It’s Too Early To Say…

…because unlike certain over-the-hill Metro columnists, I’m not going to pretend to be an engineer, but…

Engineers think they might have possibly found ~~egg on Nick Coleman, Elwyn Tinklenburg, Alice Hausman, Amy Klobuchar and Wreck Chupke’s faces~~ a possible clue as to what might have brought down the 35W River Bridge:

Opening a new window into last week’s fatal bridge collapse, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that one of its areas of inquiry involves the design of steel connecting plates known as gusset plates; the material makeup of those plates; and the loads and stresses they bore.

Hours later, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters said the NTSB indicated that the stress on the bridge’s gusset plates may have been a factor in the bridge collapse and that one possible stress may have been the weight of construction equipment and materials on the bridge.

A mistake on the drawing board?

Wow – that would have nothing to do with the gas tax, would it?

Again – it’s way too soon to tell; this is nowhere close to a conclusion.

But if it is, Nick Coleman is going to have some ‘splainin’ to do.

Posted

August 9, 2007

Bridge Collapse

Mitch Berg

Tags:

A-Klo

Comments

13 responses to “It’s Too Early To Say…”

Doug

August 9, 2007

If I’m not mistaken, earlier reports discussed the gusset plates and revealed missing, sheared and otherwise substandard bolts / fasteners holding the gusset plates. That and stress fractures.

From the piece you cite,

“Mary Peters said the NTSB indicated that the stress on the bridge’s gusset plates may have been a factor in the bridge collapse”

Again – it’s way too soon to tell; this is nowhere close to a conclusion but if we learn that repairs and attention to this bridge were deferred when they could have and quite possiblyshould have been addressed, you owe Nick Coleman, Elwyn Tinklenburg, Alice Hausman and Amy Klobuchar an apology.
Mitch

August 9, 2007

if we learn that repairs and attention to this bridge were deferred when they could have and quite possiblyshould have been addressed, you owe Nick Coleman, Elwyn Tinklenburg, Alice Hausman and Amy Klobuchar an apology

We’ll put it in the overall culpability account. The four of ’em will still be terribly, terribly overdrawn.

In the very unlikely event that I’m wrong, naturally.
Master of None

August 9, 2007

Mitch, I posted this comment in your Fearless Predictions post.

Much more detail here

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/08/us/09cnd-bridge.html?ei=5065&en=dfa3aa04d82c27f4&ex=1187236800&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

“If those who designed the bridge in 1964 miscalculated the loads and used metal parts that were too weak for the job, it would recast the national debate that has emerged since the collapse a week ago, about whether enough attention has been paid to maintenance, and raises the possibility that the bridge was structurally deficient from the day it opened.“

If Amy K. can prove how the Iraq war caused the bridge to fall, I will personally apologize to her.
Doug

August 9, 2007

MON said,

“If Amy K. can prove how the Iraq war caused the bridge to fall, I will personally apologize to her.”

If Amy K. said the Iraq war caused the bridge to fall you’d have a point but since she didn’t say that, your point is moot.
Master of None

August 9, 2007

“We’ve spent $500 billion in Iraq and we have bridges falling down in this country,” Klobuchar told MSNBC. I see a connection between messed-up priorities.”

hmmmmm
mefolkes

August 10, 2007

As long as one group has set the standard for blame, instead of analysis, now that the possibility is out there that the bridge failure may stem from design and/or construction flaws that no inspections might have revealed, we should look at who was in charge when the bridge was designed and built. The design was finalized in 1964 and the bridge was completed in 1967. Lyndon Johnson was president during that period and his fellow Democrats were in solid control over both houses of Congress. Here in Minnesota, Karl Rolvaag, a feisty DFLer was governor during that period. I’m scratching my head over how Bush and Pawlenty are to blame.
Doug

August 10, 2007

MON Said,

“hmmmmm”

We can find 500 $billion to spend on the “war” in Iraq but we can’t manage to find the funds to fix bridges that have been given the same or worse ratings than the 35W bridge. That is an observation of a messed up priorities.

That is NOT an accusation that the war caused the bridge to collapse.

As for Coleman and everyone else you guys keep saying is blaming the President for the bridge collapsing, that’s bullshit. They are talking about the “no taxes at any time for any reason” mentality that seems so pervasive among you pseudo-conservatives.

You’re perfectly OK with adding a billion dollars a day to the national debt because you can’t actually see or even comprehend that it’s being spent but God forbid you would actually have to pay and average of .75 cents more to fill up your tank.

If you had to pay an increase in taxes to support the “war” in Iraq, the “war” in Iraq would have been over three years ago.
buzz

August 10, 2007

How much of a “increase” in “taxes” are you “talking” about? Why do you “think” a “increase” of only “.75” cents would be “sufficient”. More “importantly” what “makes” you think “that” all “bridges” that are “suspect” will be “fixed’ or “rebuilt” with that “amount” of money, considering there “are” thousands upon “thousands” of bridges in this “country” that are on a “list” to be “repaired” or “replaced” but we have “many” many more “things” that also “require” immediate “attention” and money. “you” can increase “taxes” to liberal confiscatory “levels” which would “raise” short term “money, which would “kill” the economy “where” no one would “have” a “job” and “tax” revenue would “go” down “again”. Plus no one could “afford” to buy “gas” and drive their “car” and use the “bridges”…………Hey! That’s pretty damn clever of you, Doug.
Doug

August 10, 2007

How much of a “increase” in “taxes” are you “talking” about?

5 cents a gallon. If you can’t afford that, maybe you should take up biking or ask your dad to lend you a few bucks.

Why do you “think” a “increase” of only “.75″ cents would be “sufficient”.

The average tank is 15 gallons. At 5 cents a gallon, the average tax increase would be 75 cents. btw, I never said it would be sufficient or insufficient. The bridges need to be fixed and someone’s got to pay for it.

More “importantly” what “makes” you think “that” all “bridges” that are “suspect” will be “fixed’ or “rebuilt” with that “amount” of money

Strawman. I never said all bridges would be fixed or rebuilt.

considering there “are” thousands upon “thousands” of bridges in this “country” that are on a “list” to be “repaired” or “replaced” but we have “many” many more “things” that also “require” immediate “attention” and money.

And…?

“you” can increase “taxes” to liberal confiscatory “levels” which would “raise” short term “money, which would “kill” the economy “where” no one would “have” a “job” and “tax” revenue would “go” down “again”. Plus no one could “afford” to buy “gas” and drive their “car” and use the “bridges”

Thanks for that insightful analysis Chicken Little.
Mitch

August 10, 2007

but if we learn that repairs and attention to this bridge were deferred when they could have and quite possiblyshould have been addressed, you owe Nick Coleman, Elwyn Tinklenburg, Alice Hausman and Amy Klobuchar an apology.

What the heck. Sure…

…presuming that WHEN we learn that the catastrophe was caused by multiple independent factors (as, indeed, most engineering failures are) – a combination of design deficiencies (the gusset plates, the non-redundant design, the failure of the trusses to transfer loads under abnormal conditions), age, human error (construction equipment and materials spotted on the deck), material failures combined with the inability of engineers to detect them (partly due to limits to our technology, partly due to the impropriety of some testing methods under some circumstances, partly perhaps even due to money, although that remains to be seen), and others we haven’t even heard about yet, will we see an apology from Nick Coleman for his slander of the Governor, of David Strom and of the GOP gets an apology? Or from Amy Klobuchar for her slander of the President ? Will Alice Hausman and E-Tink show some repentance for their ghoulish little displays?

Will you expend the same effort trying to GET same from them that you are wasting here?

Because that would show, y’know integrity. So – gonna deliver, Doug?

Just a second…

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Whew. That was funny. I slay me.

Suffice to say this, Doug; if I need to apologize, I certainly will.

But I won’t have to. And none of them will do it, should it come to that. And it’s for DAMN sure you won’t.

Count that as a fearless prediction.
Master of None

August 10, 2007

Doug: Your last post clearly displays your true intent

“Strawman. I never said all bridges would be fixed or rebuilt.”

You have no interest at all in fixing bridges. Your only desire is to force somebody who signed a tax-pledge to go back on their word. Disgustingly pathetic to use human tragedy just so you can score political points. Ditto for Coleman, and Amy K.
Doug

August 13, 2007

Mitch said,

“Nick Coleman for his slander of the Governor, of David Strom and of the GOP gets an apology? Or from Amy Klobuchar for her slander of the President ? Will Alice Hausman and E-Tink show some repentance for their ghoulish little displays?”

Well there’s the thing Mitch. Coleman didn’t slander the Governor, David Strom or the GOP and Klobuchar didn’t slander the President.

I realize you need to believe they did because you have an agenda but pimping the idea doesn’t make it so.
Shot in the Dark » Blog Archive » Grow: Campaign-Pulmonary Resuscitation

October 25, 2009

[…] joined State Rep. Alice “The Phantom” Hausman on TV and radio coverage of the tragedy, claiming – before the National Transportation Safety Board investigators had shut off their pagers […]