Bridge Collapses Around the World

Prof. J. R. Choudhury
Vice Chancellor, University of Asia Pacific
&

Ariful Hasnat
Senior Lecturer, University of Asia Pacific

IABSE-JSCE Conference on Advances in

Bridge Engineering
21 August, 2015

Outline of Presentation
Background
Major causes of bridge collapse
Natural Phenomena : hazards
Manmade factors

Some examples of major disasters

Tacoma Narrows Bridge, USA
Tay Bridge, UK

Examples of bridge collapse in Bangladesh

Concluding Remarks

Background
Over the last 3,000 years, many ways
of building bridges have been devised
by builders/engineers
New materials, forms, bridge types and
techniques of construction have led to
longer lengths and spans
Many of these bridges around the
world have collapsed

Major Causes of Bridge Collapse

Natural Phenomena
natural hazards like flood, scour, wind,
earthquake, tsunami, landslide, debris flow, and
storm surge

Manmade Factors
imperfect design and construction method,
collision, vehicle overloading, fire, attacks by
enemy forces or terrorists, lack of inspection and
maintenance

Collapse Due to Natural Phenomena

Earthquake
shear-flexural failure of the bridge pier columns,
expansion joint, shear key failure
girder sliding in the transverse or longitudinal directions
due to weak connections between girders and bearing
liquefaction of the soil at the bridge foundations

Tsunami
hydrodynamic forces

Collapse Due to Natural Phenomena

Wind
Components incapable of resisting aerostatic and
aerodynamic forces
aerodynamic vibration

Cyclone and Storm Surge

high pressure due to extreme winds
the hydrodynamic forces
rise in water level affecting bridges along the coast
connections between the bridge deck and piers

Collapse Due to Natural Phenomena

Scour
Reduction in lateral resistance of the soil
supporting the foundation
Increase in the lateral deflection of the foundation
combined effect of dead load of superstructure,
the traffic load and/or lateral loads.

Landslide
moving slope-forming materials, when hitting the
bridge, may lead to severe damage or even
collapse of the bridge.

Collapse Due to Manmade Factors

imperfect design and construction method
collision, vehicle overloading, fire, attacks by
enemy forces or terrorists, lack of inspection
and maintenance
design and construction errors
overloading
lack of inspection and maintenance

Condition of Bridges in USA

In 2013, the American Society of Civil
Engineers rated one out of nine U.S.
bridges as structurally deficient, and
also found that the average age of the
nation's 607,380 bridges is 42 years.

Causes of Collapse of Bridges in USA

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster (1940)

Located in Washington State, USA, near Seattle
2-lane bridge; completed in July, 1940
main span 853m (2800 feet)
third longest suspension bridge in the world
designed by Leon Moissief, one of the leading
bridge designers in USA
replaced stiffening trusses with plate girders
span to depth ratio : 350
large torsional vibrations
vertical waves of amplitude up to 1.2m
Galloping Gertie

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse

(6 November, 1940)

Tay Bridge, UK (1878)

Railway bridge, south of Dundee, Scotland
3.5 km long the longest railway bridge in the
world
wrought iron trusses, both through and deck
type, spans 70m-75m
supported on iron trestles on brick caissons
designed by famous bridge designer Sir
Thomas Bouch

Tay Bridge, UK (1878)

Tay Bridge Collapse (December, 1879)

Causes of Collapse
Failure of iron piers :the fall of the bridge
was occasioned by the insufficiency of the
cross bracing and its fastenings to sustain
the force of the gale Court of Inquiry
Wind forces were underestimated
Construction defects

Tay Bridge Failure

Broken Pier in High

Girder Section
Deformed Anchorage Bolt

Recent Collapses in
Bangladesh

Bridge Over Karnaphuli (1991)

A 100-ton floating crane

Shaktiman hit the bridge

Bridge Near Amin Bazar (1995, 1998)

Settlement of Piers due to Scour

(1995)

Collapse due to Flood

(1998)

Bridge at Kalapara (2007)

After the attack of
Cyclone Sidr
(Category V)

Bridge at Kalapara (2007)

Bridge at Ambari, Chirir Bandar, over

Ichamoti River (2015)

Bailey bridge
Poor Maintenance

Bridge in Sirajganj Town (2015)

40-metre-long
bridge under
construction on a
channel of the
Jamuna River
Collapsed during
casting of the
bridge deck
Failure of
bamboo props of
shuttering

Concluding Remarks
Design errors have led to some major disasters
Collapse of bridges in Bangladesh occurring
due to natural hazards, poor construction and
lack of maintenance
Lessons learnt from collapses should help
bridge engineers to improve design

Thank you