone?!?!?!? Open your eyes! I always felt that these signs would infuriate fiscal hawks. Apparently they can’t see them.