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Major bridge collapse in Italy - dozens feared dead

Phil C. McNasty

Go Jays Go
Dec 27, 2010
25,135
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This isnt just a little bridge, its one of the largest bridges in Italy. No word yet on how it collapsed:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...s-over-genoa-dozens-feared-dead-idUSKBN1KZ14G





The local fire brigade said also victims were likely after the bridge collapsed at around 11:30 a.m. (0930 GMT) during torrential rainfall.

An ambulance official told Reuters the service could only confirm two injured people so far, “but we suppose there are unfortunately a lot of dead.”

Italian television showed images of the collapsed bridge, which was built on the A10 toll motorway in the 1960s. Restructuring work on the bridge was carried out in 2016.

It crumbled over a river, railroad tracks and buildings.

An witness told Sky Italia television he saw “eight or nine” vehicles on the bridge when it collapsed in what he said was an “apocalyptic scene”.

Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said in a tweet that he was “following with great apprehension what seems like an immense tragedy”.

Shares in Atlantia, the toll road operator which runs the motorway, were suspended after falling 4.6 percent after news of the collapse
 

Insidious Von

My head is my home
Sep 12, 2007
38,084
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Liguria is the breadbasket of Italy. It's one long coastline, separated from the rest of Italy by the Southern Alps. As a sub-tropical region it gets more rainfall than the rest of the country. Genoa sits in the middle, it has been subjected to large scale flooding in the recent past. The bridge is the southern most of a sequence of bridges that link the city together. It has been susceptible to concrete fatigue for well over a decade. Obviously the bridge wasn't properly maintained, they allowed water to leach in and the rest is now disastrous history.

The fall of the Morandi Bridge is also something of a security snafu. The A10 connects the French Navy at Toulon with the NATO Mediterranean Fleet at Spezia near the Tuscan border.

Live feed.

 

Aardvark154

New member
Jan 19, 2006
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Ponte Morandi

Another article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6058937/Huge-section-highway-bridge-collapses-Genoa.html

The Bridge was designed by Riccardo Morandi and opened in 1967.


Pertinent points in the above article: It is a reinforced and prestressed concrete bridge of an unusual design, "A-frame towers which support the concrete-encased stay cables combine with V-shaped supports below the deck to create a stiff arrangement which is not common in cable stayed bridges."

"It is possible that corrosion of tendons or reinforcement over the past 50 years may be a contributory factor."
 

Smallcock

Active member
Jun 5, 2009
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What a nightmare.
 

james t kirk

Well-known member
Aug 17, 2001
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A very complicated design. Very "European", especially the inclined substructure elements.

Apparently construction work was being carried out on the foundations. That's very unusual and I'd be taking a hard look at that right out of the gate. Foundations, especially bridge foundations are not something to be trifled with. Not work for the faint of heart. Wonder why the foundations (unless they actually mean the substructure) were being reconstructed.

Also, an extreme rain event was occurring at the time of the collapse. Wondering if there is some correlation with the foundation work and the collapse.
 

John Henry

Active member
Apr 10, 2011
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I've never been crazy about going over the Burlington Skyway, or Garden City in St Catherines.

Thanks a bunch for putting my fears of bridges to rest. ;)

Jesus, know I'm gonna go over them at 160 KM, and white knuckled.

Like you said, that's no small bridge that went down either. Incredible.
You and me both . Especially on windy days . Burlington Skyway can be very bad with high winds coming from the east or west . Garden City , you only have to deal with strong winds coming from the north and south which doesn't happen that often .

Sunshine Skyway in Tampa .... I almost had an accident in my pants seeing that one for the first time . I was freaking out driving across that one . It's high and long .
 

Insidious Von

My head is my home
Sep 12, 2007
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The substructure goes against physical laws, your'e supposed to spread the load on foundations.

Genoa is located at the top of the Ligurian arc, normal rain event.
 

SirWanker

Active member
Apr 6, 2002
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Agincourt
The reinforced concrete structure was completed in 1967 and designed for the traffic volumes that were much lower than those of today.
The Gardner Expressway, also constructed with reinforced concrete, has been in service since 1964. It has undergone extensive restoration in the 1990s due to damages from road-salt corrosion. Traffic volumes have increased in both size and duration plus the extensive condo development along both sides of the expressway, I certainly hope there is a regular maintenance plan in place.
 

SirWanker

Active member
Apr 6, 2002
1,677
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Agincourt
I've never been crazy about going over the Burlington Skyway, or Garden City in St Catherines.
Thanks a bunch for putting my fears of bridges to rest. ;)
Jesus, know I'm gonna go over them at 160 KM, and white knuckled.
Like you said, that's no small bridge that went down either. Incredible.
You and me both . Especially on windy days . Burlington Skyway can be very bad with high winds coming from the east or west . Garden City , you only have to deal with strong winds coming from the north and south which doesn't happen that often .
.
The Burlington Skyway is relatively stable now in comparison to the single bridge structure it use to be. Now that was fun driving over on windy days.
 

Aardvark154

New member
Jan 19, 2006
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The Daily Mail among others are reporting that the section that collapsed was struck by lightning.

I would presume that it had lightning rods but perhaps not or perhaps the grounding cables failed.
 

james t kirk

Well-known member
Aug 17, 2001
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The Daily Mail among others are reporting that the section that collapsed was struck by lightning.

I would presume that it had lightning rods but perhaps not or perhaps the grounding cables failed.
Lightning will not bring down a bridge.
 
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