Weathering steel does not work well in salty envoirnments. Masonry plate not seated is unusual, and probably indicates a movement or bearing design problem. This is a chronic problem with sliding bearings that don't slide. Hairline cracking in deck is typical and due to shrinkage and cooling of deck concrete. Crack in pier. crack is not unusual, caused by restraint of shrinkage and thermal contraction, but merits monitoring and polymer injection if it gets large. Camber differences are typical, and usual between interior and exterior girders as loads are different, but as fabricated camber is usually the same. Bolting issues may relate to weathering steel, and poor quality control. Normally nuts are on the bottom to prevent bolt from falling out if it breaks. Crack at fillet weld Ok if it stays in the weld. Girder flange damage. Obviously hit by something passing under the span. Drains plugged. Typical. Added lanes will make this hard to maintain.
Thanks for staying on this. Some RI drivers I've spoken with are becoming complacent because "traffic is moving a lot better now" when in reality the entire situation is unacceptable. Having driven over the Mianus River Bridge in 1983 just a few hours before it collapsed, I find this the stuff of nightmares.
Well, when a span fails on the Eastbound structure and dumps a handful of vehicles into the river and kills a number of motorists, then RIDOT can sue some more bridge inspection companies, consultants, and engineers for the failure, again deflecting any responsibility the state has.
I think the local media and a few politicians will descend upon Rhode Island DOT here in the coming days to demand some accounrability. That is my hope anyway.
My profession before retirement was as an Ironworker( worker ,foreman) , and theses photos speak volumes. I have seen the failure of smaller bridges in my area mostly due to deficient maintenance and inspection . Those missing bolts tell me that the bolts on the bridge were not properly torqued . Vibrations and movement of bridge members will definitely loosen bolts. There is a definite risk now with increased traffic volume and weight.
@@CaseyJones-Engineer As someone who doesn't know anything about bridges, what exactly is a drift pin and how is it used? Is this a case of a tool being left in a hole and a bolt never being installed?
@@arthurmoore9488 Trying to align big steel beams while they are bobbing around on the end of a crane is difficult and dangerous. To help align the beams, iron workers use tapered steel pins that they pound through the bolt holes with a sledge hammer to draw them into alignment. Once you have a couple holes lined up, you can put bolts into the other holes an start drawing the plates together. If one of the beams is at an angle, when you draw down the bolts, it can bind the other bolts (and your drift pin) in their holes. The result is that some of the bolts are not fully drawn in because they are in a bind, and stuck drift pins. Over time, vibration will cause the bolts not fully drawn in to loosen. Union iron workers are probably the most highly trained and skilled of all the trades - they operate schools are the ones who certify welders, riggers, connectors, etc. You would not normally see this type is basic incompetence from them unless they stuck a bunch of apprentices down there.
@@arthurmoore9488 Hi ,A drift pin is a metal pin tapered on both ends used to align the bolt holes of of two connecting steel members during construction. It is driven ( using a sledge hammer ) into and through both members bolt holes so they align and then the bolts can be inserted. Used on heavier pieces and or tight connections that can't be shifted by hand or prying tools. Hope this helps.
Who they should investigate is Gina Raimondo.... She was actually the one who is responsible for the bridge issues that began under her watch. McKee is the scapegoat although he should have fired Alviti immediately upon finding out about the bridge issues.
Thank you for continuing to analyze this bridge issue. I live in Providence an am constantly amazed at the traffic volume across the bridge. Local streets that feed the bridge on the Providence side are often severely backed up, at all times of the day, causing bumper to bumper congestion that stretches sometimes (in the case on I-95 north, entering Providence from the south) for miles.
Before Interstate 195 was built (1959-1966) that eastbound side was part of Geo. M Cohan Blvd. (US6/44) it was originally a bascule drawbridge. Most of the then 30 year old structure was retained for 195E with the exception of the the bascule which was removed at the time.
I drive this bridge almost daily. I often have your westbound bridge updates on in the car, while crossing the EB bridge. I was thinking yesterday while crossing, is this level of traffic sustainable for ~4 more years, and what the state of the EB bridge is in already. Thanks for the update!
Wow, Casey! This is great investigative/forensic journalism! The people of RI and southeastern MA impacted by the Washington Bridge thank you for your efforts!
RI turnpike and bridge authority is now scheduling inspections on mount Hope bridge due to increased traffic and wear on that bridge as well. Potentially, the entire east portion of Rhode Island could be isolated if more bridges close.
Ken Block found and put the internal documents out that they are adding expansion joint repairs to the existing demo contract Us locals are completely screwed we know the east bound bridge is in serious structural distress you can feel it when driving over it 1 it literally moves and 2 the bumps have gotten way way worse in the past year
@CaseyJones-Engineer it keeps getting worse please follow Ken Block he is doing incredible work the east bound bridge has serious issued, missing bolts, rotted plates, and many signs of the bridge itself shifting
Thanks Casey! I have used this information to contact my representatives as well as the governor. I encourage my fellow Rhode Islanders to do the same.
Casey, Way back when I was a young man in my first semester, I developed a theorem to explain the S & P orbitals of electrons. If I can't see it, it doesn't exist. I believe RIDoT uses my theorem for its bridge infrastructure management. Bob
Your videos have been a wonderful source of information, thanks. After watching the movie Marathon Man a long time ago, I'll never hear the question "is it safe" the same way again.
I would say a little prayer every time I had to cross that bridge. There are so may poor condition bridges in the US that it's a crap shoot when you cross one.
I grew up in Connecticut. Rhode Island has always had some of the worst roads in Southern New England / New York area. This is all anecdotal of course. This really proves that RIDOT needs new management and a shakeup. They really are headed to have no span in this section from the sounds of it.
thank you so much!!! perhaps you could actually contact local news media (wjar, wlne, wpri) with your questions? the media here is bought and paid for, in my humble opinion, by the politicians. the media does not do "hard hitting" analysis; they are obedient lap dogs to those in power. but, if you were to present your channel (as alternative media), your in-depth and expert analyses, the number of people watching these videos that you have done about the wb project, and the comments - maybe then they might take the risk of actually doing their jobs (if only to try to preserve their relevance)? thanks again for another excellent video!!!
@@mrahob275 Note the FHWA's only means of enforcement is to withhold the money needed for the roads. This rarely happens for the obvious reason that it is not helpful.
@Casey Jones - Professional Engineer, thank you for another great update video! Can you please give us an update on Lake Livingston. We live in Houston. Thank you!
I'm sure that I'm not using correct terminology but I'd think there would be a substantial change in the torque on the road surface due to opposing traffic movement and thus the supporting structure. Since the monitoring system wasn't in place prior to the rerouting, it clearly won't show the change that occurred pre and post. That would have been when the system likely would have detected the most change. The new measurement will be the norm instead of a basis for change that would be much more indicative.
Loading on roads is asymmetric with respect to the traffic direction, yes. Most of that difference will be vertical, however, not horizontal; has to do with how vehicle suspensions interact with changes in surface curvature (read: bumps in the road), so it's not really best described as a torque.
Monitoring mostly alerts to an unanticipated change, which could reflect something broken or an abnormal load.... like the impact that dinged the two girder flanges. Things like a bearing freezing up might also be detected, but might be gradual.
You are correct about the age of the bridge shown in the inventory. Year built/ age of the bridge is controlled by the foundation. I.e., re-use the foundation and the bridge doesn’t get any younger, regardless of what else you do.
Nice video discussion. One big advantage of the satellite InSAR analysis is that it does not require any permission from local authorities to make measurements, another big advantage of the Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites is they have been in operation for about ten years now, so it is possible to look at the behavior of bridges or landslides or other ground features with a long retrospective view.
Why does this seem like one of the old disaster movies where the politicians keep making bad decisions until there is a big catastrophy with much loss of life? I live about an hour from there but avoid RI. Good Luck, Rick
As someone from providence who has friends and family that travel this bridge daily, this is so beyond disturbing and i cant believe this isnt more widely known. Ive always thought that the entire bridge was sketchy, as ive seen the missing bolts and cracks myself just by spending time in india point park (theres a bike trail that goes under it). I already know RIDOT and local politicians arent going to do anything about it until the bridge fails and people i know and love die. RI/Providence is very very small. I know if that bridge fails, I will know at least a couple of the victims personally and that thought horrifies me. Thank you for your thorough investigation into this, im going to share this video across all my social media accounts.
Thank you. I am not saying that the E.B. bridge is not safe at this point. I simply have a lot of questions about the issues shown in the inspection reports and about the nature of the evaluations that involved assessing running all the bridge traffic across the E.B. bridge now.
What we know is that one of the two parallel road bridges is severely damaged. It's officially labeled as at risk of collapse. The Carola bridge is closed for all traffic indefinitely; the same goes for all roads and paths crossing underneath, and the Elbe river.😮
This is definitely a cause for concern, 2008 wasn't that long ago, so even original documentation should be available. Cracks in the concrete makes me worried if there's enough rebar in the bridge and the quality of the concrete used.
Rebar that is not pretensioned does not stop concrete from cracking, it just limits the crack size, and sometimes promotes cracks by increasing shrinkage restraint. Note that the equations for crack size vs amount of rebar are highly imprecise, and the effect of cracks and the limits on cracks is as much cosmetic as structural.
I think I'll be using the nearby Henderson bridge from now on. Rhode Island is sketchier that their bridges. Surprised the Mount Hope bridge hasn't rusted through yet. Only 102 years old.😮😂😅😊 They don't ask questions to politicians in Rhode Island. Unless it's what your favorite ice cream is.
A Story from a son of a RIDOT bridge inspector said there were bridges his father would just never go on. So it really isn't the inspectors not knowing (in many cases).
Just saw your interview with NBC 10 WJAR. I noticed in the video that there is a second bridge west of the Washington Street bridge and I'm curious as to the condition of that one.
The pedestrian bridge is actually the original bridge, they just cut it down the length of the bridge and left it, that's why they used half of the original footings. The state has done things like this in many spots.
It’s a shame, since Rhode Island is so old and full of so much history. The thing is, they do this for cost-cutting purposes, not preservation purposes. This leads to a) the original structures not being properly preserved and b) being UNSAFE because it’s done to be CHEAPER (which is clearly happening on the Washington bridge)
Could you make a short video on how to use Value Space? I'm in the Santa Cruz Mtns, California, and we have many roads susceptible to a landslide. I would like to recommend Value Space to the local road managers (private roads) to help them monitor the hills during the upcoming winter.
Lived in S. Sioux in '13 and walked over the shaking Missouri bridge with partner every morning to Sioux city, never told her the new bridge was being fixed 😂
Yes, from the extra loading. Also as has been pointed out by Michael McMullen in the comments, access for inspections, repairs and maintenance will be more difficult with so much traffic.
I think part of the reason that RIDOT is pushing six lanes of traffic onto this bridge is that civil engineers are notorious for subordinating all other concerns (including safety) to traffic flow, and motorists have consistently shown that they are supportive of making that trade-off.
It would seem they should just plan to replace both sides, otherwise you are going to have them out of sync and will probably just look goofy. Probably could build out the new bridge next to the old one and move the ramps to the new bridge. Maybe a cable stay bridge that has no piers in the water at all. Assuming the steel is the same age there is probably deteriorating steel hidden that bridge as well. The west bound bridge seems like a barometer of what is going to turn up on the Eastbound bridge in the next 10 years.
@@CaseyJones-Engineer Note parts of the EB bridge substructure were built in 1930 and are 94 years old, though I think the designers thought were good for many more decades before they replaced the superstructure in a Rehab. I usually wont do this unless I think the reused parts will last at least 50 more years, unless they are somewhat easily replacable.
Hello Casey. Your attention to this fiasco is amazing and appreciated. A thing or three to contemplate: (a) Reusing the piers for the 94 year old eastbound bridge is OK but not for the 64 year old west bound structure? Curious decision. (b) The picture of the failed anchor shows much rust, so the condition was not new. How long did the bridge function in that condition? Weeks, months or years? You had mentioned the rust in an earlier video. (c) Could it have been possible to temporarily close the bridge, repair the broken rods, reopen the bridge to passenger vehicles only and move commercial traffic to one lane on the east bound bridge? Lighten the load until they figure out what to do and let the traffic be almost normal?
Thanks Laszlo. I don't think foundation re-use is a good option as they are planning to have much longer spans for the replacement bridge. Also, given that R.I. has started suing so many companies over this bridge, who would want to take the risk on foundation re-use. I also think that installing new foundations would be quicker than accurately figuring out the condition of the existing foundation elements. I suspect that the corrosion was going on for years. Finally, there were many other condition problems aside from the broken rods that favored bridge replacement (at least according to the reviewing consultants).
Generally if you replace deck and girders on existing foundations you can't expect as long of a life. If I am asked about this I usually say 50 years due the lack of information, though it could be longer. Foundations with problems just shouldnt be used or should be supplemented enough for redundency. Often foundations age mostly at the above ground and shallower parts, probably due few moisture changes, lack of freeze/thaw, and low oxygen levels.
"Positive camber" on a bridge span is like a leaf spring on a travel trailer. When it is flattened by prolonged, dynamic loading, it ceases to provide the resiliency necessary for an adequate safety margin.
I’ve been involved in federal construction work for many years now this sounds like a typical scenario. It’s not right it everyone is covering their rears.
Last night Nov 14 at 10:30 pm the east bound bridge was only 1 lane, crews had dug out concrete on a seam near East Prov and were gringing or welding some part of the exposed metal
When will the “load limit” signs be installed? I was most interested with the cracked bolt head. How, when and and why? Overtorqued in orginal install? Environment? Thanks. Videos are very enjoyable.
We drove over the eastbound span yesterday, this report makes one consider alternate routes, none of them are high capacity so if this bridge needs to be shut for interim repairs, it's going to really impact traffic everywhere.
I hope it doesn't come to that. RiDOT needs to be truly open and transparent about what is going on. They will have to be forced to do this by outside pressures no doubt.
Here's a potential problem: Route 81 through the city of Syracuse, NY has gotten near zero upkeep for YEARS as they re-route 81 onto the 481 highway which they are making the new route 81. They have been arguing for years about how to redevelop the route 81 currently going through the city and it is falling apart while they still use it with zero maintenance. It's falling apart. I won't wait at a stoplight under that thing.
If you want to get the attention of RI politicians, I would try to see if you can get on the WPRI 12 newsmakers show. Ted Nesi and Tim White would love to have you on as a guest.
NEW BRIDGE PROBLEM: Hi Casey. Here's a new bridge issue you may want to check out. I saw an article in the 11/16/24 web page of The Washing Post titled "Maryland recommends knocking down, rebuilding Chesapeake Bay Bridge spans". The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a critical bridge for highway route 50 traffic in the Maryland/ Washing DC area where I live. Worth checking.
Have any RI DOT staff expressed hints at their thoughts on your reports? I can picture state agency engineers feeling constrained from saying things that should be public discussion, and reports like this being a useful outlet for them to get both hard info and interpretive meaning made public, without putting their own necks in a political noose.
Generally State employees at a level low enough to understand the details of a problem are not to speak to the media. They might get called on to provided materials for presentation at press confrences or public meetings by others. They do get to speak freely with other state employees.
Always interesting, but like you said, I'm not local to RI myself. Now, I'm local to WNC and am interested in how you believe in the transparency of NCDOT compares? I know the amount of damage makes it too hard to talk about, but how about. your general impressions. I know two Locally 5 lanes of US70 closed after the bridge, and 2 city or state roads washed away. Another bridge washed away. Two bridges have two large shipping containers leaning against and on top of them. Thankfully, my situation is much better than many in the local area.
There's a reason why we call our state "The crookedest little state in the union" which was parodying an old tourism TV jingle, "We're the biggest little state in the union -Rhode Island - Rhode Island".
From having performed inspections and load ratings for bridges, and given what was presented about the structure, I don't believe the increase in lanes would necessarily result in an increase in loading beyond what the steel bridge beams were designed to handle. Particularly for the longitudinal steel beams and deck, the design load shouldn't really be any different with the new lane configuration, as the beam spacing is fairly close and the design loading on any individual beam would assume lanes in the worst case position to produce the maximum forces in the beams. Though I don't have all the info on the bridge and lane geometry, it would be fairly straightforward for a consulting engineer to analyze it and confirm. Probably this geometry info is publicly available if someone wanted to run their own calculations and/or code check. Most likely the structural health monitoring system is an insurance policy against future surprises than it is an indication that the structure may be overloaded. If you're in the DOT's shoes, you really want to be able to say your doing everything possible to keep the public safe and keep traffic moving, especially after the WB was abruptly closed and the loss of confidence that creates. One surprise is bad enough, and monitoring is like insurance to mitigate against any other surprises (no matter how remotely unlikely) given that it is such a critical crossing for the area. A Fair rating for the structure seems reasonable based on the info shown. I would not be particularly concerned about the bridge based on this info alone. It looks like the DOT is getting back on track, and I'm glad they were able to get back to you with the reports requested.
Thank you very much for your comments. I took pains to not sensationalize my video presentation but simply raise questions which I think are fair to ask. Are you surprised that the bridge condition is only "fair"? The bridge is only 16 years old and has been in "fair" condition for a number of years already. This bridge was supposed to have a 75 year design life. Some of the photos form these inspections show inadequate maintenance with I believe was one of the key factors in the degradation of the westbound bridge. I have requested a copy of their engineering evaluation for the new traffic configuration on the E.B. bridge that RiDOT said was performed.
@@CaseyJones-Engineer You do a good job not sensationalizing, I agree. I guess I am a little surprised that the bridge is Fair condition, but figured it was a conservative judgement. I think you are right in that it is a young bridge to be in Fair condition. I looked back through the video and noticed that the most recent summary gave a rating of Good for the Deck and Superstructure (that would seem more appropriate based on age). I guess it could be the re-used pier that could be giving the bridge a lower rating if that had a condition rating of Fair (I didn't notice that rating), or it might depend on DOT guidelines on summarize the bridge condition ratings. Some bridge owners take the worst case condition rating based on the controlling component and or bridge elements and make that the rating. I'm not sure what RI has for a policy. As far a maintenance goes, in my experience there's generally always more maintenance than there are maintenance crews and resources to get to. Bridge joints and scuppers are generally always maintenance problem areas for bridges, so we try to avoid them as much as possible in the design of new bridges.
@@dyingbatroad Normally a points system is used for the good/fair/poor evaluation. A bridge can be fair with nothing reducing load capacity. I syspect this bridge would never be "good" due to the 96 year old substructure. It generally can't be "good" if load capacity requires posting.
The intentional lack of maintenance on our national infrastructure is criminal in my opinion. It is not only unsafe for the public, it also picks our pockets for more complex construction that is unnecessary. Where federal funds are used in construction, FHWA should mandate and enforce that our investment is protected.
I noticed that those inspections you showed and referenced, that the bridge was in fair condition, were done on RIDOT forms! Did the RIDOT actually do those inspections or were they done by an outside inspection firm? If they were done by an outside firm, is the same assessment given on the outside inspection forms as was listed on RIDOT forms? I hope there is someone in RI government, smart enough to direct the DOT to come up with a viable re-routing plan if in the event they have to shut the eastbound bridge down!
It’s hard enough to get a bridge inspected every 2-3 years much less get any repairs done in between. Some bridges do end up not being inspected for 3+ years at a time usually because they are off the beaten path or carry only up to 20-30 tons load. (IE small bridges) so get kicked to the bottom of the to do list no matter what the regulations say should be done.
Feds get on your case if you bust the inspection intervals. There are some bridges that might be approved for a bit longer due to a lack of progress of signs of deterioration/ageing, mostly fully integral (no joints or bearings) concrete and prestressed concrete structures in beneign envoirnments.
Insar could be a valuable tool if used to point RIDOT at areas that are underpreforming/failing between major inspections. Instead govt. and RIDOT seems to not be proactive in attempting to keep the only remaing roadway open. Movements could focus special inspections on specific segments that are moving providing for possible early fixes and minimizing future closure until replacement is available. I noticed it appears in the photos that all demo. of failed bridge remains suspended for what to me is the weakest of reasons, i.e. collect data for possible/likely litigation. If this direction is not soon changed to priortize getting replacement built above the conflicting legal needs for courts any schedule for replacement is futile.
I guarantee the east bound side is just as bad. But they dont want that information being released. They would have to shut the whole bridge down and that would cripple the state. I drive over it everyday and you can tell the east bound side is in terrible shape.
At about the two minute mark, there is a picture of a broken joint. An eight inch gap in joint is not fair, or poor. For a description of this they need to add a column, namely, extremely poor. At exactly what point on the bridge is this break? This type of wear or damage on a bridge is alarming.
Without a doubt adding more lanes will add additional stress and therefore accelerate degradation. How long the bridge will need to do this is what really matters.
The NHS data in excel format is interesting. If you rank the data by "poor" status as a percentage of all bridges RI is 5th from the bottom. 7% is the national average and RI is 15%. Before you say it - it's not just a North thing. Louisiana bust that trend with 11%, Guam is at 13%. Even Alaska (the most northern) is only 8%.
Lets hope that with the recent political change that true infrastructure spending happens. What goes up will come down unless proper maintenance happens, period. Thank you.
This is a disaster in the making. I agree with one of the commentators: Track the movements of the officials and see if they are crossing this bridge🤨‼️
Just a question that is probably not something anyone but RI DOT can answer. Lets say that RI DOT took the inspection report and said to itself - I want to fix this. Are the issues (missing bolts, corrosion, cracks, uneven load plates) things that they have personnel that can go out and do the work, or are these issues such that they would need to put out an RFQ and hire an specialty contractor to do?
Assuming RIDOT has maintenance personell they can deal with some issues or contract out others. In my opinion the inspectors can and should tighten and replace bolts. In Colorado letters are sent to the Maintence department with different levels of priority for the fix.
I could put in a bid to build a new bridge, but they would not like the price. I am not an engineer and the saying is that anyone can make a bridge, but only an engineer can make a bridge just strong enough. First Bridges that are solid are less likely to fail. So I would start by having those curtain wall machines make large piers to bedrock. And stainless steel sleeves would not rust. Then fill it with fiberglass reinforced concrete. That pesky rebar rusts if you don't take care of it. Once there is a massive foundation it could support a stone arch bridge. So add some wood forms and pour in more fiberglass reinforced concrete. Then add some drainage pipes and RCS to fill it up to the pavement layer. Adding some stainless steel post tension cables would also help. How much... I don't know. I am sure the construction crew that built the sands hotel in Las Vegas shook there heads when the plans said to use spiral wound rebar for the columns. And of course if I was going to get sued if the bridge fails I would want to make it last longer than I am going to live.
Weathering steel does not work well in salty envoirnments.
Masonry plate not seated is unusual, and probably indicates a movement or bearing design problem. This is a chronic problem with sliding bearings that don't slide.
Hairline cracking in deck is typical and due to shrinkage and cooling of deck concrete.
Crack in pier. crack is not unusual, caused by restraint of shrinkage and thermal contraction, but merits monitoring and polymer injection if it gets large.
Camber differences are typical, and usual between interior and exterior girders as loads are different, but as fabricated camber is usually the same.
Bolting issues may relate to weathering steel, and poor quality control. Normally nuts are on the bottom to prevent bolt from falling out if it breaks.
Crack at fillet weld Ok if it stays in the weld.
Girder flange damage. Obviously hit by something passing under the span.
Drains plugged. Typical. Added lanes will make this hard to maintain.
Thank you for your assessment of these issues!
as a Rhode Island resident all your detailed work and autopsy of recent events with both sides of the Washington Bridge is much appreciated
Thank you, I appreciate it!!
Thanks for staying on this. Some RI drivers I've spoken with are becoming complacent because "traffic is moving a lot better now" when in reality the entire situation is unacceptable. Having driven over the Mianus River Bridge in 1983 just a few hours before it collapsed, I find this the stuff of nightmares.
Thank you, that's a great point about complacency. We saw this in Wyoming in the Teton Pass.
Awesome that you continue to cover this! Thank you Casey!!
You're very welcome!
Well, when a span fails on the Eastbound structure and dumps a handful of vehicles into the river and kills a number of motorists, then RIDOT can sue some more bridge inspection companies, consultants, and engineers for the failure, again deflecting any responsibility the state has.
I think the local media and a few politicians will descend upon Rhode Island DOT here in the coming days to demand some accounrability. That is my hope anyway.
It will be more than a handful
@@CaseyJones-Engineer .. it won't happen.
The local media are their mouthpieces and lapdogs, not adversaries.
@@CaseyJones-EngineerI doubt it. Drivers care much more about traffic than public safety.
Thanks! Please continue stay on top of this! We need this bridge, it is an absolutely critical asset.
Thank you so much!
My profession before retirement was as an Ironworker( worker ,foreman) , and theses photos speak volumes. I have seen the failure of smaller bridges in my area mostly due to deficient maintenance and inspection . Those missing bolts tell me that the bolts on the bridge were not properly torqued . Vibrations and movement of bridge members will definitely loosen bolts. There is a definite risk now with increased traffic volume and weight.
@@paulschuurmans8034 Some of the photos show where they're missing bolts there's actually the drift pin still in there.
@@CaseyJones-Engineer As someone who doesn't know anything about bridges, what exactly is a drift pin and how is it used? Is this a case of a tool being left in a hole and a bolt never being installed?
Its a tapered metal rod that you use to put into the hole, and alighn the holese enough so that the bolts can be installed.
@arthurmoore9488
@@arthurmoore9488 Trying to align big steel beams while they are bobbing around on the end of a crane is difficult and dangerous. To help align the beams, iron workers use tapered steel pins that they pound through the bolt holes with a sledge hammer to draw them into alignment. Once you have a couple holes lined up, you can put bolts into the other holes an start drawing the plates together. If one of the beams is at an angle, when you draw down the bolts, it can bind the other bolts (and your drift pin) in their holes. The result is that some of the bolts are not fully drawn in because they are in a bind, and stuck drift pins. Over time, vibration will cause the bolts not fully drawn in to loosen.
Union iron workers are probably the most highly trained and skilled of all the trades - they operate schools are the ones who certify welders, riggers, connectors, etc. You would not normally see this type is basic incompetence from them unless they stuck a bunch of apprentices down there.
@@arthurmoore9488 Hi ,A drift pin is a metal pin tapered on both ends used to align the bolt holes of of two connecting steel members during construction. It is driven ( using a sledge hammer ) into and through both members bolt holes so they align and then the bolts can be inserted. Used on heavier pieces and or tight connections that can't be shifted by hand or prying tools. Hope this helps.
One has to question the Rhode Island's governor role in the lack of transparency of DOT's disclosures. Something is rotten in Denmark.
I agree with you. I don't think the best interests of the traveling public are being properly considered.
That just made me laugh
Don't worry. They stated a few weeks ago that the gov't is NOT going to investigate the governor. He's just a goverrnor, not a bridge builder.
Providence, too, Marcellus.
Who they should investigate is Gina Raimondo.... She was actually the one who is responsible for the bridge issues that began under her watch. McKee is the scapegoat although he should have fired Alviti immediately upon finding out about the bridge issues.
Thank you, Casey. Always pleased to see that you are posting a new video.
Thank you!!
Thank you for continuing to analyze this bridge issue. I live in Providence an am constantly amazed at the traffic volume across the bridge. Local streets that feed the bridge on the Providence side are often severely backed up, at all times of the day, causing bumper to bumper congestion that stretches sometimes (in the case on I-95 north, entering Providence from the south) for miles.
I won't be driving out that way anymore. Good Work Thanks
Thank you. Yes, that bridge is best avoided if possible.
Before Interstate 195 was built (1959-1966) that eastbound side was part of Geo. M Cohan Blvd. (US6/44) it was originally a bascule drawbridge. Most of the then 30 year old structure was retained for 195E with the exception of the the bascule which was removed at the time.
I drive this bridge almost daily. I often have your westbound bridge updates on in the car, while crossing the EB bridge. I was thinking yesterday while crossing, is this level of traffic sustainable for ~4 more years, and what the state of the EB bridge is in already. Thanks for the update!
Thanks so much!
Wow, Casey! This is great investigative/forensic journalism! The people of RI and southeastern MA impacted by the Washington Bridge thank you for your efforts!
Thank you, I appreciate it! It does feel like I am learning how to better pull this type of information together and I hope it helps the locals there.
Thanks!
Thank you very much!
Again, thanks for great content and calling out the BS’ers, liars etc. Only you are on top of these things. GRATEFULLY appresciated
RI turnpike and bridge authority is now scheduling inspections on mount Hope bridge due to increased traffic and wear on that bridge as well. Potentially, the entire east portion of Rhode Island could be isolated if more bridges close.
Ken Block found and put the internal documents out that they are adding expansion joint repairs to the existing demo contract
Us locals are completely screwed we know the east bound bridge is in serious structural distress you can feel it when driving over it 1 it literally moves and 2 the bumps have gotten way way worse in the past year
RiDOT apparently doesn't want people to know what is going on. It is a ridiculous situation in my opinion.
@CaseyJones-Engineer it keeps getting worse please follow Ken Block he is doing incredible work the east bound bridge has serious issued, missing bolts, rotted plates, and many signs of the bridge itself shifting
Thanks Casey! I have used this information to contact my representatives as well as the governor. I encourage my fellow Rhode Islanders to do the same.
Thank you. I am glad the video was helpful!
As if those goons are going to listen to any of us peasants ??
What a joke.
@@maxfastest LOL
Thanks for the update. To note, the original masonry bridge (the pedestrian bridge) was cut in half to make for the new steel girder eastbound bridge.
Thank you! That makes sense. I am a bit surprised they reused the substructure that was nearly 80 years old at the point of the reconstruction.
@@CaseyJones-Engineer Doesn't surprise me, that's how they roll in Rhode Island.
Thanks for covering this and the others you cover. I always watch and enjoy your videos. Thanks Casey!
I appreciate you watching!
As a Rhode Islander, thank you so very much
Thank you, I appreciate the support!
I enjoyed your interview with WJAR!
Thank you so much!
Casey,
Way back when I was a young man in my first semester, I developed a theorem to explain the S & P orbitals of electrons.
If I can't see it, it doesn't exist.
I believe RIDoT uses my theorem for its bridge infrastructure management.
Bob
Great theorem! The corollary I suppose is "if it doesn't exist, it can't harm me"!
Akin to the theory of diminishing gravity- "well if it hasn't fallen yet it's not going to"
Your videos have been a wonderful source of information, thanks.
After watching the movie Marathon Man a long time ago, I'll never hear the question "is it safe" the same way again.
@@johnz8210 Thank you!
Thank you. I’m heading out to the Cape on business in a couple of weeks, and you just convinced me to avoid Providence!
This information is truly scary. The pier supports are 90 some years old? Lots of missing bolts? 😮😨🫣
Thanks Casey, and please continue to follow this.
It's not a bridge for the faint of heart!
Excellent as always Casey. Thank you for the update.
Put a tracker on all DOT officials and see if THEY drive over the bridge. It might answer the question if how good they think the bridge really is.
I would say a little prayer every time I had to cross that bridge. There are so may poor condition bridges in the US that it's a crap shoot when you cross one.
A floating vest and keep your windows open during crossing would be a good idea.😮
I grew up in Connecticut. Rhode Island has always had some of the worst roads in Southern New England / New York area. This is all anecdotal of course. This really proves that RIDOT needs new management and a shakeup. They really are headed to have no span in this section from the sounds of it.
thank you so much!!! perhaps you could actually contact local news media (wjar, wlne, wpri) with your questions?
the media here is bought and paid for, in my humble opinion, by the politicians. the media does not do "hard hitting" analysis; they are obedient lap dogs to those in power. but, if you were to present your channel (as alternative media), your in-depth and expert analyses, the number of people watching these videos that you have done about the wb project, and the comments - maybe then they might take the risk of actually doing their jobs (if only to try to preserve their relevance)?
thanks again for another excellent video!!!
@CaseyJones-Engineer .. this !! Only external forces will get traction .. you need to contact the feds, ridot is in full coverup mode.
@@mrahob275 Note the FHWA's only means of enforcement is to withhold the money needed for the roads. This rarely happens for the obvious reason that it is not helpful.
Thank you for this!
My pleasure!
Thank you, Casey. We appreciate your work!
Thank you, I appreciate it!
@Casey Jones - Professional Engineer, thank you for another great update video! Can you please give us an update on Lake Livingston. We live in Houston. Thank you!
I'm sure that I'm not using correct terminology but I'd think there would be a substantial change in the torque on the road surface due to opposing traffic movement and thus the supporting structure. Since the monitoring system wasn't in place prior to the rerouting, it clearly won't show the change that occurred pre and post. That would have been when the system likely would have detected the most change. The new measurement will be the norm instead of a basis for change that would be much more indicative.
Loading on roads is asymmetric with respect to the traffic direction, yes. Most of that difference will be vertical, however, not horizontal; has to do with how vehicle suspensions interact with changes in surface curvature (read: bumps in the road), so it's not really best described as a torque.
Monitoring mostly alerts to an unanticipated change, which could reflect something broken or an abnormal load.... like the impact that dinged the two girder flanges. Things like a bearing freezing up might also be detected, but might be gradual.
You are correct about the age of the bridge shown in the inventory. Year built/ age of the bridge is controlled by the foundation. I.e., re-use the foundation and the bridge doesn’t get any younger, regardless of what else you do.
Thank you for that confirmation!
Nice video discussion. One big advantage of the satellite InSAR analysis is that it does not require any permission from local authorities to make measurements, another big advantage of the Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites is they have been in operation for about ten years now, so it is possible to look at the behavior of bridges or landslides or other ground features with a long retrospective view.
Thank you very much. That's a great point. I do like the independent nature of it I'm still learning more about this technology.
Rob Cote knows his stuff and he Never Lets UP!!!
Thanks for your expertise 👍🙏🏻
Thank you!
Damn 4 years! In my country, such bridges won't take more than a year...
Thanks Casey
@@dennisclapp7527 Certainly!
Why does this seem like one of the old disaster movies where the politicians keep making bad decisions until there is a big catastrophy with much loss of life? I live about an hour from there but avoid RI. Good Luck, Rick
Good point. It does seem like an Irwin Allen movie in the making.
As someone from providence who has friends and family that travel this bridge daily, this is so beyond disturbing and i cant believe this isnt more widely known. Ive always thought that the entire bridge was sketchy, as ive seen the missing bolts and cracks myself just by spending time in india point park (theres a bike trail that goes under it). I already know RIDOT and local politicians arent going to do anything about it until the bridge fails and people i know and love die. RI/Providence is very very small. I know if that bridge fails, I will know at least a couple of the victims personally and that thought horrifies me. Thank you for your thorough investigation into this, im going to share this video across all my social media accounts.
Thank you. I am not saying that the E.B. bridge is not safe at this point. I simply have a lot of questions about the issues shown in the inspection reports and about the nature of the evaluations that involved assessing running all the bridge traffic across the E.B. bridge now.
Is there any data about the remaining Carola bridge in Dresden (The still standing bridge made for cars)?
Thanks for interesting videos!!
I haven't had a chance to look into that one yet, and I appreciate your suggestion.
What we know is that one of the two parallel road bridges is severely damaged. It's officially labeled as at risk of collapse.
The Carola bridge is closed for all traffic indefinitely; the same goes for all roads and paths crossing underneath, and the Elbe river.😮
@@skayt35 Sad to hear....thanks for the info!
This is definitely a cause for concern, 2008 wasn't that long ago, so even original documentation should be available.
Cracks in the concrete makes me worried if there's enough rebar in the bridge and the quality of the concrete used.
Rebar that is not pretensioned does not stop concrete from cracking, it just limits the crack size, and sometimes promotes cracks by increasing shrinkage restraint. Note that the equations for crack size vs amount of rebar are highly imprecise, and the effect of cracks and the limits on cracks is as much cosmetic as structural.
@@michaelmcmullen354 Cracks will also let in water causing corrosion and if it freezes it makes the crack grow.
I think I'll be using the nearby Henderson bridge from now on. Rhode Island is sketchier that their bridges. Surprised the Mount Hope bridge hasn't rusted through yet. Only 102 years old.😮😂😅😊 They don't ask questions to politicians in Rhode Island. Unless it's what your favorite ice cream is.
Why was the Eastbound Bridge replaced 16 years ago? Did it have similar faults as were found on the Westbound Bridge?
The concrete was patchy apparently? That’s the only thing I could find on it, that there was “bad concrete” mixed in with “good concrete”
A Story from a son of a RIDOT bridge inspector said there were bridges his father would just never go on. So it really isn't the inspectors not knowing (in many cases).
That is alarming!
Just saw your interview with NBC 10 WJAR. I noticed in the video that there is a second bridge west of the Washington Street bridge and I'm curious as to the condition of that one.
The pedestrian bridge is actually the original bridge, they just cut it down the length of the bridge and left it, that's why they used half of the original footings. The state has done things like this in many spots.
It’s a shame, since Rhode Island is so old and full of so much history. The thing is, they do this for cost-cutting purposes, not preservation purposes. This leads to a) the original structures not being properly preserved and b) being UNSAFE because it’s done to be CHEAPER (which is clearly happening on the Washington bridge)
Could you make a short video on how to use Value Space? I'm in the Santa Cruz Mtns, California, and we have many roads susceptible to a landslide. I would like to recommend Value Space to the local road managers (private roads) to help them monitor the hills during the upcoming winter.
Thank you. This sounds like a great application. My contact info is at this link:www.ftandc.com/contact-us
When building over head cranes we cut the side plates for the girders as to provide camber.
Lived in S. Sioux in '13 and walked over the shaking Missouri bridge with partner every morning to Sioux city, never told her the new bridge was being fixed 😂
Question. The bridge now has traffic flowing in both directions. Can that cause quicker degradation?
Yes, from the extra loading. Also as has been pointed out by Michael McMullen in the comments, access for inspections, repairs and maintenance will be more difficult with so much traffic.
I think part of the reason that RIDOT is pushing six lanes of traffic onto this bridge is that civil engineers are notorious for subordinating all other concerns (including safety) to traffic flow, and motorists have consistently shown that they are supportive of making that trade-off.
It would seem they should just plan to replace both sides, otherwise you are going to have them out of sync and will probably just look goofy. Probably could build out the new bridge next to the old one and move the ramps to the new bridge. Maybe a cable stay bridge that has no piers in the water at all. Assuming the steel is the same age there is probably deteriorating steel hidden that bridge as well. The west bound bridge seems like a barometer of what is going to turn up on the Eastbound bridge in the next 10 years.
They planned for the Eastbound bridge to last 75 years (2093). I don't think it will make it!
@@CaseyJones-Engineer 75 years is a code requirement that does not necessarily have the means to be achieved at reasonable costs.
@@CaseyJones-Engineer Note parts of the EB bridge substructure were built in 1930 and are 94 years old, though I think the designers thought were good for many more decades before they replaced the superstructure in a Rehab. I usually wont do this unless I think the reused parts will last at least 50 more years, unless they are somewhat easily replacable.
Hello Casey. Your attention to this fiasco is amazing and appreciated. A thing or three to contemplate:
(a) Reusing the piers for the 94 year old eastbound bridge is OK but not for the 64 year old west bound structure? Curious decision.
(b) The picture of the failed anchor shows much rust, so the condition was not new. How long did the bridge function in that condition? Weeks, months or years? You had mentioned the rust in an earlier video.
(c) Could it have been possible to temporarily close the bridge, repair the broken rods, reopen the bridge to passenger vehicles only and move commercial traffic to one lane on the east bound bridge? Lighten the load until they figure out what to do and let the traffic be almost normal?
Thanks Laszlo. I don't think foundation re-use is a good option as they are planning to have much longer spans for the replacement bridge. Also, given that R.I. has started suing so many companies over this bridge, who would want to take the risk on foundation re-use. I also think that installing new foundations would be quicker than accurately figuring out the condition of the existing foundation elements. I suspect that the corrosion was going on for years. Finally, there were many other condition problems aside from the broken rods that favored bridge replacement (at least according to the reviewing consultants).
Generally if you replace deck and girders on existing foundations you can't expect as long of a life. If I am asked about this I usually say 50 years due the lack of information, though it could be longer. Foundations with problems just shouldnt be used or should be supplemented enough for redundency. Often foundations age mostly at the above ground and shallower parts, probably due few moisture changes, lack of freeze/thaw, and low oxygen levels.
In my experience, they can't call it a New Bridge, but a rebuild, if they use any part of the foundation other than for Scour protection.
That makes sense.
"Positive camber" on a bridge span is like a leaf spring on a travel trailer. When it is flattened by prolonged, dynamic loading, it ceases to provide the resiliency necessary for an adequate safety margin.
Great analogy!
The state of Rhode Island will never investigate itself. Hope Alviti agrees to your podcast interview request.
I do too!
I’ve been involved in federal construction work for many years now this sounds like a typical scenario. It’s not right it everyone is covering their rears.
Last night Nov 14 at 10:30 pm the east bound bridge was only 1 lane, crews had dug out concrete on a seam near East Prov and were gringing or welding some part of the exposed metal
Interesting thank you for that information.
When will the “load limit” signs be installed? I was most interested with the cracked bolt head. How, when and and why? Overtorqued in orginal install? Environment? Thanks. Videos are very enjoyable.
I find the crack interesting too. Probably from origional forging or heat treatment and slipped by QC.
When the calculated capacity for liveload falls below the legal limit. Not close at this time.
We drove over the eastbound span yesterday, this report makes one consider alternate routes, none of them are high capacity so if this bridge needs to be shut for interim repairs, it's going to really impact traffic everywhere.
I hope it doesn't come to that. RiDOT needs to be truly open and transparent about what is going on. They will have to be forced to do this by outside pressures no doubt.
Here's a potential problem: Route 81 through the city of Syracuse, NY has gotten near zero upkeep for YEARS as they re-route 81 onto the 481 highway which they are making the new route 81. They have been arguing for years about how to redevelop the route 81 currently going through the city and it is falling apart while they still use it with zero maintenance. It's falling apart. I won't wait at a stoplight under that thing.
If you want to get the attention of RI politicians, I would try to see if you can get on the WPRI 12 newsmakers show. Ted Nesi and Tim White would love to have you on as a guest.
Thank you for that suggestion. I've been following their reporting so I think they'd be great to talk with as you point out.
NEW BRIDGE PROBLEM: Hi Casey. Here's a new bridge issue you may want to check out. I saw an article in the 11/16/24 web page of The Washing Post titled "Maryland recommends knocking down, rebuilding Chesapeake Bay Bridge spans". The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a critical bridge for highway route 50 traffic in the Maryland/ Washing DC area where I live. Worth checking.
Thank you that's a great tip!
Have any RI DOT staff expressed hints at their thoughts on your reports?
I can picture state agency engineers feeling constrained from saying things that should be public discussion, and reports like this being a useful outlet for them to get both hard info and interpretive meaning made public, without putting their own necks in a political noose.
Generally State employees at a level low enough to understand the details of a problem are not to speak to the media. They might get called on to provided materials for presentation at press confrences or public meetings by others. They do get to speak freely with other state employees.
Absolutely nuts.. too many box tickers
Alviti will get a raise from this debacle !! There will *never* be any accountability.
Always interesting, but like you said, I'm not local to RI myself. Now, I'm local to WNC and am interested in how you believe in the transparency of NCDOT compares? I know the amount of damage makes it too hard to talk about, but how about. your general impressions. I know two Locally 5 lanes of US70 closed after the bridge, and 2 city or state roads washed away. Another bridge washed away. Two bridges have two large shipping containers leaning against and on top of them.
Thankfully, my situation is much better than many in the local area.
Oh.......You're getting InSAR data on the R.I. Washington bridge? Kudos. Why didn't R.I.D.O.T. do this?
Most bridge owners have not yet heard about this technology.
If you have a pier that looks in good condition, can you "wrap" a foot of concrete around it and use it for a new pier?
I have done that in a number of variations.
There's a reason why we call our state "The crookedest little state in the union" which was parodying an old tourism TV jingle, "We're the biggest little state in the union -Rhode Island - Rhode Island".
rhode island? theyre going to have to change it to no road island soon
From having performed inspections and load ratings for bridges, and given what was presented about the structure, I don't believe the increase in lanes would necessarily result in an increase in loading beyond what the steel bridge beams were designed to handle. Particularly for the longitudinal steel beams and deck, the design load shouldn't really be any different with the new lane configuration, as the beam spacing is fairly close and the design loading on any individual beam would assume lanes in the worst case position to produce the maximum forces in the beams. Though I don't have all the info on the bridge and lane geometry, it would be fairly straightforward for a consulting engineer to analyze it and confirm. Probably this geometry info is publicly available if someone wanted to run their own calculations and/or code check. Most likely the structural health monitoring system is an insurance policy against future surprises than it is an indication that the structure may be overloaded. If you're in the DOT's shoes, you really want to be able to say your doing everything possible to keep the public safe and keep traffic moving, especially after the WB was abruptly closed and the loss of confidence that creates. One surprise is bad enough, and monitoring is like insurance to mitigate against any other surprises (no matter how remotely unlikely) given that it is such a critical crossing for the area. A Fair rating for the structure seems reasonable based on the info shown. I would not be particularly concerned about the bridge based on this info alone. It looks like the DOT is getting back on track, and I'm glad they were able to get back to you with the reports requested.
Thank you very much for your comments. I took pains to not sensationalize my video presentation but simply raise questions which I think are fair to ask. Are you surprised that the bridge condition is only "fair"? The bridge is only 16 years old and has been in "fair" condition for a number of years already. This bridge was supposed to have a 75 year design life. Some of the photos form these inspections show inadequate maintenance with I believe was one of the key factors in the degradation of the westbound bridge. I have requested a copy of their engineering evaluation for the new traffic configuration on the E.B. bridge that RiDOT said was performed.
@@CaseyJones-Engineer You do a good job not sensationalizing, I agree. I guess I am a little surprised that the bridge is Fair condition, but figured it was a conservative judgement. I think you are right in that it is a young bridge to be in Fair condition. I looked back through the video and noticed that the most recent summary gave a rating of Good for the Deck and Superstructure (that would seem more appropriate based on age). I guess it could be the re-used pier that could be giving the bridge a lower rating if that had a condition rating of Fair (I didn't notice that rating), or it might depend on DOT guidelines on summarize the bridge condition ratings. Some bridge owners take the worst case condition rating based on the controlling component and or bridge elements and make that the rating. I'm not sure what RI has for a policy. As far a maintenance goes, in my experience there's generally always more maintenance than there are maintenance crews and resources to get to. Bridge joints and scuppers are generally always maintenance problem areas for bridges, so we try to avoid them as much as possible in the design of new bridges.
@dyingbatroad Thank you for your comments!
@@dyingbatroad Normally a points system is used for the good/fair/poor evaluation. A bridge can be fair with nothing reducing load capacity. I syspect this bridge would never be "good" due to the 96 year old substructure. It generally can't be "good" if load capacity requires posting.
The intentional lack of maintenance on our national infrastructure is criminal in my opinion. It is not only unsafe for the public, it also picks our pockets for more complex construction that is unnecessary. Where federal funds are used in construction, FHWA should mandate and enforce that our investment is protected.
Temp reshoring can help
Casey, could you do a study on how the I-90 causeway bridge sank? This was in Seattle way back in 1990. I really watching your content.
I noticed that those inspections you showed and referenced, that the bridge was in fair condition, were done on RIDOT forms! Did the RIDOT actually do those inspections or were they done by an outside inspection firm? If they were done by an outside firm, is the same assessment given on the outside inspection forms as was listed on RIDOT forms? I hope there is someone in RI government, smart enough to direct the DOT to come up with a viable re-routing plan if in the event they have to shut the eastbound bridge down!
It’s hard enough to get a bridge inspected every 2-3 years much less get any repairs done in between. Some bridges do end up not being inspected for 3+ years at a time usually because they are off the beaten path or carry only up to 20-30 tons load. (IE small bridges) so get kicked to the bottom of the to do list no matter what the regulations say should be done.
Feds get on your case if you bust the inspection intervals. There are some bridges that might be approved for a bit longer due to a lack of progress of signs of deterioration/ageing, mostly fully integral (no joints or bearings) concrete and prestressed concrete structures in beneign envoirnments.
Insar could be a valuable tool if used to point RIDOT at areas that are underpreforming/failing between major inspections. Instead govt. and RIDOT seems to not be proactive in attempting to keep the only remaing roadway open. Movements could focus special inspections on specific segments that are moving providing for possible early fixes and minimizing future closure until replacement is available. I noticed it appears in the photos that all demo. of failed bridge remains suspended for what to me is the weakest of reasons, i.e. collect data for possible/likely litigation. If this direction is not soon changed to priortize getting replacement built above the conflicting legal needs for courts any schedule for replacement is futile.
If I was a savvy young lad with a big enough boat I would start a car ferry service across that river.
I guarantee the east bound side is just as bad. But they dont want that information being released. They would have to shut the whole bridge down and that would cripple the state. I drive over it everyday and you can tell the east bound side is in terrible shape.
When I hear an official say that something important was 'indicated', all I hear is plausible deniability.
Casey... tried to email a couple weeks ago with some info I don't want to post online. It wasrejected by your server.
I'm checking into the email server issues. Please send it again when you get a chance.
@CaseyJones-Engineer Will do, when I get home. It's just some background info, where I've been, where I'm likely going next.
Again... Recipient address rejected: Access denied
@CaseyJones-Engineer I tried yours again, and I think it went thru. May have had something to do with my VPN. Turned it off and it hasn't bounced yet.
At about the two minute mark, there is a picture of a broken joint. An eight inch gap in joint is not fair, or poor. For a description of this they need to add a column, namely, extremely poor. At exactly what point on the bridge is this break? This type of wear or damage on a bridge is alarming.
Looks like a pop out from a rusted rebar, not a gap. Probably one of the 1930 parts remaining. looks like it might be in process of repair?
Without a doubt adding more lanes will add additional stress and therefore accelerate degradation. How long the bridge will need to do this is what really matters.
When politicians aren’t kissing babies, they’re stealing their lollipops…
Love it!
The problems go beyond Alviti, but he's corrupt and has always put the business interests of contractors ahead of the people of RI.
The NHS data in excel format is interesting. If you rank the data by "poor" status as a percentage of all bridges RI is 5th from the bottom. 7% is the national average and RI is 15%. Before you say it - it's not just a North thing. Louisiana bust that trend with 11%, Guam is at 13%. Even Alaska (the most northern) is only 8%.
R.I. bridges don't rank well at all. This is indicative of systemic problems.
@@CaseyJones-Engineer Or envoirnments prone to corrosion and a lot of traffic.
Lets hope that with the recent political change that true infrastructure spending happens. What goes up will come down unless proper maintenance happens, period. Thank you.
LION says hello.
Howdy!
This is a disaster in the making. I agree with one of the commentators: Track the movements of the officials and see if they are crossing this bridge🤨‼️
5.6 cm=5168 MHz (C-Band).
Thank you!
transparency for government is required. That was one reason for revolution from Spain/England
Just a question that is probably not something anyone but RI DOT can answer. Lets say that RI DOT took the inspection report and said to itself - I want to fix this. Are the issues (missing bolts, corrosion, cracks, uneven load plates) things that they have personnel that can go out and do the work, or are these issues such that they would need to put out an RFQ and hire an specialty contractor to do?
Assuming RIDOT has maintenance personell they can deal with some issues or contract out others. In my opinion the inspectors can and should tighten and replace bolts. In Colorado letters are sent to the Maintence department with different levels of priority for the fix.
I could put in a bid to build a new bridge, but they would not like the price. I am not an engineer and the saying is that anyone can make a bridge, but only an engineer can make a bridge just strong enough. First Bridges that are solid are less likely to fail. So I would start by having those curtain wall machines make large piers to bedrock. And stainless steel sleeves would not rust. Then fill it with fiberglass reinforced concrete. That pesky rebar rusts if you don't take care of it. Once there is a massive foundation it could support a stone arch bridge. So add some wood forms and pour in more fiberglass reinforced concrete. Then add some drainage pipes and RCS to fill it up to the pavement layer. Adding some stainless steel post tension cables would also help. How much... I don't know. I am sure the construction crew that built the sands hotel in Las Vegas shook there heads when the plans said to use spiral wound rebar for the columns. And of course if I was going to get sued if the bridge fails I would want to make it last longer than I am going to live.
Transparency and accountability
Should be law on public services, infrastructure.
National security, yes, but not a blacked response.