September 3, 2007

  • You wrote:  “Are you satisfied that they are going to be able to design a safe bridge at that breakneck speed?”

    That doesn’t bother me.  I considered that question but it doesn’t bother me.  I compared it to the Pentagon being rebuilt in a year.  It took a lot of effort but no one is griping about quality and I’m sure that everyone involved in the Pentagon rebuild is using as their “calling card”.  Good for them. 

    I took binoculars with me when I looked at the bridge. The two piers, which are on dry land seem in excellent shape.  I suspect they will be reused though perhaps “beefed up” though I doubt they played any role in the collapse.  The main span is around 450 feet.  This is modest by bridge engineering standards.  I’d go “old school” and put in an extra margin of error/redundancy.”

    We may not have the metal fabrication capabilities needed here in Minnesota but we have it in on the Mississippi and it’s tributaries.  Like I said, I can get a 450 foot long girder through a 400 foot river lock. 

    As for the components there are powerful inspection tools like “metal X-ray” to inspect and certify the work.  These are extensively used in oil drilling where they have a string of pipe that is several miles long.  The technology is well established and a bridge beam is a “cakewalk”.  These companies are all ISO 2000 certified (I know this stuff!).  I’d play it to supplier as a “calling card” with dire warnings about what would happen if they fail.

    In my proposal, if I were making it I would overbuild by 25% to compensate for potential “fast track errors”.  For the state, if the design errors fall in the 25% they are covered and if it is designed correctly, the bridge will have a bonus working life in the future.  I would “guesstimate” that overbuilding it 25% would increase the cost 5%.  You don’t want to necessarily go with the low bidder here.

    As for computor  designs and calculations these can be done rather quickly if your motivated.  Here they are.

    Due to the credit crunch construction work is down and our construction companies cooperate very well with each other to keep their employees working.    I suspect that who ever wins will get a lot of help from their local competitors.  In winter here you can do perhaps 90% of summer.  The money is a lot better than being laid off.  The “big project” construction workers here adapt.  If a big winter storm is expected they take their weekend early, ride out the storm at home with family and friends and work on the weekends.  I know a number of them and they are a tough and dedicated group.  They are “chomping at the bit” to rebuild I35W.  (I will be contacting the Hearst/Educational cable channels to do a documentary series on the I35W bridge rebuild ala “Deadliest Catch” and Ice Road Truckers”.

    Obviously I will be following this very closely.  It should be fun to follow and I will follow it.  The technology is all there to do it “fast-track”.  It’s just a matter of pulling it al together.  I will be following it and reporting.