A/Prof. Colin Caprani is a Chartered Structural Engineer (CEng MIEI, MIStructE) and Fellow of Engineers Australia (FIEAust), with considerable industrial and academic experience.
When the container ship MV Dali, 300 meters long and massing around 100,000 tons, lost power and slammed into one of the support piers of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the bridge collapsed in moments. Six people are presumed dead, several others injured, and the city and region are expecting a months-long logistical nightmare in the absence of a crucial transport link.
A 20th century bridge meets a 21st century shipThe Francis Scott Key Bridge was built through the mid 1970s and opened in 1977. The main structure over the navigation channel is a"continuous truss bridge" in three sections or spans. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The fender is the last layer of protection. It is a structure made of timber and reinforced concrete placed around the main piers. Again, it is intended to absorb the energy of any impact.
Bridges are getting saferThis was not the first time a ship hit the Francis Scott Bridge. There was another collision in 1980, damaging a fender badly enough that it had to be replaced. In Australia, the Australian Standard for Bridge Design requires designers to think about the biggest vessel likely to come along in the next 100 years, and what would happen if it were heading for any bridge pier at full speed. Designers need to consider the result of both head-on collisions and side-on, glancing blows. As a result, many newer bridges protect their piers with entire human-made islands.
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