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DeHannen · 08-02-2007, 07:27 AM

I am watching the coverage on the bridge collapse, more specifically the accounts of all the people saying they heard "explosions" and loud bangs prior to the collapse. One person reported "it was like a bomb going off". This should be a great exercise in watching how lay people describe a structural collapse. I don't want to turn this into another conspiracy thread (please don't). But the reaction of the locals provide interesting descriptions of what clearly (at this point) is a structural failure.

BTW, it's early and I can only see the pics from the TV, but based on the fact the concrete columns appeared intact, this looks like the main span of the bridge had a bottom chord joint failure, the remaining top chords went into tension and pulled the adjacent sections of bridge off of their supports. The NTHB will send their team in, and I imagine ASCE will get a team together. Condolences go out to all the people killed in this tragedy.

08-02-2007, 07:27 AM	#1 (permalink)
DeHannen 2,500+ posts Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Uranus Posts: 3,887	I-35 Bridge: "We're taking it out." I am watching the coverage on the bridge collapse, more specifically the accounts of all the people saying they heard "explosions" and loud bangs prior to the collapse. One person reported "it was like a bomb going off". This should be a great exercise in watching how lay people describe a structural collapse. I don't want to turn this into another conspiracy thread (please don't). But the reaction of the locals provide interesting descriptions of what clearly (at this point) is a structural failure. BTW, it's early and I can only see the pics from the TV, but based on the fact the concrete columns appeared intact, this looks like the main span of the bridge had a bottom chord joint failure, the remaining top chords went into tension and pulled the adjacent sections of bridge off of their supports. The NTHB will send their team in, and I imagine ASCE will get a team together. Condolences go out to all the people killed in this tragedy. __________________ ''These two entities -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- are not facing any kind of financial crisis,'' said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. ''The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.'' NY Times 9/11/2003