RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted March 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-26/bridge-in-baltimore-collapses-after-ship-struck-it-sending-vehic/103636494 Luckily it occurred well outside peak hours. 1 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Terrifying. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Cars and their occupants in peril according to the 9.0 radio news. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted March 26 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26 2 minutes ago, 'CHARD said: Cars and their occupants in peril according to the 9.0 radio news. 8 degrees C, according to reports. Plus whatever depth the water is. Not a good place to be. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26 (edited) Apparently there was about twenty workers on the bridge doing repairs as well as several cars and a truck-trailer combination. There is now talk of the vessels engine failing and the ship losing leeway and being unable to stop. Live report here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-68663071 Edited March 26 by PhilJ W 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted March 26 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26 This tragic accident has echoes of the Severn Bridge disaster in 1960, albeit differences in detail and scale. 2 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 26 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26 The very idea of a bridge that suddenly gives way beneath your feet or wheels is the stuff of nightmares for many, I'm sure. 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunalastair Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 3 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: The very idea of a bridge that suddenly gives way beneath your feet or wheels is the stuff of nightmares for many, I'm sure. Or indeed the CR's Alloa Swing Bridge - damaged more than once. https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldstirling/posts/4814687251929377/ 1 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26 Or the Tay bridge disaster. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted March 26 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26 News update live from the scene. Summary : Sonar has detected vehicles in the water, at least 7 but an unknown total. Believed there were workers on the bridge but not confirmed. 2 people rescued, 1 ok, 1 seriously injured. Water temperature low, and now incoming tide adding to the problems along with the fact that any in the water will have been in there for an extended time. The light is now coming up. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted March 26 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26 Shocking, and for those on the bridge terrifying… they literally had no where to go. Ive seen a lot of these style bridges in the US, long thin, often look very insecure but cover big spans, no chance if anything hits a pier. 1 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Popular Post AY Mod Posted March 26 Moderators Popular Post Share Posted March 26 Awful to see such tragedies with modern-day clarity. Just watched the press briefing with the the heads of the various agencies. I'm sure they all have far more pressing demands than having to answer questions from reporters that quickly move from relevant to the utterly stupid. It's sad that they have to spend time plugging information vacuums for the hard of understanding. I take my hat off to the city mayor for keep pulling it back to the people and the current focus whilst staying dignified; one cool dude. 6 14 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 26 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26 3 minutes ago, adb968008 said: Shocking, and for those on the bridge terrifying… they literally had no where to go. Ive seen a lot of these style bridges in the US, long thin, often look very insecure but cover big spans, no chance if anything hits a pier. They do indeed look flimsy - but are evidently up to the job if unmolested. And that's the problem - the irresistible force of a large ship drifting, as apparently here, would require enormous, probably almost impossible, levels of protection. 1 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Reorte Posted March 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26 12 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: They do indeed look flimsy - but are evidently up to the job if unmolested. And that's the problem - the irresistible force of a large ship drifting, as apparently here, would require enormous, probably almost impossible, levels of protection. I've wondered about that. The kinetic energy in even a slow-moving container ship will be immense, is it actually possible to protect against something like this? I suppose you could go to really big extremes by building every pier on an artificial island but that could well be beyond practical. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted March 26 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26 The only saving grace, if you can call it that, was that it happened at 1.30 a.m. A very small crumb of comfort - but sadly not for those affected. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26 13 minutes ago, Reorte said: I've wondered about that. The kinetic energy in even a slow-moving container ship will be immense, is it actually possible to protect against something like this? I suppose you could go to really big extremes by building every pier on an artificial island but that could well be beyond practical. Agreed, most of us are aware of what it takes to stop a train load of containers in an emergency. How many trainloads of containers can a 300 metre vessel carry? Add to which water is even less resistant than steel wheels on steel rails. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 20 minutes ago, Reorte said: I've wondered about that. The kinetic energy in even a slow-moving container ship will be immense, is it actually possible to protect against something like this? I suppose you could go to really big extremes by building every pier on an artificial island but that could well be beyond practical. I doubt you could do anything more than isolate the sections so that only the impacted one comes down. There are probably many engineering reasons why even that is impractical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 It's not unknown for simulations to be used to determine whether ships can operate safely under bridges, as here for example: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-03/icebreaker-nuyina-hit-hobart-tasman-bridge-in-modelling/103158228 I'm no conspiracy theorist but can't help wondering about how a terrorist might infiltrate the ship's crew to cause such an incident deliberately. It might only take one man in the engine-room to hit an emergency stop button at the crucial moment. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted March 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26 I know that this is closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, but I can see a case of tugs being compulsory where large ships are required to navigate through bridges. My thoughts are with the missing and their families. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Reorte Posted March 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26 Sounds like the ship got a mayday out and traffic was stopped as a result, so a quick response there probably saved lives. 1 5 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didcot Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 The speed of collapse is unbelievable and one end literally pivots around the support. Fortunately the outer flat decks stayed up. Trouble is once the forces are out of equilibrium its only going to end badly. Thank goodness it was not during rush hour. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted March 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26 2 hours ago, Siberian Snooper said: I know that this is closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, but I can see a case of tugs being compulsory where large ships are required to navigate through bridges. My thoughts are with the missing and their families. The flipside there is how many thousands of vessels successfully navigate under bridges without hitting them? What's the limit? No barges under Tower Bridge without tug escort? The video of the collapse and the daylight footage is harrowing, we can only hope the casualty list remains short. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelE Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 6 hours ago, kevinlms said: 8 degrees C, according to reports. Plus whatever depth the water is. Not a good place to be. Depth is 50' at the bridge location. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastglosmog Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Sadly not the first and unlikely to be the last case of a bridge being demolished by a passing ship. Need hefty barriers around the pillar bases to protect them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
admiles Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 1 hour ago, Reorte said: Sounds like the ship got a mayday out and traffic was stopped as a result, so a quick response there probably saved lives. No, there was still traffic traveling across the bridge plus some maintenance staff/vehicles working on the bridge at the time. Luckily very little traffic due to the time. Not to make light of it in any way but it could have been much, much worse! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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