Civil Engineering Disasters – Collapse Of Bridges

• September 11, 1916. Quebec Bridge (Canada)

This is not the first destruction of the bridge. The first time tragedy occurred in 1907.

About first collapse of the bridge

The bridge was nearing completion, when the local engineering began noticing increasing distortions of key structural members already in place. After four years of construction, the south arm and part of the central section of the bridge collapsed into the St. Lawrence River in just 15 seconds. Of the 86 workers on the bridge that day near quitting time, 75 were killed and the rest were injured.

About second collapse of the bridge After a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the collapse, construction started on a second bridge, but September 11, 1916, when the central span was being raised into position, it fell into the river, killing 13 workers.

• December 15, 1967. Silver Bridge (USA)

On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge collapsed while it was choked with rush hour traffic, resulting in the deaths of 46 people. Investigation of the wreckage pointed to the cause of the collapse being the failure of a single eye-bar in a suspension chain, due to a small defect only 0.1 inches (2.54 mm) deep. It was also noted that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and was poorly maintained.The new bridge that replaced the Silver Bridge was named the Silver Memorial Bridge.

• March 17, 1945. Ludendorff Bridge (Remagen, Germany)

28 U.S. army engineers were killed while working to strengthen the bridge, and 93 others were wounded.

• May 9, 1980. Sunshine Skyway Bridge (Florida, USA)

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was collapsed on May 9, 1980, when the freighter SS Summit Venture collided with a pier (support column) during a storm , sending over 1200 feet of the bridge plummeting into Tampa Bay. The collision caused six automobiles and a bus to fall 150 feet, killing 35 people.

• June 28, 1983. Mianus River Bridge (Connecticut, USA)

Three people were killed when their vehicles fell with the bridge into the Mianus River 70 feet below, and three were seriously injured. Collapse due to failure of the Pin and Hanger assembly supporting the span.

• October 21, 1994. Seongsu Bridge (Seoul, South Korea)

On October 21, 1994, Seongsu Bridge connecting Seongsu-dong and Apgujeong-dong of Gangnam-gu, Seoul, collapsed. The slab (48 m) between the fifth and the sixth leg of the Bridge collapsed so 32 people died and 17 people were injured. One of its concrete slabs fell due to a failure of the suspension structure. This structural failure was caused by joints of trusses (steel structures) supporting the bridge slab were not welded to the full; the welding thickness, which should be over 10mm, was only 8mm; and further, connecting pins for steel bolts were poor.

• January 4, 1999. Rainbow bridge (China)

In January 4, 1999, a pedestrian Rainbow bridge across the Qi River in the Sichuan province collapsed three years after it was built. The collapse of the Rainbow bridge led to 40 deaths and 14 injuries. Parts of the bridge were rusty, concrete used in its construction was too weak and there were serious welding problems.

• March 4 , 2001. Hintze Ribeiro Bridge (Castelo de Paiva, Portugal)

On March 4, 2001, the Hintze Ribeiro Bridge, made of steel and concrete, collapsed in Entre-os-Rios, Castelo de Paiva, Portugal, killing to 70 people, including those in a bus and three cars that were attempting to get to the other side of the river.

• August 28, 2003. Bridge Daman (Daman, India)

At least 25 people, including 23 children, die when a bridge in the western coastal area of Daman collapsed into a muddy river, throwing a school bus, 10 vehicles and pedestrians into the swirling waters due to heavy rains.

• November 7, 2005. (Almunecar, Spain)

Five Portuguese and one Spanish national died near Almunecar on Spain’s, after a 20-ton section of motorway viaduct fell from 80 meters onto workers below.

• December 2, 2006. (Bihar, India)

Thirty-three people are killed when a 150-year-old bridge, being dismantled, crashed on the train near the Bhagalpur railway station in the state of Bihar.

• August 1, 2007. Minneapolis I-35W bridge (Minneapolis, USA)

On August 1, 2007, during the evening rush hour, the main spans of the bridge collapsed, falling into the river and onto its banks. Thirteen people died and approximately one hundred more were injured. The 1,907-foot bridge fell into the Mississippi River. Currently under investigation.

• August 13, 2007. Tuo River bridge (Hunan, China)

The 140-foot-high bridge spanning the Tuo River in the central Hunan city of Fenghuang collapsed as workers removed scaffolding from its facade. Investigation underway.