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OT: I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis

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[quote user="tree68"] IIRC, the bridge was described as a box truss structure.  The word truss says it all.  One member fails, especially those under tension, the whole shebang fails.  Given the reports of fatigue and cracking, I'd say that's where the culprit will be found.[/quote]I think that is an excellent observation.  I have not seen an absolutely definitive diagram of the collapse, but what I have seen suggests that the first break was right in the center of the big truss that allows the river to be spanned without any piers.  It broke in the center, and both halves tilted downward into a "V" shape.  Then adjoining decks on each side went down.  If the center span truss broke in the middle, the bottom chords would have parted in tension as the break began.  The box truss design does seem a bit like have all your eggs in one basket.I heard an interview with someone who said he knew one of the construction workers.  That person told him that there was appprehension and speculation all day amoung many of the construction workers about whether the bridge was going to collapse.  He said they all felt that the bridge was vibrating in a very unusual and excessive manner all day, and it concerned them enough to discuss it with each other.That would have been a good time to go below and eyeball the bottom chords to make sure there was not a one-foot gap where one of them had already parted.
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