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Concerned about the safety of local bridges? Don't be, say local engineering experts, including ATLSS Structural Engineering Research Center's Richard Sause. Read more about bridge safety and inspections here: https://lnkd.in/ei4mfeg5

🌉𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦 The Maryland bridge collapse offers critical lessons for civil engineering, emphasizing the need for holistic approaches in design and maintenance: 1. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: The collapse highlighted how every component's integrity is crucial to the overall structure, stressing the importance of holistic integrity in bridge design. 2. 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: It revealed that the bridge's columns couldn't withstand the lateral loads from a container ship, underscoring the necessity to account for all potential loads, including extreme scenarios. 3. 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆: The incident raises questions about the adequacy of navigation and safety measures, especially in shipping lanes, suggesting the need for more robust systems to prevent deviations. 4. 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀: Finally, the bridge's vulnerability to an unexpected external force, like a ship's collision, reminds us of the wide range of impacts that must be considered in bridge design to enhance resilience. To note,  the collapse provides invaluable insights into ensuring bridges are designed and maintained with a comprehensive view of safety, resilience, and integrity. While structural designs are evolving, innovation must crop around improving already built bridges to avoid imminent catastrophes, saving lives and the environment. #civilengineering #Safety AV Courtesy: CBN News

BRIDGES BARRIERS – UPGRADES, DESIGNS AND RISK 12th Australian Small Bridges Conference, 22-23 Oct 2024, Gold Coast Australia. www.smallbridges.com.au - including Geotechnical Engineering and Civil Works for Bridges, Road and Rail The appropriate design, construction and maintenance of bridge barrier systems is an important part of any road bridge project. Many older bridges also require upgrades to their bridge barriers to bring them up to modern design standards. What upgrades are required is an important are to be considered. Pedestrian and Cycle bridges over roads, railway lines or watercourses need safety barriers to prevent falls from height, and some require anti-throw screens as well. The use of suicide barriers are also required on many bridges structures. Bridge Barriers are one of the themes of the 12th Australian Small Bridges Conference. Three of our Bridge Barrier Abstracts are featured below. However, many more of our accepted abstracts/presentations will also feature bridge barriers as part of their presentation.  In addition, our comprehensive exhibition will include bridge barrier systems. BRIDGE BARRIER UPGRADES TO VARIOUS REGIONAL BRIDGES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA Howard Jiang, Structural Engineer, Jacobs Larry Yang, Principal Structural Engineer BRIDGE BARRIERS: WHAT CAN ASSET OWNERS DO TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS KEY RISKS ON THEIR NETWORK? Joshua Hniat, Senior Bridge Engineer, pitt&sherry Richard Cassidy, Senior Principal Bridge Engineer, pitt&sherry A NON-CONSERVATIVE DESIGN APPROACH TO DESIGN BRIDGE AND ROAD BARRIERS Huy Binh Pham, Technical Principal, SMEC Basim Matar, Graduate Engineer, SMEC TO REGISTER ONLINE go to https://lnkd.in/ebpXVHRq *Now is the time to register to secure our Earlybird Delegate Rate before it closes on 12 July. *You can pay with credit card while registering, or you can request a tax invoice to pay by EFT later. UPDATE- OVER EIGHTY ACCEPTED ABSTRACTS. The list of our accepted abstracts as of 2 July is at https://lnkd.in/gXdRF6_J Note that some abstracts are awaiting necessary approvals before they can be made public. #bridges #smallbridges #bridgeengineering #roadsafety

Conducting precise steel plates measurements under the bridge support that will soon be placed on the roof of the tunnel. Engineering precision at its best! #Engineering #Construction #BridgeSupport #TunnelRoof #Innovation #PrecisionWork #Infrastructure

Innovative engineering solutions to protect bridges are here! 🌉🚢 On March 26, 2024, the serene waters near the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore turned chaotic as the MV Dali, a colossal cargo ship, collided with the bridge, leading to a section of it collapsing. This incident brings to light the critical issue of safeguarding bridges against ship collisions, prompting discussions on preventive measures and structural resilience. ➡️ Ship-bridge collisions, while rare, have left their mark in history. According to University of Michigan civil engineer Sherif El-Tawil, there have been approximately 40 recorded instances of such collisions in the past 65 years worldwide. El-Tawil sheds light on the mandated protocols for new bridge constructions and their adequacy in confronting modern behemoth cargo ships. He emphasises the necessity of designing structures capable of withstanding colossal forces, citing the impact force of the MV Dali estimated at a staggering 30 million pounds. ✅ To withstand such forces, innovative designs such as cable-stayed bridges with robust towers become imperative. ✅ Beyond design innovations, El-Tawil emphasises the importance of mitigation strategies to minimise the impact of collisions. What is your opinion about it? Share your thoughts in the comments ✍️ #infrastructure #ships #transport

Innovative engineering solutions to protect bridges are here! 🌉🚢 On March 26, 2024, the serene waters near the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore turned chaotic as the MV Dali, a colossal cargo ship, collided with the bridge, leading to a section of it collapsing. This incident brings to light the critical issue of safeguarding bridges against ship collisions, prompting discussions on preventive measures and structural resilience. ➡️ Ship-bridge collisions, while rare, have left their mark in history. According to University of Michigan civil engineer Sherif El-Tawil, there have been approximately 40 recorded instances of such collisions in the past 65 years worldwide. El-Tawil sheds light on the mandated protocols for new bridge constructions and their adequacy in confronting modern behemoth cargo ships. He emphasises the necessity of designing structures capable of withstanding colossal forces, citing the impact force of the MV Dali estimated at a staggering 30 million pounds. ✅ To withstand such forces, innovative designs such as cable-stayed bridges with robust towers become imperative. ✅ Beyond design innovations, El-Tawil emphasises the importance of mitigation strategies to minimise the impact of collisions. What is your opinion about it? Share your thoughts in the comments ✍️ #infrastructure #ships #transport

Ever wonder how modern bridges look like they're floating in midair? It’s all thanks to some seriously cool engineering tricks. Geotechnical and civil engineers are using next-level techniques and materials to make bridges stronger and more stable than ever. Take the Millau Viaduct in France, for example. This beast rises high above the Tarn River Valley, supported by huge pylons and a clever cable-stayed design. Its secret? Engineers used a smart approach, thinking about everything from the ground it's built on to how the wind affects it. But it’s not just the famous bridges. Even the ones you cross on your daily commute benefit from advanced engineering. Nowadays, engineers can predict and fix potential problems before construction even starts, making sure these structures are safe and built to last. Engineers are constantly pushing the boundaries in geotechnical and civil engineering. They use the latest tech and methods to help create bridges that are not just functional but also pretty awesome to look at. So next time you drive over a bridge, take a second to appreciate the incredible engineering behind it. These bridges are more than just roads—they’re proof of our drive to innovate and excel. Ready to dive into the next big engineering challenge? #GeotechnicalEngineering #CivilEngineering #BridgeConstruction #InnovativeEngineering #EngineeringMarvels #MillauViaduct #TheCivilRecruiter

"Unfortunately, we have taken things for granted for too long. We haven't done the appropriate maintenance, the appropriate upgrading. And so this is the result of that." Roberto Leon, a structural engineering expert with Virginia Tech College of Engineering has been quoted and interviewed by dozens of national and regional outlets since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last week. Check out his NPR interview which aired on Morning Edition today. #BreakingNews #StructuralEngineering #Engineering #Infrastructure

FYI: 1 in 13 bridges in America is in poor condition and are in danger of collapsing. The engineering world has been talking about this for 3 decades. Around 46,100 of the 617,000 bridges across the United States, or 7.5% of all bridges, are considered structurally deficient and are in poor condition, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers' most recent infrastructure report card released in 202. https://lnkd.in/grHxb_dj #STEMforAll STEM NOLA STEM Global Action

The movement of people and goods by land and sea is vital to the U.S. economy, as well as for the traveling public. This is supported by extensive networks of waterways and highways. Engineers prioritize safety in bridge design, which includes focusing on the safety of both vehicles traveling across the bridges and vessels traveling underneath the bridges. Today on Making a Difference, the Michael Baker Blog, Jason Stith, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., Technical Manager – Bridge at Michael Baker International shares more about designing bridges for vessel allision (ships striking bridges). Read the article: https://lnkd.in/eY5v3Wz4 #BridgeDesign #Engineering #Waterways #VesselSafety