I think they're over reacting! Just because of a few cracks in the metalwork they've closed the bridge.
I sometimes look at a newsgroup populated mostly by Russian engineers. One person, a senior female engineer called Slapabitta Ameritonit (you might have heard of her because in a previous life she represented the USSR for weight lifting in the 1964 Los Angeles Olympics) said that they should have just slapped a bit of Hammerite on it and walked away. I think she might be right.
Bill
it's not *The* Forth Bridge. it's the modern upstart th Forth Road Bridge.
No it's the First Forth Road Bridge.
Bill
But it's the Second Forth Bridge.
East Fife Four Forfar Five
Hmm, might need a few coats of Hammerite to fill this crack.
Tim
Alright then, lash some cable ties round it too ?
Yeah, mebbe a bit of gaffer tape might come in useful as well...
Bill
Car body filler, innit.
Owain
I assume they will need to do a thorough assessment of the degree of weakening - perhaps then they can allow reduced traffic - although I believe that the traffic accounts for less than 10% of the weight of the deck. A repair scheme will need to be developed and tested. Remedial work will need to be planned and resourced. Access arrangments and training for repair workers. I reckon at least a year.
The Firth of Forth Road Bridge
Interesting to see so much detail. A different one to the problem which has required so many repairs to the box-girder deck of the Severn and M5 Avon bridges, which (I believe) was cracking in welds, progressing by fatigue.
You are TNP AICMFP.
In that case there's no point in doing anything - 'cos it's due to be replaced before then. Just keep it closed and speed up the construction of the new one.
Site relating to the bridge directly not a media site...
Looking at the drawing it looks like the entire truss end is hung from four links. The end of one appears to be fully broken in the photo, the top section is displaced to the left relative to the bottom bit. No wonder they are worried...
Just replace the link and make sure that the bearings top and bottom aren't siezed.
Actually, though I get the gist of your point, the news item I heard told me that there have been strain gauges installed on some parts of the bridge for over a decade now, monitoring the cracks, so its not new at all. I suppose they must have recently widened. The metalwork is now old and presumably nobody really wanted to spend the megabucks to try to fix it and so they hoped it would not affect structurally important areas any time soon.
Now they will have either to fix the important problems or at least do a manual inspection to see what is to be done. Nothing lasts for ever. Brian
I thought it was the strands that were breaking in the suspension cables, and there were transducers fitted to record when another one snaps and goes 'ping' ?
This/these new crack/s is a different kettle of fish ?
Yes and its really under tremendous stresses, and the word 'new' in this context is rather misleading, as everything is relative. The old railway bridge has got issues too, but its built far more conservatively and can take it. I do often wonder about more modern bridgees and exactly how long they might be expected to last. The old Severn Bridge has had to have significant work done to it to keep it safe after all. Brian
It looks like a job for No More Nails.
Very true. I went on a school trip to see the Forth Road bridge being built. Seems odd it has had such a short life.
Which reminds me, whatever happened to Marky P ?
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