Notable Bridge Failures
The most notable bridge failure due to gusset plates is the collapse of I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 1, 2007. Investigators found that the bridge had 16 under-designed gusset plates that all fractured and that the remaining gusset plates were properly designed and remained intact. The 16 under-designed plates were all about a half inch thick when they should have been larger sizes to be in accordance with the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) “Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges,” 1961.
In addition to the gusset plates being under-designed for their original loading, there were other factors that led to the demise
- At the time of the collapse of the bridge, approximately 300 tons of construction equipment was located near several of the under-designed gusset plates.
- The bridge was completed in 1967, but in 1977 and 1998, a median barrier, larger outside walls, and a thicker concrete deck were added to the bridge, causing additional loading on the already under-designed gusset plates.
- The temperature on the day of the collapse also could have introduced additional stresses on the gusset plates since the bearings on the bridge were partially frozen limiting their effectiveness
Read more about this topic: Gusset Plate
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