RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted October 12, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2011 Fortunately no train involved on this one. Rather extreme example of a bridge bash! http://regina.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111011/sask-bridge-collapse-111011/20111011/?hub=Regina Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 That must have been an acutely arresting experience for the truck driver ( and anyone else in the cab), 'cause whatever speed he was making, he decelerated to rest in a dozen yards or thereabouts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Ouch! On several levels. Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Also here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2011/10/11/sask-lloyd.html BTW that's CN's main line between Edmonton and Winnipeg thats been damaged as well as the Yellowhead Highway closed. Those bridges are designed to just sit on the piers to allow for expansion and contraction. (-40c to 35c is the norm in that area) From what I gather, this isn't that uncommon as the booms on these back hoes don't sit still during transport if they aren't properly restrained. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 From what I gather, this isn't that uncommon as the booms on these back hoes don't sit still during transport if they aren't properly restrained. It's one of the more likely causes, for sure - those and "Hi-Ab" type lorry-mounted cranes. A 'bodied' trailer has to have it's height marked on the front (at least in the UK/EU) so the driver knows (or should know*) the height. The trouble with flatbeds, especially carrying plant like this, is that the height varies with each load. I think those drivers tend to carry measuring sticks with them (like huge Carpenter's Rulers) so they know for sure, but as you say, boom arms can move if not restrained. Interesting comment in one of those links about the Bridge clearence being given in metric; 5.1 Metres is a shade over 16'6" I think, so in the UK at least it's height would not have had to be signposted. I'd have thought that was ample clearence for a boom arm, too. Confusing metric and imperial measurements may sound stupid, but I've been there and done it myself, some years ago now - getting into a routine for two years of always doing a regular route where there was a 14'3" bridge, with a trailer 4.2m high, *I failed to notice in the dark early one morning that my trailer had been changed for one 4.5m high.... do the maths ..... Sitting in the Police Car afterwards, I thought I might never drive HGVs again.... ... I always check the trailer height without fail these days, I can tell you!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Interesting comment in one of those links about the Bridge clearence being given in metric; 5.1 Metres is a shade over 16'6" I think, so in the UK at least it's height would not have had to be signposted. I'd have thought that was ample clearence for a boom arm, too.Confusing metric and imperial measurements may sound stupid, but I've been there and done it myself, some years ago now - getting into a routine for two years of always doing a regular route where there was a 14'3" bridge, with a trailer 4.2m high No real excuse in Canada about confusing metric as all signs have been metric since 1977. (2 days after I got my driver's license to be exact) And metric was all I was ever taught at school from 1970 onwards. My bad as well. Looks like it wasn't the CN bridge across 16, but one of CPs lines that got nailed. http://www.meridianbooster.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3329656 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tony graham Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 OOOFFFFT Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 A similar incident occurred in the 1980's on the westbound A2 at Cobham in Kent involving an excavator on a low-loader - the bridge wiped out was a concrete footbridge over the road - fortunately with no casualties Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhall Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Something similar happened in Surbiton a few months back - the driver had only been unwedged from the railway bridge for an our or so before he wacked 3 overbridges on the A3,,,, http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23982175-trucker-who-hit-four-bridges-faces-bill.do Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbo Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Been there done it got the t shirt and the mega bo****ing, my excuse was, let the air out of the suspension then loaded the digger, measured the height because I knew I was going to go under a 14ft bridge, all was ok, got in the truck sent the air up and set off. With the air back up I was 14ft and1/2 inch, you can guess the rest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscale Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Railway bridge collapses in Lloydminster ...Implying that the bridge was at fault. "Road vehicle demolishes rail bridge" would be a more accurate headline. The press always seem to put rail in a negative light. It's the same with level crossing accidents when the headlines are "Train hits car" instead of "Car colides with train". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caradoc Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 It is incredible that the lorry driver in Surbiton wasn't prosecuted.....How careless does a driver have to be before the law takes any action ? Road vehicles (usually lorries) strike railway bridges somewhere in Britain every single day, and one day such an incident will result in a train derailment and passenger injuries, if not worse. Yet another example of the lax safety standards appled to road transport, compared to rail. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 More US bridge bash action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgreeUKQOts (NS have installed a beam in front of this one so it's not the bridge taking the full impact - but still....ouch!) More info on this location in NC here: http://11foot8.com/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted October 18, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 18, 2011 There is a footbridge in Leeds adjacent to the line in from Skipton and Harrogate that got wiped out a few years ago. The repair is interesting as they have replaced the concrete bean bridge with a steel fabricated through lattice that has just been sat on top of the remaining path at either end. However from my experience at work as a policeman I found that the prosecuting authorities used to be very reluctant to process drivers involved in bridge bashes. I dealt with two at Woodlesford where the A 642 goes under the Midland line, in the 1970's, Both times I wrote the drivers up for prosecution, as containers had come off, and missed other drivers by inches. Both times the CPS (County prosecuting Solicitors in those days) wrote the files of No Further action. I hope that things have changed but I doubt it. In neither case did the drive know the height of their vehicle and load accuratley. Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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