Mianus river bridge fatigue cracks

But in other cases the mianus river bridge in connecticut three dead in 1983 or the silver bridge, spanning the ohio river between ohio and west virginia 46 dead in 1967 the cause is far more subtle. The mianus river bridge is a multi span structure that crosses the mianus river on route 95 in greenwich, connecticut. Jun 28, 20 wtnh from the news 8 archives, here is a report from june 28, 1983, on the mianus river bridge collapse in greenwich which killed three people. Fatigue is generally caused by repeated cycles of tensile loading.

Minneapolis bridge had passed inspections the new york times. Jun 28, 20 the mianus river bridge collapse was caused by the failure of 2 pinandhanger assemblies that held the deck in place. In june 1983, a failed hanger pin initiated the tragic collapse of one span of the mianus river bridge on the connecticut turnpike near greenwich, conn. The collapse of the mianus river bridge was examined in detail here this week, under the glare of television lights and the pressure of lawsuits, in four days of hearings.

The extra load on the remaining hanger started a fatigue crack at a sharp corner on the pin. The bridge was constructed in 1957 and is a steel deck bridge of welded construction that has 24 spans, 19 of which are approach spans, and is 810 m long. Aug 02, 2007 but in other cases the mianus river bridge in connecticut three dead in 1983 or the silver bridge, spanning the ohio river between ohio and west virginia 46 dead in 1967 the cause is far more subtle. Mianus river railroad bridge stamford, connecticut. Constructed in 1958, the bridge, used a pinandhanger system, which failed after years of harsh weather conditions and a higher volume of traffic than anticipated. Morano bridge, the fairfield county section of interstate 95 saw 90,000 vehicles pass through. Nu merous shorter cracks were observed at the web to flange. Metal corrosion and fatigue deferred maintenance 3 killed, 3 injured. The mianus river bridge collapse was caused by the failure of 2 pinandhanger assemblies that held the deck in place. For example, an article published in 2002 just after the collapse of the inter state 40 bridge over the arkansas river in oklahoma, listed seven major bridge disasters in the united states up to that time 35. The hangers could suffer from the fatigue to crack due to the longterm tensive condition. The mianus river railroad bridge, also known as the cos cob bridge, is a bascule bridge.

Another fatal bridge collapse from a design flaw came in 1983, when a section of the mianus river bridge in connecticut gave way because of rust, killing three people. Many cracks were found throughout the bridge among extensive corrosion. These can cause immediate loss of part or all of the capacity of the structure and in the worst case will cause collapse. The mianus river bridge on interstate 95 in greenwich collapsed and fell into the waterway below 34 years ago, killing three drivers and shocking a state and nation that had become too complacent. Fatigue cracks are still a cause for concern because they will continue to grow and eventually reach a. Engineering failures mianus river bridge collapse engineering. Mar, 2017 the national bridge inspection program was created after the point pleasant bridge over the ohio river collapsed in 1967, killing 46 people, when a single metal bar in a suspension chain failed. The track of corrosion in the pin and hanger assemblies was difficult to inspect. Characteristics of fatigue fatigue fracture take place in three stages during the life of a fracture structure. As discussed chapter two, with the exception of the silver bridge 1967 figure 1 and the mianus river bridge 1983 figure 4, no bridges have completely collapsed as a result of brittle fracture caused by fatigue or a flaw in the past 45 years. Compensating victims of bridge collapses outside minnesota peter s. Mar 11, 2016 beware the pothole or the collapsing bridge by. Beware the pothole or the collapsing bridge washington post. Understanding which steel bridge bridge crossings elements.

Compensating victims of bridge collapses outside minnesota. Understanding which steel bridge bridge crossings elements are fracture critical members will provide the required protection while saving on inservice inspection. Decisions had to be made quickly and not necessarily in accordance with training. The mianus river bridge on interstate 95 in the cos cob. Standards were tightened after a 100foot section of the mianus river bridge on interstate 95 in connecticut collapsed in 1983, killing three people. Other articles where mianus river bridge is discussed. Interstate 35w mississippi river bridge fact sheet, minnesota department of transportation, usa. Interstate 95 connecticut turnpike over the mianus river. Lessons of mianus river bridge collapse not yet learned. Hence, it would generally be required to assume that both hanger plates have 107 failed at a given girder end. As shown in figure 3a, a 5 mm fatigue crack growth on girder 5 in.

Not long after midnight on june 28, 1983, a section of the mianus river bridge on i95 in cos cob collapsed. Fatigue cracks in many cases are very fine, remaining tightly closed at minimum load and hence difficult to find by visual examination alone. The former was triggered by metal fatigue in a single steel pin. Hoan bridge investigation steel structures bridges. As shown in figure 3a, a 5 mm fatigue crack growth on girder 5 in span 5 was found during an fc bridge inspection. The replacement span is officially named the michael l. In the example of mianus river bridge, the pins were rusted by leaking water. Mianus river bridge connecticut june 28, 1983 the minanus river bridge on interstate 95 in greenwich, connecticut, was begun in 1954 and complete d in 1959. The national bridge inspection program was created after the point pleasant bridge over the ohio river collapsed in 1967, killing 46 people, when a single metal bar in a suspension chain failed. The collapse of the mianus river bridge in connecticut in 1983 is an example of a pin and hanger bridge that. Algorithms for the estimation of fatigue crack growth. The possibility that metal fatigue could cause a bridge to fail was not even considered by bridge engineers in the 1950s and 1960s, when the minneapolis bridge was. The presence of fatigue cracks was one of the reasons that officials sped up plans to reconstruct the woodrow wilson bridge, a major artery that carries interstate 95 across the potomac river.

Axial pressure on the girders, added to the vertical weight of cars and trucks on the bridge, could cause steel fatigue, leading to cracks in the deck and steel supports. It was listed on the national register of historic places in 1987. Fatigue effects on bridges fatigue material fracture. Three people were killed when their vehicles fell with the bridge into the mianus river 70 feet 21. Aug 03, 2007 the possibility that metal fatigue could cause a bridge to fail was not even considered by bridge engineers in the 1950s and 1960s, when the minneapolis bridge was designed and built, mr. Mianus river bridge collapse 28th june1983 in greenwich usa caused by corrosion and fatigue cracks growth. Inspection and management of bridges with fracture. When the steel cant expand, there is a pushingback on the girders, he said. The governor and legislature responded with the countrys first comprehensive infrastructure renewal program for roads and bridges, and these have subsequently been considerably improved. Fatigue evaluation and redundancy analysis, bridge 9340 i35w over. Structure magazine fracture critical bridge inspection.

Algorithms for the estimation of fatigue crack growth using. The culprits were corrosion from water buildup, due to improper roadwork 10 years earlier. On june 28, 1983, when the deck fell out of the mianus river bridge, since renamed the michael l. Following this, the national bridge inspection standards were revised in 1988, requiring much stricter inspection procedures for fracturecritical members.

A survey of localized cracking in steel bridges 1981 to 1988, i95 over mianus river, connecticut, federal highway administration, report fhward89166. The mianus river bridge is a span that carries interstate 95 over the mianus river in the cos cob section of greenwich, connecticut. Alex ruther my dad history the collapse was caused by a failure of two pin and hanger assemblies that held the deck in place on the outer side of the bridge. This incident resulted in the deaths of three motorists. This failure and further research resulted in mandated fracture critical bridge inspections.

Mianus bridge collapse scrutuinzed at hearings the. The hoan bridge is a rare example of the worstcase scenario. Fatigue cracks should be monitored during each fc bridge inspection cycle and, if a crack is showing continuous growth, the propagation should be stopped by drilling a hole at the crack tip. Wtnh from the news 8 archives, here is a report from june 28, 1983, on the mianus river bridge collapse in. Cracking, fracture assessment, and repairs of green river. May 28, 20 in 1983, the mianus river bridge collapsed due to corrosion on a pin resulting in the development of a fatigue crack. Jan 22, 2020 the program began after the 1967 collapse of the point pleasant bridge over the ohio river that killed 46 people after a suspension bar failed.

Mar 10, 2018 fatigue cracks should be monitored during each fc bridge inspection cycle and, if a crack is showing continuous growth, the propagation should be stopped by drilling a hole at the crack tip. The mianus river bridge collapse by alex ruther on prezi. Minneapolis bridge had passed inspections news the. Public roads ultrasonic inspection of bridge hanger pins. Reason for collapse not easily apparent baltimore sun. Fatigue cracks are still a cause for concern because they will continue to grow and eventually reach a size where brittle fracture will occur. The mianus river bridge on interstate 95 in the cos cob section of greenwich, connecticut had a 100foot 30. The mianus river railroad bridge, also known as the cos cob bridge, is a bascule bridge built in 1904 over the mianus river, in greenwich, connecticut. Aug 03, 2007 in 1982, a bridge inspector looked at the mianus river bridge in greenwich, connecticut, and did not see the metalfatigued pin that would break nine months later, collapsing three lanes of. Secondary bending induced fatigue cracks in hangers, which had two hinges. Similarly, if the pin were to fail, the complete assembly would 108 obviously be considered failed. Nonredundant systems have traditionally contributed to major steel bridge collapses. Wtnh from the news 8 archives, here is a report from june 28, 1983, on the mianus river bridge collapse in greenwich which killed three people. Fracture critical bridge inspection civil engineering.

Fracture critical bridge inspection civil engineering community. The green river bridge, 126 near asheville, north carohna, was opened to traffic in 1969. Mianus river bridge bridge, connecticut, united states. The mianus river bridge was a multispan structure carrying more than 100,000 vehicles per day levy and salvadori 1992, p. The failure resulted from stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue, two. When it failed catastrophically, the deck was supported at just three corners. Inspection and management of bridges with fracturecritical. Due to unbalance force on the hangers, the fatigue of hangers cause the collapse happened. Construction failure an overview sciencedirect topics. Following the collapse, there was an immediate increase in interest in the inspection and condition evaluation of bridge hanger pins. Mianus river railroad bridge, stamford, connecticut. In 1983, the mianus river bridge collapsed due to corrosion on a pin resulting in the development of a fatigue crack. The 1983 failure of the mianus river bridge in connecticut caused more concern related to fatigue and fracture critical bridges.

The bridge was constructed in 1957 and is a steel deck bridge of welded construction that has. The first national bridge inspection standards nbis were developed in 1971. Jun 28, 2017 the mianus river bridge on interstate 95 in greenwich collapsed and fell into the waterway below 34 years ago, killing three drivers and shocking a state and nation that had become too complacent. The original bridge collapsed in 1983, killing three motorists. Within seconds, two tractortrailer trucks and two passenger cars plunged into the river. In october 1992, during an inspection, two long transverse cracks were dis covered in the bottom flange plate of a main girder. Deck over floor beam deformed first and collapsed due to very cold temperature. The bridge carries the northeast corridor, the busiest rail line in the united states, both in terms of ridership and service frequency. The two fcbs discussed previously, the point pleasant bridge and the mianus river bridge, were 28% of the list. Bridge collapse spotlights americas deferred maintenance.