Monday, May 27, 2013

The Last 6 Weeks

It’s been a rough month and a half.  Between the Boston Marathon bombings, the Texas fertilizer plant explosions, and most recently the Oklahoma Tornadoes, there’s been one tragedy after another and a rising death toll.  Then, just this past Thursday, a bridge near Seattle, along the I-5 collapsed.  Fortunately, traffic must have been light and very few cars fell from the bridge into the River. 

bridge

Although there were thankfully no deaths in the collapse, the fact that it happened at all, is kind of a metaphor to what is going on around here.  Officials have surmised that the bridge collapsed due to a oversized truck hitting an overhead support.  But if you look past that, what you’ll find is a bridge that was deemed “fracture critical” meaning that a collapse could occur if even one part of it failed.  Its structural condition was rated a 5 out of 9 or “somewhat better than minimum adequacy to tolerate being left in place as is."  It would seem to me that a car or truck hitting parts of a bridge would be a common occurrence on a major interstate freeway.  It didn’t seem to be adequate at all.  I wonder if the inspectors cringe when they have to pass a structure with that rating.  It sure makes me cringe.

The last two major natural disasters (Hurricane Sandy and the Oklahoma tornado) exposed major flaws in our infrastructure.  Public buildings were destroyed not being able to withstand the recent strength of mother nature and then the cherry on top is this bridge -  a bridge not able to withstand what was essentially a truck accident.

Also in the news this past week was the House Republicans voting again to repeal “Obamacare”…for the 37th time.  I wonder if the time and money used on this many votes would have been better spent on other areas.  I’m afraid that we’re all going to need “Obamacare” with the country literally collapsing all around us. 

As congress continues to argue over who’s is bigger this nation has also become “somewhat better than minimum adequacy”.  However, it’s getting awfully hard to tolerate.

10 comments:

  1. I am always thankful to get tot he other side of all the bay area bridges...I want to be over the bridge before the earthquake happens!

    And the bolts have failed on the new bridge that is being built...who knows what will become of that !

    happy 3 Day Weekend!!

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    1. Frightening. A 140 foot overpass that I regularly drive over collapsed in our earthquake. Every so often when I drive over it I have twinges of concern. I read about the bolts a couple months ago. Yikes! Especially since so many of them have already been concreted over.
      A friend of mine has always had a fear of bridges, which I've never quite understood. After this collapse she texted me a link to the story with, "you see why I have a fear of bridges." Yes, yes I do.

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  2. I don't think those box bridges are actually tied in. They sorta rest in a cradle a bit like when you'd cup your hands to give someone a boost into a saddle. So I really don't see how giving it a bosh with a truck no matter how big should matter all-things-being-equal. The only thing that could cause it to fall would be it the pier on which the cradle sits was somehow flawed.

    At the moment, what with Obama plus wife and kids coming over to have a holiday this summer. We're getting a lot of talking heads of the Democratic persuasion. Seem no one believes Hilary won't run. And Obama is a lame duck having been tied in knots by congress. So they are saying anyway.

    70,000 cars a day on that bridge. There was no way they could close it. They'd have to build a new one first.
    Oh, I really don't like long bridges. I really would hate crossing the San Fran bay or on the Coronado http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CoronadoBridgeAbove.jpg

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  3. Bridges have never been an issue for me, I've just always assumed they'd have to be safe right? But ya, after the collapse over the Mississippi a few years ago and then this one, stuff is coming out about how unsafe a lot of them may actually be. Upwards of 70 thousand deemed structurally deficient and 20 thousand more classified as fracture critical which is what this one was. It's hard not to be leery.
    As for Obama, I'm afraid you are right. I was hoping not having to run for anything again would make this term more fruitful. As it turns out, it's more of the same bs. As for Hilary, there's tons of speculation and assumptions being made. It's probably a given.

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    1. They long finger it, no that means something else over you way. But in a way what happens once it gets critical is more dangerous. Then it's a who pays. And where there is a stacking of power, town, county, region, state, you find a reverse of the norm where local politicians want subsidiarity then once there is a big bill to pay they want it as far away from themselves as the can get it.
      I expect, whether stated or not, that bridge is a nightmare of who has responsibility, so who does a engineer send a deleterious report marking the truth. Then who would read a report from some country hick who's outside the structure at that level. And since it's an interstate the lines stretch far indeedy.

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    2. Ya, I think you are right. It always gets back to the politics of it and the bureaucratic black hole of getting anything done; Not necessarily intentional, but still causing harm nonetheless.
      I had to look up that idiom of yours. :)

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  4. A sobering Memorial Day post. I hope you had a good break!

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    1. Oh, that wasn't my point. But yes, it's been very nice, over but nice. :)

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  5. I think Obamacare has very little impact on the tragedies all around us. It is a very sad time in America.

    Hope you are able to have a beautiful week and focus on the things around you that are within your control. I know that is what I will have to do. The sadness in the world is overwhelming.

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  6. Hmmm, I don't think I said they were mutually exclusive. My point being maybe congress isn't spending its time/effort/money as wisely as it should be.

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