Cangrejo bridge closed due to major structural failure.

[chico bill]

What's the "over/under" for the time to fix the bridge?

3 weeks

 

[windeguy]

I guess you could use any of those "bridges". Haven't been on that road for some time now and what I remember the road is "doable" but it's not really worth it unless you have a "sturdy" vehicle. And guessing that everyone that really HAS to get over that river, it will most likely be heavily congested. So unless you cannot wait to cross I wouldn't bother.

You mean wait as in a year or so while the other bridge is rebuilt? Perhaps it can be repaired, but only time will tell.

We go to Puerto Plata every couple of weeks. It will be inconvenient.

3 months to repair would be remarkable.

 

[chico bill]

Structural steel doesn't break like that in a clean straight line. That was a butt joint that somebody welded together during the fabrication of the bridge parts. I guarantee you that wasn't in the fabrication drawings. It should have been one solid length of beam. The original fab shop cut corners to save money.

More likely it called for a bolted or riveted plate joint design. Not even in DR would they have specified an unbutressed butt weld on a column. This bridge is a typical truss superstructure type. Probably need some very large cranes on both side to make repairs

But is it surprising this bridge suffered a structural failure ?
With all the overloaded trucks, especially the past 2 years hauling boulders for the Marriot beach breakwater in Sousa, and never slowing down the vibration and wheel impact along with rust finally took its tool
Wonder when the last competent engineering inspection was done

 

[chico bill]

You mean wait as in a year or so while the other bridge is rebuilt? Perhaps it can be repaired, but only time will tell.

We go to Puerto Plata every couple of weeks. It will be inconvenient.

It can be repaired and 'fairly' soon. If it were me I would fly a engineering/bridge team in from the Southern US - These type of bridges are over every river from Louisiana to Oklahoma.

 

[chico bill]

I wonder how this will affect the supply chain for food and material East along the North Coast ?

 

[william webster]

Anybody else hear that the 'detour bridge' has collapsed from the heavy traffic ?

This will really re-route the Pto Plata/POP traffic........Santiago/Moca?

 

[beeza]

I'm not a structural engineer, but I am an aerospace engineer. My solution would be use a pair of cranes to lift the sagging structure and splice that failed butt joint on the beam.

My question is why use a butt welded beam without doublers to support the weight of the bridge?

 

[beeza]

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This video shows a clean break of the beam. Obviously a failed welded joint.

 

[nickdr]

Anybody else hear that the 'detour bridge' has collapsed from the heavy traffic ?

This will really re-route the Pto Plata/POP traffic........Santiago/Moca?

May be a dumb question, but are they allowing people to walk across the bridge (in this case you could get a Moto up to it and then another Moto after you get across)? Or must you swim across the river? I think there are eels in that river though...

 

[ctrob]

More likely it called for a bolted or riveted plate joint design. Not even in DR would they have specified an unbutressed butt weld on a column. This bridge is a typical truss superstructure type. Probably need some very large cranes on both side to make repairs

But is it surprising this bridge suffered a structural failure ?
With all the overloaded trucks, especially the past 2 years hauling boulders for the Marriot beach breakwater in Sousa, and never slowing down the vibration and wheel impact along with rust finally took its tool
Wonder when the last competent engineering inspection was done

I've done a lot of steel construction over the years, both fab shop and in the field. This is a typical truss bridge and they would never have designed in a butt joint at that location even with bolted plates. Somebody screwed up in the fabrication shop and tried to hide it. And then somebody got paid to ignore it. But they will probably patch it up with welded plates and put extra paint on it to make it really strong.

It's going to be difficult to lift with a crane though and get it back in place. I wouldn't be surprised if they jacked it up from below.

It should get inspected now though. If they find other butt joints like this they may have to scrap it.

 

[NanSanPedro]

I've done a lot of steel construction over the years, both fab shop and in the field. This is a typical truss bridge and they would never have designed in a butt joint at that location even with bolted plates. Somebody screwed up in the fabrication shop and tried to hide it. And then somebody got paid to ignore it. But they will probably patch it up with welded plates and put extra paint on it to make it really strong.

I don't care who you are, that's funny.

 

[beeza]

I've done a lot of steel construction over the years, both fab shop and in the field. This is a typical truss bridge and they would never have designed in a butt joint at that location even with bolted plates. Somebody screwed up in the fabrication shop and tried to hide it. And then somebody got paid to ignore it. But they will probably patch it up with welded plates and put extra paint on it to make it really strong.

It's going to be difficult to lift with a crane though and get it back in place. I wouldn't be surprised if they jacked it up from below.

It should get inspected now though. If they find other butt joints like this they may have to scrap it.

How about two cranes? One either side tethered together making a triangle?

 

[Buxtonite]

May be a dumb question, but are they allowing people to walk across the bridge (in this case you could get a Moto up to it and then another Moto after you get across)? Or must you swim across the river? I think there are eels in that river though...

People are taking guaguas to either side and walking across to take another guagua.

 

[cavok]

It probably won't be long before they let one vehicle at a time cross the bridge.

 

[chico bill]

I've done a lot of steel construction over the years, both fab shop and in the field. This is a typical truss bridge and they would never have designed in a butt joint at that location even with bolted plates. Somebody screwed up in the fabrication shop and tried to hide it. And then somebody got paid to ignore it. But they will probably patch it up with welded plates and put extra paint on it to make it really strong.

It's going to be difficult to lift with a crane though and get it back in place. I wouldn't be surprised if they jacked it up from below.

It should get inspected now though. If they find other butt joints like this they may have to scrap it.

Tough to jack it up off the water.
They might be able to drag a deep beam over the place where the bridge deck dropped due to the seperated column and pull it up.
Then as you say butt weld the column and reinforce it with plates fillet welded each side?
Then hire an engineering firm to redesign a new bridge

 

[beeza]

Tough to jack it up off the water.
They might be able to drag a deep beam over the place where the bridge deck dropped due to the seperated column and pull it up.
Then as you say butt weld the column and reinforce it with plates fillet welded each side?
Then hire an engineering firm to redesign a new bridge

As you have experience of steel works and mine is in aircraft structure, why would you weld the fillet piece instead of bolt/rivet assembly? Welds have the possibility of failure to incorrect technique, weld penetration and corrosion.

Just asking your opinion and comparing my industry to yours. Airplanes bend and flex just like bridges. No welded joints on airplane structures.

 

[chico bill]

As you have experience of steel works and mine is in aircraft structure, why would you weld the fillet piece instead of bolt/rivet assembly? Welds have the possibility of failure to incorrect technique, weld penetration and corrosion.

Just asking your opinion and comparing my industry to yours. Airplanes bend and flex just like bridges. No welded joints on airplane structures.

Rivets and or bolts also rust and fail, maybe even faster than proper welds.
What we are looking for is just getting the bridge back in service, while a 'permanent' solution is sought.
To plate the column separation and bolt the column back together would require a mag drill over the side of that bridge and there may not even be enough on the flange to provide edge to edge separation or room to perform the work.
Best option is to replace the entire member - but that may be more complex.
Complexity, A Correct Job and Dominicans are not a good mix

 

[Astucia]

But is it surprising this bridge suffered a structural failure ?
With all the overloaded trucks, especially the past 2 years hauling boulders for the Marriot beach breakwater in Sousa, and never slowing down the vibration and wheel impact along with rust finally took its tool
Wonder when the last competent engineering inspection was done

Well - a solution to "the trucks never slowing down, the vibration and wheel impact" could be remedied (or at least partially remedied )
with the installation of substantial and well-signed speed bumps, once the repair or replacement is completed.

Doesn't solve the problematic mix of "Complexity, A Correct Job and Dominicans" though.

 

[chico bill]

Well - a solution to "the trucks never slowing down, the vibration and wheel impact" could be remedied (or at least partially remedied )
with the installation of substantial and well-signed speed bumps, once the repair or replacement is completed.

Doesn't solve the problematic mix of "Complexity, A Correct Job and Dominicans" though.

But if a vehicle launces itself over a speed bum to fast and loses control even slightly and impacts the superstructure it's even worse tan going too fast

 

[cavok]

I'm getting some reports that the bridge is closed, but both Google Maps and Apple Maps show it open, although the travel time is longer than usual(?).

I'm also hearing that the bridge underneath doesn't look good structurally to the point that it will have to be replaced.