Construction Firms Behind Collapsed FIU Bridge Faced Accusations of Unsafe Practices

[mia]

Munilla Construction Management, a South Florida firm, beat out three other finalists to win the bid to build FIU's bridge, which was part of a $14.2 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The firm partnered with Figg Bridge Group, which is headquartered in Tallahassee and has worked on iconic projects such as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa.

Munilla was accused in Miami-Dade Civil Court March 5 of severely injuring a TSA employee at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport because of shoddy work. According to the lawsuit, Munilla — which has a major contract to expand the airport — built a "makeshift bridge" through an area where airport workers must walk to reach restrooms....

The FIU project isn't the first major bridge built by Figg to collapse in recent years. A Figg-assembled span in Virginia fell apart in June 2012 while under construction. Workers were installing a 90-ton concrete portion of the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge when it dropped 40 feet onto railroad tracks below, according to the Virginian-Pilot....

Figg was fined $28,000 by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, which found the company had violated several safety rules. It had failed to gain written consent from a manufacturer before modifying a girder used in construction. The company was also cited for not doing daily, weekly, and monthly inspections of the girder; not providing adequate training for using the equipment; and not having certain safety procedures in place for its maintenance and repair, according to the Virginian-Pilot....

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/fiu-bridge-collapse-construction-firms-accused-of-unsafe-practices-10176596

[tonyt53]

1. Concrete is still curing even after 50 years. Needed a temporary support in the middle.

[Demovictory9]

4. yes. They just built it. The university's engineering department designed it.

[Dem2]

5. "The university's engineering department designed it."

oh no :/

[Demovictory9]

6. read below. The university worked on the method.

A news release from Florida International University on Saturday had touted the bridge’s “first-of-its kind” construction method, and hailed the permanent installation of the bridge’s main span. It stretched 174 feet and weighed 960 tons, according to the release, and was built using what are called “Accelerated Bridge Construction” methods being worked on at the university.


“This method of construction reduces potential risks to workers, commuters and pedestrians and minimizes traffic interruptions,” the release said.

When the bridge was installed, crews using an automated process lifted the span from its supports, turned it 90 degrees across eight lanes and lowered it in place, the release said. The university said it was the largest pedestrian bridge moved by that method, known as Self-Propelled Modular Transportation, in U.S. history.

“This project is an outstanding example of the ABC method,” said Atorod Azizinamini, chairman of FIU’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, in the release. “Building the major element of the bridge — its main span superstructure — outside of the traveled way and away from busy Eighth Street is a milestone.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2018/03/15/new-pedestrian-bridge-collapses-at-florida-international-university-injuring-several/?utm_term=.a718ca7eb803

[Dem2]

8. Thanks

I read the linked article, and another article I found on this collapse. As an engineer, I know I probably shouldn't make any guesses as to why this event occurred, will have to wait until further information is available. Interesting comments from people eating nearby when it collapsed:

Alexander Concha, 36, and Ivy Polanco, 23, were about to have lunch at Panther’s Boulevard Cafe, about a block away from the bridge. Suddenly, they heard wailing sirens and helicopters buzzing overhead. “Our first reaction was, we hope it’s not the bridge,” Concha said. “On the side where it collapsed, it didn’t seem very secure. It seemed very unsafe.”

[FarCenter]

12. Hope this wasn't a "science project", rather than an "engineering design".

Letting academics near real-life construction works seems like a bad idea.

[Angry Dragon]

2. Lawsuits..............

[Initech]

3. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!

[ProudLib72]

7. Maybe instead of miniscule fines for shoddy work

they can do some prison time? And how were they chosen for the project? Just put in a bid and lowest bid gets the contract? No background checks from previous projects? And where was the oversight, the safety engineers from the department of transportation?

[Baclava]

9. so, blame the contractors or the blueprint guys?

lowest bidders probably

[mia]

10. Probably the company that contributed the most to the county commissioners. n/t

[Baclava]

11. Workers at the scene... "the bridge was undergoing some sort of stress test when it collapsed..

FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg said all of the contractors were fully certified by the state and the builder, Munilla Construction Management, was recommended by the Florida Department of Transportation. He also said they were testing the bridge.

The cable-supported bridge's 950-ton span flattened eight cars traveling on Eighth Street, also known as Tamiami Trail, about 1:45 p.m. The very busy east-to-west road wasn't closed to commuter traffic during the testing phase. The innovative bridge was set to open to the public next year.



https://www.local10.com/news/florida/miami-dade/fiu-pedestrian-bridge-collapses-during-testing-killing-at-least-4

[bluecollar2]

13. Too early to speculate

But I'm not sure that load testing a concrete span over eight lanes of street while allowing vehicular traffic to pass underneath it constitutes a "best practice"

Something went incredibly wrong here.

Let's see if the term "accountable" means anything here.