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Structure Failure Analysis Protocol
Name: Daniella
Status: Student
Grade: 6-8
Location: AZ
Country: United States
Date: November 2008
Question:
If you were director of a team to investigate why a bridge
collapsed, what information would you need to gather from witnesses,
engineers, and state officials? Who else should be interviewed?
Replies:
Hi Daniella,
Assuming what was desired was to manage a detailed investigation into
the engineering reasons why the bridge collapsed, I guess you could
rule out any state or government officials, since it is unlikely they
could contribute any useful engineering knowledge.
Witnesses might help to give observations on what lead up to the
collapse, but their stories on what happened during the collapse would
be of little interest since the bridge had already failed at that
point. Far more important would be to recruit the engineers who
designed the bridge, and the full design documentation. Then I expect
the next step would be to assemble a group of expert independent
engineers to go over the evidence in great detail to try to understand
the structural engineering reasons for the collapse. That would be my
guess, at least.
Regards,
Bob Wilson
Hi Daniella,
In general, witnesses would not be tremendously important. In rare instances,
it may help and that is why you would interview them, but the collapse does not
have an operational error (like operating an airplane, ship, or train), and the
structure has already failed. The only reason to involve state officials is for
any records that they may hold on the bridge, including inspections,
modifications, surveillance video, repair records, perhaps weather, and the
like.
Interviewing inspectors, and coordinating engineering failure reports would be
most helpful. Metallurgical analysis is extremely telling. Reviewing plans,
modeling, tests, and modifications would be very beneficial. Computer modeling
may be a very good tool. Photographic documentation, including post failure
and dismantling the wreckage, can prove to be helpful. These kinds of
methodical investigations can take many months.
Nathan A. Unterman
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Update: June 2012
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