Tag Archives: Collapses

United States interstate overpass collapses following intense fuel fire

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A freeway overpass that collapsed in Philadelphia, United States, after a truck carrying petrol caught fire under it was not built to withstand extreme temperatures, according to local reports.

The overpass on the Interstate 95 highway in North Philadelphia collapsed on 11 June following the fire. Reports indicate that the heat…

50 years of civil engineering news

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1972 – Tarbela dam – Pakistan The 1972 collapse of irrigation and power tunnels on one of the world’s largest dams was caused by scour and poor design but was the first of several collapses that affected the project over the next three years. 1973 – Rio-Niteroi Bridge – Brazil…

Rescue efforts continue after Miami apartment collapse

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Rescue operations are continuing after the collapse of a 12 storey residential building north of Miami yesterday morning.

At least one person has been killed and 99 are still missing. Currently around 102 people have now been accounted for, although it is not known exactly how many people were in the…

Skanska to repair Florida bridge damaged in hurricane

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Skanska has been appointed to carry out repairs to the motorway bridge in Florida that was severely damaged during a recent hurricane.

The Pensacola Bay bridge was damaged last week after the storm destabilised a barge-mounted construction crane, which then smashed into the structure, causing a section of its span to…

Michigan dam collapse was ‘accident waiting to happen’

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The failures of two dams in Michigan, USA, have been labelled as an “accident waiting to happen” by a leading British dam safety engineer.

About 10,000 residents have been evacuated from nearby towns after two dams breached following days of heavy rain. The Edenville Dam collapsed on Tuesday afternoon amid heavy…

Polcevera Viaduct rebuild | How work continues during Covid-19 crisis

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Demolishing the remains of the old Polcevera viaduct and then constructing a new 1.1km bridge in the same location within 14 months was always an ambitious target.

Completing the job during the current coronavirus pandemic has only added to the strain. However, last week marked the completion of main construction with…

Hackitt: Engineers must feel ‘chronic uneasiness’ to improve safety

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Government adviser on building regulations Dame Judith Hackitt has called on all engineers to take greater responsibility for the safety of their structures.

Hackitt urged engineers to feel a “chronic uneasiness” about their work in order to ensure safety standards are sufficient, during an ICE online lecture on ‘Reassuring the public…

Latest Italy bridge collapse highlights maintenance failings

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Another road bridge has collapsed in Italy, highlighting maintenance failings which continue to blight the country’s infrastructure.

A 260m bridge near the town of Aulla, roughly midway between Genoa and Florence, collapsed yesterday morning. Two people were taken to hospital following the collapse. Images of the collapse released by Italian fire…