General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Francis Scott Key Bridge should have had fenders.
https://tangentmaterials.com/the-main-types-of-marine-fenders/https://www.creativecompositesgroup.com/blog/how-frp-fenders-can-protect-piers-and-bridges-from-maritime-collisions
DetroitLegalBeagle
(1,927 posts)The ship that hit it is close to the size of an aircraft carrier. Nearly 1000 ft long and over 100,000 tons of dead weight.
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,352 posts)FBaggins
(26,783 posts)That was a huge vessel
Best_man23
(4,914 posts)They do work, as a ship hit one not long after the new Skyway bridge opened. Following that incident, they added more Concrete Dolphins to protect the pilings on the approaches to the main span.
ornotna
(10,807 posts)After the Skyway accident they did a good job protecting the new bridge.
barbaraann
(9,168 posts)They do seem like a really good way to protect a bridge.
Wounded Bear
(58,765 posts)they work best when put in from the original design, but can be added later as well, depending on the site.
ProfessorGAC
(65,337 posts)Is it to divert the ship, or to lift it and use friction to slow momentum?
I've never seen those near a bridge before.
I've been over the causeway bridge in Tampa, but not sure if that was an older bridge. Last time I was in Tampa was over 20 years ago.
barbaraann
(9,168 posts)I've seen them on some smaller bridges. Here's one:
https://cbs12.com/news/local/us-1-bridge-to-close-jupiter-fdot-city-of-jupiter
William769
(55,148 posts)The new Skyway bridge opened in 1987.
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,490 posts)barbaraann
(9,168 posts)WhiskeyGrinder
(22,490 posts)barbaraann
(9,168 posts)At the very least, the pothole workers should have had some water safety equipment.
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,490 posts)barbaraann
(9,168 posts)barbaraann
(9,168 posts)Baltimore's Key Bridge may have lacked collision protective measures for modern cargo ships: Experts
...
Modern protective measures for bridge piers include adding "fenders," which are protection systems designed to protect the bridge from vessels transiting under or in the vicinity of the bridge, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Fenders on modern bridges include "dolphins," which are large circular walls filled with material such as sand or concrete and "artificial islands," armored artificial islands around the piers made of a sand core that is protected against wave and current action by armored slope protection, according to the Coast Guard.
However, it is not yet known whether or not the Baltimore Key Bridge had fenders at the time of the crash.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/baltimores-key-bridge-lacked-collision-protective-measures-modern/story?id=108510431
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,490 posts)Paladin
(28,281 posts)jcgoldie
(11,656 posts)Hard to see what would have diverted it.
barbaraann
(9,168 posts)Engineers are supposed to design structures to be safe and this bridge obviously wasn't.
haele
(12,688 posts)There's going to be a lot of " shoulda-woulda-coulda" going on, but honestly, the same thing could have happened in any of the large port cities where these large container ships are docking.
This is a case of getting funds and time to update infrastructure. Consider the number of major bridges built 30/40 years ago that are just starting to need updating and retro-fitting, and multiply that by 20 for major bridges built before 1980. That's a lot of infrastructure that has been ignored or outright villified by GOP supply side/tax break deregulators since the 1980's.
Haele
barbaraann
(9,168 posts)Baltimore's Key Bridge may have lacked collision protective measures for modern cargo ships: Experts
The bridge was created before pier protections were standardized.
...
Modern protective measures for bridge piers include adding "fenders," which are protection systems designed to protect the bridge from vessels transiting under or in the vicinity of the bridge, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Fenders on modern bridges include "dolphins," which are large circular walls filled with material such as sand or concrete and "artificial islands," armored artificial islands around the piers made of a sand core that is protected against wave and current action by armored slope protection, according to the Coast Guard.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/baltimores-key-bridge-lacked-collision-protective-measures-modern/story?id=108510431
WarGamer
(12,494 posts)barbaraann
(9,168 posts)That bridge really could have been better protected from this collision.
WarGamer
(12,494 posts)elleng
(131,292 posts)Construction and Commerce, LOTS of room for learning, for ALL of us.
OAITW r.2.0
(24,737 posts)You need protective barriers before the ship hits the bridge infrastructure.
barbaraann
(9,168 posts)Unfortunately, a lot of bridges need a lot of work.
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/nbi/no10/condition23.cfm