Baltimore Bridge Collapse

[Jerzylvania]

I think they're going to build a massively large, sturdy and high bridge. The cost of this bridge will reflects it's value to commerce. Probably costing over $2B. I doubt they go for any form of interim bridge as it'll get in the way. I'd also expect tugboats will now escort the ships completely out of the harbour for good measure and speed limits will be enforced with huge fines.

Probably should have already been doing that, given how much ships have grown since the bridge was built.

Well the problem with that is it almost makes perfect sense. Otoh, always pushing the limits on the size of your ships does have some negative consequences. I wonder if there's any worldwide standard limiting the size of these ships? Wouldn't bridge-builders want to know?

[Cheroa]

One of my friends lives in Baltimore and he’s seen the bridge, it doesn’t look good

[The Archregimancy]

Well the problem with that is it almost makes perfect sense. Otoh, always pushing the limits on the size of your ships does have some negative consequences. I wonder if there's any worldwide standard limiting the size of these ships? Wouldn't bridge-builders want to know?

There's a very practical informal standard:

The ability to navigate the Suez Canal.

Though that admittedly doesn't really impact height.

[Jerzylvania]

Well the problem with that is it almost makes perfect sense. Otoh, always pushing the limits on the size of your ships does have some negative consequences. I wonder if there's any worldwide standard limiting the size of these ships? Wouldn't bridge-builders want to know?

There's a very practical informal standard:

The ability to navigate the Suez Canal.

Though that admittedly doesn't really impact height.

Informally i'd add... and you shouldn't speed through there either.

Shipbuilders really need to have some idea what's too big all the way around.

Coordination among the parties would seem tantamount to assuring safe passages.

[American Legionaries]

One of my friends lives in Baltimore and he’s seen the bridge, it doesn’t look good

Yeah, a buddy of mine took pictures while backed up on the 95, and then took a bunch of the bridge wreckage.

[American Legionaries]

Well the problem with that is it almost makes perfect sense. Otoh, always pushing the limits on the size of your ships does have some negative consequences. I wonder if there's any worldwide standard limiting the size of these ships? Wouldn't bridge-builders want to know?

There's a very practical informal standard:

The ability to navigate the Suez Canal.

Though that admittedly doesn't really impact height.

Even that limit is a soft limit, really. I don't know if any go in and out of Baltimore, but there are some ships which are built too large for the Suez.

[Ifreann]

Pretty much nothing is safe when a ship that big is going to hit it.

Well there are a lot of these bridges stand around the world all the time, and very seldom does anything like this happen. I just don’t want people thinking that bridges aren’t safe.

The trick is to not have big ships hit them.

[Tarsonis]

Probably should have already been doing that, given how much ships have grown since the bridge was built.

Well the problem with that is it almost makes perfect sense. Otoh, always pushing the limits on the size of your ships does have some negative consequences. I wonder if there's any worldwide standard limiting the size of these ships? Wouldn't bridge-builders want to know?

Well there's the Pan-Max which is the biggest dimensions that can traverse the Panama canal, but they're currently working on expanding the canal to suit a larger Pan-Max. And there's ships bigger than that, that don't go through the canal.

Other than that there really is no globally imposed limit.

[Jerzylvania]

Well there are a lot of these bridges stand around the world all the time, and very seldom does anything like this happen. I just don’t want people thinking that bridges aren’t safe.

The trick is to not have big ships hit them.

Aww, the little ships say they're feeling neglected.

[Corrian]

I don't want people thinking bridges are unsafe

They tend to be very safe. This bridge simply wasn’t built to handle being rammed by a much heavier load than was common when it was built. It also likely needed maintenance considering how shit we are at maintaining our infrastructure.

I don't think ANY bridge is used to or built for getting rammed by 100,000 tons

[Jerzylvania]

Well the problem with that is it almost makes perfect sense. Otoh, always pushing the limits on the size of your ships does have some negative consequences. I wonder if there's any worldwide standard limiting the size of these ships? Wouldn't bridge-builders want to know?

Well there's the Pan-Max which is the biggest dimensions that can traverse the Panama canal, but they're currently working on expanding the canal to suit a larger Pan-Max. And there's ships bigger than that, that don't go through the canal.

Other than that there really is no globally imposed limit.

Hmm? So who pays for the Panama Canal expansion? Gotta cost hugely.

[Tarsonis]

Well there's the Pan-Max which is the biggest dimensions that can traverse the Panama canal, but they're currently working on expanding the canal to suit a larger Pan-Max. And there's ships bigger than that, that don't go through the canal.

Other than that there really is no globally imposed limit.

Hmm? So who pays for the Panama Canal expansion? Gotta cost hugely.

Especially since climate change is starting to make the canal untraversable at all, unless they completely redesign how the locks work

[Cannot think of a name]

Well there are a lot of these bridges stand around the world all the time, and very seldom does anything like this happen. I just don’t want people thinking that bridges aren’t safe.

The trick is to not have big ships hit them.

A big ship hit the bridge I lived off of and all it did was stink up the place...


I was actually home that day but wasn't watching anything local. I spent most of the day going "What's that smell?" and "I wish they'd stop it with the boat horns."

It is, however, the same bridge that borked during an earthquake in 1989.

[Jerzylvania]

Hmm? So who pays for the Panama Canal expansion? Gotta cost hugely.

Especially since climate change is starting to make the canal untraversable at all, unless they completely redesign how the locks work

Climate change issues need to be considered wisely when rebuilding failing world infrastructures. I hope they can agree on the basic facts and coordinate the response, plus sharing costs fairly with all parties involved.

Well, there's gonna be one helluva lot more inflation. Hey, who said that yesterday?

[Ethel mermania]

Pretty much nothing is safe when a ship that big is going to hit it.

Well there are a lot of these bridges stand around the world all the time, and very seldom does anything like this happen. I just don’t want people thinking that bridges aren’t safe.

Apparently happens more often than we think


How many ships have crashed into bridges?
A 2018 report for the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure catalogued 35 major bridge collapses that were caused by boat strikes between 1960 and 2015, killing a total of 342 people. Eighteen of those incidents happened in the United States.

[American Legionaries]

I just hope it spares a few people the pain of commuting into that city.

Mate, I know people from Baltimore, good NSers from my RP days and good people as a whole. It's nothing short of a miracle that the police were able to clear the bridge and save so many lives, and there is no reason to wish ill on every man, woman, and child unless you truly see yourself as someone at total war.

I mean, is there really any other way to see yourself at this point?

[Tarsonis]

Especially since climate change is starting to make the canal untraversable at all, unless they completely redesign how the locks work

Climate change issues need to be considered wisely when rebuilding failing world infrastructures. I hope they can agree on the basic facts and coordinate the response, plus sharing costs fairly with all parties involved.

Well, there's gonna be one helluva lot more inflation. Hey, who said that yesterday?

It does get exhausting being right all the time, except in picking football games.

[Jerzylvania]

Climate change issues need to be considered wisely when rebuilding failing world infrastructures. I hope they can agree on the basic facts and coordinate the response, plus sharing costs fairly with all parties involved.

Well, there's gonna be one helluva lot more inflation. Hey, who said that yesterday?

It does get exhausting being right all the time, except in picking football games.

Oh?

[Haganham]

They tend to be very safe. This bridge simply wasn’t built to handle being rammed by a much heavier load than was common when it was built. It also likely needed maintenance considering how shit we are at maintaining our infrastructure.

I don't think ANY bridge is used to or built for getting rammed by 100,000 tons

Any bridge should be build to withstand being hit by the craft that navigate the water under it.

[Ifreann]

I don't think ANY bridge is used to or built for getting rammed by 100,000 tons

Any bridge should be build to withstand being hit by the craft that navigate the water under it.

Hard to do that when the bridge is built first and the boats are built later.

[Nantoraka]

Any bridge should be build to withstand being hit by the craft that navigate the water under it.

Hard to do that when the bridge is built first and the boats are built later.

I still think the solution is to remove all the water in the ocean.

[The Black Forrest]

Any bridge should be build to withstand being hit by the craft that navigate the water under it.

Hard to do that when the bridge is built first and the boats are built later.

Indeed. Just like buildings. How many are going to withstand these new triple deck planes?

[Jerzylvania]

Hard to do that when the bridge is built first and the boats are built later.

I still think the solution is to remove all the water in the ocean.

Fish will kill you on next trip to the beach.

[Kerwa]

Any bridge should be build to withstand being hit by the craft that navigate the water under it.

Hard to do that when the bridge is built first and the boats are built later.

Which is why the approach to the problem these days is to put the piers on artificial islands so the ship will run aground before reaching them. And of course not building bridges downstream of massive container ports.

[San Lumen]

Hard to do that when the bridge is built first and the boats are built later.

Which is why the approach to the problem these days is to put the piers on artificial islands so the ship will run aground before reaching them. And of course not building bridges downstream of massive container ports.

That’s not always a viable solution.

You’re talking about rerouting a highway. Thats not a viable solution either.