In the article, “I-5 and the Physics of Bridge Collapse,” Hartsfield (2013) has stated that most bridges including the I-5 bridge failed due to inevitable design flaws. The author implies that an optimal bridge design relies on considerable factors of a project such as cost and timeline. The author also quotes the possibilities that can cause a bridge to collapse including construction errors or miscalculations for cantilever, and high external force for suspension bridges. According to Hartsfield (2013), “A truss bridge holds as long as the beams themselves don’t break and the joints stay together.” In this regard, a bridge can collapse once a part of the structural beam fails. He further states that the unfortunate tragedy of the I-5 truss bridge might have been due to the impact caused by a truck, as it crashed into one of the beams. Hartsfield also mentions that nevertheless, it is critical to understand the underlying problem to determine the actual cause of the unpredicted collapse in bridges.
I agree to a certain extent that failure of bridges might be caused by external factors such as construction errors, miscalculations, and inevitable design flaws. However, failure of bridges cannot be prevented, all bridges eventually fail.
Firstly, bridges in nature have their weaknesses and are prone to failure. In the article, “Truss bridge weakness,” Evans (2017) states that truss bridges are designed to have compression and tension forces acting on each beam. Forces are transferred from one beam to another. If unaccounted forces happened to act on one of the beams, it can post danger to the integrity of the truss bridge. Hence if one of the beams fails to perform, it will affect the whole structure of the truss bridge which eventually leads to the failure of the bridge. “The group reports that one out of every nine bridges in the country is considered structurally deficient.” Bridge Masters, 9 Common reasons for bridge failure(2017) This article further supports that bridges design have flaws which lead to the collapse of bridges.
Secondly, changing climate and extreme weather events is one of the unpredicted factors that could cause an impact on bridges and eventually lead to the failure of the bridges. In the article, “9 Common reasons for bridge failure,” Masters (2017) states that in an event of a flood, water picks up debris like trees branches or buildings, and wash them against the bridge. This will result in structural elements being damaged by the flood. The article also further states that “Most collapses happen on bridges that were built a long time ago when designers couldn’t imagine the kind of storms they’d have to withstand today.” Hence, engineers build bridges according to the present climate as future climate and extreme weather events cannot be foreseen. Therefore, in the event of changing climate and extreme weather events, the failure of bridges cannot be prevented.
Thirdly, unexpected incidents can cause failure in bridges. In the article, “New Analysis confirms why the Skagit river bridge collapsed,” Ouellette (2016) states that an oversized truck hit one of the cross beams and causes the entire collapse of the bridge. Therefore unexpected incidents cannot be foreseen, the article also mentioned that the truck did not hit the critical support of the bridge but still able to trigger the collapse. And according to Masters (2017), “When it comes to bridging construction, engineers simply don’t know what they don’t know. Countless bridge incidents happen because of unanticipated structural or design-related issues.” It shows that the bridge is a complex structure and engineers cannot foresee what incident is going to happen. Hence it further supports that unexpected incidents can cause failure in bridges
In conclusion, bridges play a big part in road networking which allows easy travel across a major river and also between neighboring islands. However, the failure of bridges could cause injuries and loss of life. More studies can be done to better understand the bridge structure, past failure of bridges can also be put into consideration to prevent similar failures in the future.
Tom,H. (2013, May 28). I-5 and the physics of bridge collapse. RealClear Science.com. Retrieved from https://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2013/05/29/i-5_and_the_physics_of_bridge_collapses_106544.htm
Evans,D. (2017, April 25). Truss bridge weaknesses. Sciencing.com.Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/truss-bridge-weaknesses-8668006.html
Bridge Masters, Inc. (2017, January 6). 9 Common reason for bridge failures. Retrieved Jan 10, 2020, from https://bridgemastersinc.com/9-common-reasons-for-bridge-failures
Ouellette,J. (2016, August 16). New analysis confirms why the skagit river bridge collapsed. Gizmodo.com. Retrieved from https://gizmodo.com/new-analysis-confirms-why-the-skagit-river-bridge-colla-1785842162
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