Major bridge collapse in Baltimore

Sad that recent Washington Post article wrongly points to Panama Canal changes as responsible for big ships such as Dali coming to Baltimore. The Panama Canal expansion had nothing to do with larger vessels coming to the East Coast. Larger vessels traversing the Suez Canal have been calling for 15+ years. And, Dali isn't that big as boxships go -- 10,000 TEU vs. 24,000 TEU largest ships, and 50,000 being discussed. Makes you wonder what they get wrong in covering other industries.

Also pointing out lack of American know-how, the "massive crane" attending to bridge salvage is only 100o short tons, built in 1972.

 

Is it lack of American “know how” or “pay for”?

I’m genuinely curious, since I know this is your wheelhouse.

 

Good question although nearly all cranes are privately owned. Outdated to be sure, 10k-ton cranes are common in Europe and Asia, up to a max 20k tons lifting capacity. Worth noting, however, that most East Coast ports have spent billions over the past 20 years in a race to add infrastructure to handle box traffic. Port of New York-New Jersey actually raised the old Bayonne Bridge to accommodate ever-larger vessels. So it's not for want of $$$, most of it public.

 

As a point of interest, that crane was used on the Glomar Explorer by the CIA in their attempt to raise a Soviet submarine that sunk off of Hawaii.

 

My wife, who works for the Governor of Pennsylvania, and I, who clearly does not, have had an interesting debate over this. She had a front row seat for the Interstate 95 overpass collapse last summer, which was mended and reopened in less than three weeks. She believes a similar "all hands on deck" strategy will be applied and the Key bridge will be rebuilt within a year. I, ever the pessimist, think there's no effing way. Even if you remove all of the red tape (which I don't trust the Rand Pauls of the world to behave for), the redesign isn't going to be quick. Hell, the original bridge took five years to build.

 

In an effort to save time, I hope they find a suitable/similar set of designs that have been used in the last decade or so and start from there instead of trying in engineer something totally from scratch. Also, I'm pretty much on record as being an outdoor conservationist, but if you are building right back where the old one was, you can forego the environmental study.

 

Yeah, as bad as the I-95 collapse was, there's a hell of a lot of difference between rebuilding an overpass and building a two-mile long bridge over deep water.

 

Even just the removal of the old structure is infinitely more complex than what they faced with I-95.

 

We get the Baltimore stations where we live and they've already said removal of the old bridge is more complicated than they expected it to be.

 

It'll be a modern design like what NY did with the Tappan Zee. Cable-stayed or similar. New piers, etc, the whole nine yards. The permitting and bidding will be expedited. Construction all while ship traffic continues. Landmark project for Baltimore and the state. No Big Dig here.

 

Every bridge is a little bit different, though, isn't it? You still have to account for factors specific to that location like currents, erosion, what type of soil you're driving the pilings into, obviously making it sturdy enough to withstand a hit, etc. You can look at the plans from the 1970s, but some of those variables might have changed in 50 years. I don't think it's like buying a kit.

 

https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Medi...effort-to-clear-fort-mchenry-channel-followi/

The Guvvmint.

This could, and I suspect will, quickly become a huge issue this year.

A major national disaster, in an area with which Biden is personally very familiar; the opposition basically dedicated to the proposition they don't wanna pay no taxes for nothin ever, and continually throwing shrieking conniption fits about "guvvmint control" of anything, so almost certainly they'll start trying to furiously obstruct everything.

Biden should leap into FDR/JFK/Obama mode, issue statements and executive orders to the effect of, "yes we can, we choose to build a new bridge," etc etc, and let the Shiite MAGATS make idiots of themselves arguing not to do it, and better yet let Fatfuck get up and start launching his own nitwit horse paste solutions which will by their own absurdity glaringly demonstrate that these idiots have no intention or ability to accomplish anything tangible, they only want to bitch.