Regional Boards > Northwest
West Seattle Bridge and Spokane Viaduct
jakeroot:
--- Quote from: Chris on June 05, 2020, 03:59:41 PM ---What is actually flawed in the design? This bridge type is commonly used across the world in any type of terrain and environment. Or was there a construction deficiency? There's also speculation about the possibility of earthquake damage.
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I don't think the actual design flaw is quite clear yet. The earthquake likely had a role given the bridge's close proximity to the east-west Seattle Fault, which was only discovered as seismically hazardous in 1992, eight years after the West Seattle Bridge opened.
If that's the case, this would almost certainly make the West Seattle Bridge, and possibly the low level bridge, the last bridges constructed in the Seattle area where the structures were not built to designed to withstand significant earthquakes. But that is a total guess, and the I-90 bridge and the rest of the I-90 ramps in Seattle were also constructed in the early 90s, around the time of the fault discovery, so they could also be in trouble. Maybe.
Alps:
--- Quote from: Chris on June 05, 2020, 03:59:41 PM ---What is actually flawed in the design? This bridge type is commonly used across the world in any type of terrain and environment. Or was there a construction deficiency? There's also speculation about the possibility of earthquake damage.
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Something about the steel bars rusting through tells me there was an issue with materials or methods during construction.
kkt:
--- Quote from: Bickendan on June 05, 2020, 07:11:35 AM ---My vote's for the vehicle trebuchet.
Oh wait. I'm told that would very impractical...
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:-D
kkt:
I would think it would be wiser to find out why the current bridge failed prematurely before putting out bids for a new one, so they can tell what they need to specify in the replacement.
jakeroot:
--- Quote from: kkt on June 08, 2020, 02:40:40 PM ---I would think it would be wiser to find out why the current bridge failed prematurely before putting out bids for a new one, so they can tell what they need to specify in the replacement.
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I would be incredibly surprised if any replacement was considered, voted on, designed, built, and opened without some extensive research done on why the prior bridge failed. People are already begging for answers.
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