🔴 The disaster we have witnessed in Baltimore stems in part from the fact the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built in the early 1970s
In 1980, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in #Florida was struck by a ship and collapsed.
Since then, the construction of bridges has adapted – these days, engineers place large ‘dolphins’, or buffers, around the supports of any major bridge.
These concrete structures veer away from any ship that may run off course.
The #disaster we have witnessed in #Baltimore stems in part from the fact the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built in the early 1970s before this kind of technology was in place.
Therefore, the Dali container ship drove into one of the supporting legs of the #bridge at five to six knots, imparting a force equivalent to many thousands of tonnes. It stood little chance against the impact.
And once a central support like that falls it is simply unavoidable that a bridge of that shape and length will collapse too.
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