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Miami Herald: FIU pedestrian bridge collapses, people trapped underneath(Update: Final Report on the accident released)

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Hecht

Hecht

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Oct 24, 2017
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http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/west-miami-dade/article205316174.html

The FIU pedestrian bridge across Southwest Eighth Street collapsed Thursday afternoon, trapping an unknown number of people and cars underneath.

The bridge was installed at Southwest 109th Avenue Saturday morning, intended eventually to provide pedestrian access across Tamiami Trail from FIU's main campus to Sweetwater, where thousands of students live in off-campus housing or in FIU's newer dorms.

Before Saturday's installation, FIU said the method of overall installation significantly reduced the risk to workers, walkers, drivers and minimized traffic disruptions for construction.
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Watching on MSNBC, they are saying "Mass Casualties reported"

FIU = Florida International University

Some background:

cameron said:
Story from a few days ago, Miami Herald: 'Instant' bridge aims to make a dangerous crossing safer for thousands of students

Instant bridge? Not quite, but in a single morning Florida International University dropped a new elevated pedestrian span into place over the Tamiami Trail to provide students a safe route over the perilous roadway for the first time.

Once it's finished in early 2019, the new pedestrian bridge will link FIU's Modesto A. Maidique Campus directly to the small suburban city of Sweetwater, where the university estimates 4,000 of its students live.

The rapid span installation was the result of months of preparation. The bridge's main 174-foot span was assembled by the side of the Trail while support towers were built at either end.

The 950-ton span was then picked up, moved and lowered into place by special gantry cranes at the intersection of Southwest 109th Avenue in an operation that lasted several hours Saturday morning. A section of the Trail, also designated as Southwest Eighth Street, was closed to traffic Friday evening for the bridge installation, and will remain shut until 5 a.m. Monday.
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demondance

demondance

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,808
very cool to let infrastructure to rot and pray it ends up someone else's problem

EDIT: Commenting before reading is on me... this was basically brand new? What the fuck happened here, then?
 
dots

dots

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Oct 27, 2017
3,930
You may want to update a location in the title. I don't think many people know what FIU is.

Also oh my god that is devastating.
 
Tovarisc

Tovarisc

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Oct 25, 2017
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demondance said:
very cool to let infrastructure to rot and pray it ends up someone else's problem

EDIT: Commenting before reading is on me... this was basically brand new? What the fuck
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Yes. This bridge isn't even week old.

There is some insane structural design and build flaws in play. People need to be held responsible.
 
C.Mongler

C.Mongler

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,975
Washington, DC
demondance said:
very cool to let infrastructure to rot and pray it ends up someone else's problem
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Yes I'm sure it was all the rotting the bridge did in the all of 5 days it was installed for and not just plain criminal negligence by someone(s).

"Read the post" aside, this is a travesty, and I hope whomever is responsible is thrown in jail for whatever fuck-ups happened here. Clearly this bridge was not ready for pedestrian use yet.
 
demondance

demondance

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Oct 27, 2017
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Posty McPostface said:
How hard is it to read the OP instead of rushing to be the first post?
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I wasn't so much rushing as reacting, given how decayed U.S. infrastructure is and how many of these collapses have happened in the last decade or so. The fact that this is brand new is alarming in a very different way.

It feels like there's a parade of terrible, preventable incidents lately (including outside the U.S., like Grenfell Tower). Still... doesn't really excuse not reading more than a sentence in before replying. I'm tired of it, is all.
 
Slayven

Slayven

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Oct 25, 2017
96,700
The bridge is not a week old? Ok somebody needs to go to jail
 
Dysun

Dysun

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Oct 25, 2017
5,022
Miami
I live pretty close, shocking to hear it collapsed.
Reminds me of a Miami Dade college parking lot that collapsed not that long ago as well.
 

Deleted member 4222

Oct 25, 2017
1,712
That's horrific. This is always in the back of my mind when I walk over these things. Hope too many people aren't hurt or killed.
 
Tovarisc

Tovarisc

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Oct 25, 2017
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SaviourMK2 said:
How did it collapse? Was it not supported properly or being used?
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DYWVYljX4AAVNOq.jpg

https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/974349290524037120/photo/1

Looks like one side just snapped and collapsed causing bridge to fall.
 
studyguy

studyguy

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Oct 26, 2017
11,282


Didn't see the post already up.
Some contracting company is in for some shit.
Video just shows front end of cars that look pretty flat, shit's awful.
 
ArkkAngel007

ArkkAngel007

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Oct 25, 2017
5,205
I get wanting to minimize traffic disruptions and other inconveniences, but that means nothing if it leads to people dying during or after the project.
 
OwensboroEsq

OwensboroEsq

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Oct 25, 2017
623
Coyote Starrk said:
So who is responsible if the bridge failed?


Architect?


Construction company?


City?
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The finger pointing begins. I'd honestly hope the Structrual Engineers and Architects know how to design a bridge, and would assume it's improper installation or materials used.

But hey, that's just me knowing nothing. If the bridge is just a typical pedestrian bridge (no special, new design) then I'd think it has to be an installation issue.

C.Mongler said:
Yep, it was coined as an "Instant Bridge" given that it was designed to be installed in literally one day as opposed to the weeks/months these things usually take to construct. Guess it turns out that the trade off for it being instant was that it was also completely structurally unsound.
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Ooo, are there any white papers on the instant bridge thing? Have any been installed prior to this? I'd love to read up on the construction of the thing.
 
Posty McPostface

Posty McPostface

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Oct 27, 2017
1,141
Dom Proto, whose twitter says he is with ABC News, just tweeted this:

#BREAKING Florida Highway Patrol tells me there are several fatalities after a FIU pedestrian bridge collapsed. 5-6 vehicles have been crushed under the walkway
 
Goodacre0081

Goodacre0081

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,789
Coyote Starrk said:
So who is responsible if the bridge failed?


Architect?


Construction company?


City?
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at that point when the structure was arching over traffic I assume inspectors would have signed off on this and given the O.K. for traffic to resume underneath. the construction company fucked up but the city's inspectors/engineers are ultimately at fault here.
 
HStallion

HStallion

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Oct 25, 2017
64,720
I'm guessing whoever built this bridge did an absolutely shitty job if it fell down in less than a week. That and the city didn't do its part to check that this wasn't a huge risk either.
 
Mondy

Mondy

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Oct 25, 2017
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Jesus, there is gonna be hell to pay for whoever was responsible for the bridges construction
 
GalvoAg

GalvoAg

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Oct 30, 2017
2,385
Dallas
That's some scary shit, prayers go out to those those in the accident and those that are trying to save them.
 
cameron

cameron

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Oct 26, 2017
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C.Mongler said:
Yep, it was coined as an "Instant Bridge" given that it was designed to be installed in literally one day as opposed to the weeks/months these things usually take to construct. Guess it turns out that the trade off for it being instant was that it was also completely structurally unsound.
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Story from a few days ago, Miami Herald: 'Instant' bridge aims to make a dangerous crossing safer for thousands of students

Instant bridge? Not quite, but in a single morning Florida International University dropped a new elevated pedestrian span into place over the Tamiami Trail to provide students a safe route over the perilous roadway for the first time.

Once it's finished in early 2019, the new pedestrian bridge will link FIU's Modesto A. Maidique Campus directly to the small suburban city of Sweetwater, where the university estimates 4,000 of its students live.

The rapid span installation was the result of months of preparation. The bridge's main 174-foot span was assembled by the side of the Trail while support towers were built at either end.

The 950-ton span was then picked up, moved and lowered into place by special gantry cranes at the intersection of Southwest 109th Avenue in an operation that lasted several hours Saturday morning. A section of the Trail, also designated as Southwest Eighth Street, was closed to traffic Friday evening for the bridge installation, and will remain shut until 5 a.m. Monday.​
 
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Hecht

Hecht

Bonk initiated
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Oct 24, 2017
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cameron said:
Story from a few days ago, Miami Herald: 'Instant' bridge aims to make a dangerous crossing safer for thousands of students

Instant bridge? Not quite, but in a single morning Florida International University dropped a new elevated pedestrian span into place over the Tamiami Trail to provide students a safe route over the perilous roadway for the first time.

Once it's finished in early 2019, the new pedestrian bridge will link FIU's Modesto A. Maidique Campus directly to the small suburban city of Sweetwater, where the university estimates 4,000 of its students live.

The rapid span installation was the result of months of preparation. The bridge's main 174-foot span was assembled by the side of the Trail while support towers were built at either end.

The 950-ton span was then picked up, moved and lowered into place by special gantry cranes at the intersection of Southwest 109th Avenue in an operation that lasted several hours Saturday morning. A section of the Trail, also designated as Southwest Eighth Street, was closed to traffic Friday evening for the bridge installation, and will remain shut until 5 a.m. Monday.​
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Thanks, I'll add this to the OP
 
AegonSnake

AegonSnake

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Oct 25, 2017
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There is no way anyone in those cars trapped under are bridget survived. what a shitty way to die. literally crushed to death
 
Ayato_Kanzaki

Ayato_Kanzaki

Member
Nov 22, 2017
1,504
Coyote Starrk said:
So who is responsible if the bridge failed?


Architect?


Construction company?


City?
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We'll probably need to give it some time before we get answers. It could be a mistake in the design, or one done during the installation. Either way, MCM Construction and FIGG Bridge Design are going to blame each other like no tomorrow, and customers will avoid them like plague.
 
Razgriz-Specter

Razgriz-Specter

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Oct 25, 2017
31,653
C.Mongler said:
Yep, it was coined as an "Instant Bridge" given that it was designed to be installed in literally one day as opposed to the weeks/months these things usually take to construct. Guess it turns out that the trade off for it being instant was that it was also completely structurally unsound.
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After seeing this I will stop complaining about my local bridge construction being announced as a 2 year project for an overpass less than 100 feet long.
 
MeBecomingI

MeBecomingI

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Oct 27, 2017
2,194
This is absolutely awful... I couldn't begin to imagine what the emergency services people are going to see. This is so sad.
 
Iolo

Iolo

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Oct 27, 2017
7,413
Britain
Police are saying both mass casualties and several fatalities? Seems contradictory.

I'm really glad this bridge wasn't open yet. Presumably this means no pedestrians were actually on it.

Ugh.
 
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