Lucas (Luke) Dam’s Post

March 26, 2024 - Bridge Collapse in Baltimore: A Brief Overview! A recent maritime accident led to the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge when the cargo ship Dali collided with it. The impact was significant enough to destroy a concrete pier, causing the structure to fail. The bridge, dating back to 1977, faced an extraordinary event beyond its anticipated challenges. To read the article: https://lnkd.in/dtP9HAwv To watch the collapsing video: https://lnkd.in/db6iN-sn #structuralengineering #bridgeengineering #structurecollapse

🗣 New Project to Address Port Infrastructure The unfortunate collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge highlights the need for enhancements in our Nation's infrastructure. Today one of my teams announced a new audit of the Maritime Administration's (MARAD) risk management and oversight of the Port Infrastructure Development Program’s IIJA-Funded Grants. Key Points: 📢 MARAD is responsible for improving the U.S. marine transportation system to meet the Nation’s economic, environmental, and security needs. 📢 MARAD administers and oversees the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which provides discretionary grants on a competitive basis to projects intended to improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods into, out of, around, or within a port. 📢 In 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided the PIDP $450 million for each of the 5 fiscal years beginning in fiscal year 2022—a large increase over the $245 million per year the program received in fiscal years 2019 through 2022. You can read more about this new project in the comments.

The protection around the pile (vertical support pillar) of the Baltimore Bridge may have been deficient and one of the main causes of collapse. In the picture you can see the bridge's protection from having supports hit (red arrow) compared to that of a utility pole next to the bridge (blue arrow).

If you are interested to know more about Baltimore Bridge collapse by m/v Dali thanks gCaptain sharing this post, please find more details herewith attached

The recent collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore following a ship collision has sent shockwaves through the local community. This catastrophic event has not only resulted in loss of life and injuries but has also disrupted transportation routes, causing major traffic delays and impacting the vital operations of the Port of Baltimore. In the wake of this incident, it is imperative to elevate our understanding of impact loading in design. By integrating comprehensive impact loading considerations into our engineering processes, we can fortify structures against unforeseen events, ensuring their ability to withstand sudden forces and protect lives. As we navigate this challenging moment, let us unite in our commitment to conducting thorough investigations, implementing innovative solutions, and fostering a culture of safety and collaboration. Together, we can forge a path towards a future where our infrastructure is not just resilient but also a beacon of safety and reliability for generations to come. #InfrastructureSafety #BaltimoreBridgeCollapse #CommunityResilience #EngineeringLessonsLearned Your thoughts on how we can enhance infrastructure safety and resilience in the face of unexpected challenges are welcome! 🌟Stay Informed. Stay Safe. Stay Resilient. 🌉🌟

https://lnkd.in/dcxAQ6CT Our prayers are with those who grieve the loss of their loved ones Baltimore Bridge Collapse. As P&I and H&M surveyors and investigators, only after reviewing the available evidences viz. VDR, documentation, past history, PMS, procurement, condition and repair records, work that may have been in progress on board, Master’s SoF, interviewing the staff on board, can we arrive at facts. The visuals from this video of the container vessel Dali, only provides a basis for hypothesis for some of the possible causes and equipment failures, to be proven or disproven, by proper investigation. This video only shows that: The lights went off at 1.20 mins, possibly a blackout, battery powered lights can be seen in the accommodation, (Can you see navigation lights? I can’t), a stand-by DG or emergency DG started at 1.55 mins (plume of smoke) and deck and navigation lights came on at 2.20 mins (1 full minute later), continuous black smoke visible from funnel from 2.30 minutes; vessel moves hard stbd at 3.07 minutes (possibly to turn 180 degrees away from the bridge), blackout again (2nd time) at 3.27 mins; lights on again at 4.00 mins, hard port helm movement visible immediately (possibly to avoid collision with the pillar), 5.31 mins collision with pillar, 5.39 again blackout (3rd time), 5.42 the bridge falls on the deck of the ship. A different video on YouTube, shot from a different angle, shows that the smoke from the funnel stopped a few seconds before impact, (not clear whether the propulsion engine(s) started operating, or was the fuel/manoeuvring lever moved to zero/stop position) when the bridge team gave the helm to hard port, seconds before the collision. *from the linked video, we can only hypothesize that:* 1) Nav lights extinguishing every time the DGs shut down: this indicates a possibility that the back-up navigation batteries were past their renewal date. 2) continuous smoke (black?) from funnel till just a few seconds before collision indicate the possibilities of one or more of these: problem with fuel or fuel pumps / racks; or staff trying to start and run main engine(s) without the aux air blowers; or one or more units misfiring. 3) it appears that Emergency DG did not come on, as rudder steering seems to be available only when the main DGs comes on load… (with emergency DG power, the bridge would have had steering available to take action). Again, this could possibly be because of Emergency DG starter batteries past their prime. 4) did the company’s and ship’s ISM-SMS contingency plan include calling anchor stations immediately in case of engine or propeller failure in coastal or restricted waters, (or when in proximity of rigs / turbine installations) to drop one, or both, anchors and limit the vessels headway towards hazards? If yes, then this is not visible in this video.

The damage from the destruction of the Baltimore bridge by the container ship Dali will amount to billions of dollars, and the lawsuits will last for years. However, the owner of the ship will be protected from excessive claims thanks to a two-hundred-year-old law, which was also used by the owners of the Titanic more than a century ago. It is known that the Dali engine stopped and the power supply was lost before the collision with the bridge support; this may be due to the quality of the fuel. https://lnkd.in/dDnpeXm4

"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

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Telemundo about the tragic Baltimore Bridge Collapse. It's a devastating event, and my deepest condolences go out to the friends and families of the victims. #BaltimoreBridgeCollapse, #BridgeCollapse, #BaltimoreTragedy, #InfrastructureFailure, #BridgeSafety, #BaltimoreNews, #BridgeDisaster, #EmergencyResponse, #BridgeEngineering, #BaltimoreEmergency, #BridgeCollapseFootage, #BridgeInvestigation, #SafetyConcerns, #BaltimoreCity, #BridgeCollapseUpdate, #CivilEngineering, #BaltimoreStrong, #BridgeInspection, #StructuralFailure, #BaltimoreCommunity https://lnkd.in/eNh_56qP

More than 300 bridges of U.S. in Bloomberg’s analysis are considered to be in poor condition, with significant deficiencies found in at least one of three structural elements: the deck, which carries the roadway; the superstructure, or the upper portion of a bridge that bears the weight of the load passing through; and the substructure, which supports the bridge from below.