NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP)’s Post

"This video shows how the Baltimore Bridge could have been saved. The video also shows that modern bridge code equations would have predicted that the collapse would have happened. Details are given about why the collapse happened and what could have been done to prevent it. A responsibility framework is also presented that can be used to prevent future collapses." https://lnkd.in/dRe3jaJt #structuralengineering #byggnadskonstruktion #structuralsafety #bärverkssäkerhet #byggteknik #bygg #byggbranschen #construction #samhällsbyggnad #civilengineering

The Baltimore bridge collapse highlights the importance of designing bridges to withstand extreme loads. The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a continuous truss bridge, was likely overwhelmed by the force of the colliding cargo ship. Here are some key points to consider: * Mismatch between design loads and impact force: The bridge's design likely considered standard traffic loads, but not the immense force of a massive vessel. * Vulnerability of support structures: The ship's impact on a critical pier could have caused catastrophic failure, especially if the pier elements were relatively slender. * Limited redundancy: Continuous truss bridges can be susceptible to progressive collapse, where damage in one area propagates throughout the structure. The investigation into the collapse will shed more light on the specific factors at play. This will inform improvements in bridge design, construction, and maintenance to prevent similar tragedies in the future. #baltimorebridge #impactload #redundancy Let’s talk about this, please share your thoughts on this.

From 2020 to 2023, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) District 3 oversaw the widening of State Highway 55 between Smiths Ferry and Round Valley, Idaho, approximately 60 miles (97 km) north of the city of Boise. This route provides a critical transportation connection between Boise and the town of McCall and is one of the few north–south connector routes in Idaho. At the project location, the highway follows a deep incised canyon formed by the North Fork of the Payette River. ITD’s project goal was to improve roadway geometry and sight distance by widening and realigning the roadway using a series of rock cuts and downslope wall systems. Within the 1-mile (1.6 km) project limits, work included nine major rock cuts ranging between 60 and 200 feet high (18–61 m). On March 15, 2021, a series of significant failures occurred in the newly constructed rock slopes, damaging several pieces of heavy equipment and shutting down the road. ITD immediately contacted Delve Underground to mobilize to the site, assess what caused the slope failures and the risk to the traveling public, provide emergency stabilization design and construction services, and assess and redesign the remainder of the rock cuts for the project. #delveunderground Read more about Idaho’s State Highway 55: Emergency Response, Rock Slope Design, & Construction in this article by James Struthers CEG, LEG, PG and Ethan Guzek: https://lnkd.in/gxEd4g6Y

LAND can identify key development constraints instantaneously, allowing them to be compared to development options. When constraints are considered early, development strategies can be optimised, providing huge savings on both time and money. This example of a large housing development site near Blackburn highlights 3 key constraints: 🗺 Steep Site Topography. 🗺 Watercourse Destination for Surface Water. 🗺 Historic Landfill across the Southern Boundary. The impact of these on the development's layout were: 🧱 Retaining features throughout the site between plots and on-site boundaries. 🧱 Surface water attenuation features were introduced with associated land-take. 🧱 Significant land gas protection measures were put in place for Southern plots. LAND's unique overlay feature allowed for the development options to be uploaded and compared to the impact of these key ground constraints and meant that all the above was understood and planned for from the outset. #LANDapp #EmergingTech #LandDevelopment #DevelopmentConstraints #HousingDevelopment

LAND can identify key development constraints instantaneously, allowing them to be compared to development options. When constraints are considered early, development strategies can be optimised, providing huge savings on both time and money. This example of a large housing development site near Blackburn highlights 3 key constraints: 🗺 Steep Site Topography. 🗺 Watercourse Destination for Surface Water. 🗺 Historic Landfill across the Southern Boundary. The impact of these on the development's layout were: 🧱 Retaining features throughout the site between plots and on-site boundaries. 🧱 Surface water attenuation features were introduced with associated land-take. 🧱 Significant land gas protection measures were put in place for Southern plots. LAND's unique overlay feature allowed for the development options to be uploaded and compared to the impact of these key ground constraints and meant that all the above was understood and planned for from the outset. #LANDapp #EmergingTech #LandDevelopment #DevelopmentConstraints #HousingDevelopment

The Liber Civils team has been chatting about an exciting and challenging project we completed for one of our longest standing client’s Madison Square Holdings. We’ve been going through the steps involved: Step 5: Roads and Services A key factor in building roads is managing the integrity of the underground services that run beneath the road. When a road is backfilled or recompacted over these services it is important that there is structural integrity so that once the road is tarred or paved the underground services are protected from road surface settlement. In addition, the shape of the road is critically important so that stormwater run-off dovetails with the stormwater reticulation systems. https://smpl.is/85hhg

🔴 The disaster we have witnessed in Baltimore stems in part from the fact the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built in the early 1970s In 1980, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in #Florida was struck by a ship and collapsed. Since then, the construction of bridges has adapted – these days, engineers place large ‘dolphins’, or buffers, around the supports of any major bridge. These concrete structures veer away from any ship that may run off course. The #disaster we have witnessed in #Baltimore stems in part from the fact the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built in the early 1970s before this kind of technology was in place. Therefore, the Dali container ship drove into one of the supporting legs of the #bridge at five to six knots, imparting a force equivalent to many thousands of tonnes. It stood little chance against the impact. And once a central support like that falls it is simply unavoidable that a bridge of that shape and length will collapse too. Read more 👇  https://lnkd.in/euz4HEdi

April 12, 2024: Today is National Colorado Day! This day recognizes the 38th state to join the U.S. Some interesting facts about ‘The Centennial State’ include: ·      Colorado entered statehood in 1876, exactly 100 years after the nation’s independence. ·      The Royal Gorge Bridge above the Arkansas River was the world’s highest suspension bridge for over 70 years. The bridge has a deck height of 955’, measured from the deck to the surface of the river below. ·      According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Eisenhower Tunnel on Interstate 70 is one of the highest vehicular tunnels in the world. ·      In the Western U.S., a mountain peak with an elevation of at least 14,000’ is known as a “fourteener” or “14er”. There are 58 such fourteeners in Colorado – the most of any state (Alaska has 22, California has 12, and Washington has 1.) The 4th Street Bridge in Pueblo, Colorado was designed by FIGG for the Colorado Department of Transportation. This concrete segmental bridge was built from above over 28 sets of active heavy rail tracks in the Pueblo Rail Yard while maintaining yard operations. It spans the Arkansas River, active rail tracks, and local roads and is Colorado’s longest highway span at 378’. #civilengineering #concrete #bridge 

It comes as no surprise that the city who is home to Utah's burgeoning tech scene is also one of the state's leaders in pavement preservation. Lehi is widely known as the home of the Silicon Slopes, but many don't consider the infrastructure challenges that have accompanied its explosive growth. The city's population increased by a staggering 60% from 2010 to 2020. As they built new infrastructure to accommodate the influx of workers and businesses, they also realized that preservation was going to be key to their continued success. Today, Lehi uses a variety of tools in their pavement preservation toolbox, including HA5 High Density Mineral Bond, to extend the life of their streets. HA5 is designed to slow the oxidative aging of asphalt by working to block UV and moisture intrusion. By adopting a proactive strategy, Lehi is ensuring that they are achieving the maximum extension of asphalt life throughout the city and reducing asphalt ownership costs. #pavementpreservation #assetmanagement #infrastructure #roads #streets #asphaltmaintenance #publicworks #utah #siliconslopes #engineering #civilengineering

My heart goes out to those affected by the Baltimore Bridge Collapse. It reminded me about recent news where a young graduate who lost his life by being crushed by moving plant equipment. At this stage we don't know the exact details about the bridge collapse, but we should all be mindful about traffic, pedestrian and building segregation. Whether is it a railway bridge, construction site, or distribution center; we should all be thinking of how we keep people safe. This should include education, traffic management plans, sufficient lighting, signage, and hard barriers. #safetyfirst