Doomed bridge’s weakest areas carried 191 tons (Minneapolis)

Source: MSNBC/AP

MINNEAPOLIS - More than 191 tons of construction material had been piled over the weakest areas of an interstate bridge that collapsed last August, according to federal investigators.

In a followup to a preliminary report released in January, the National Transportation Safety Board report that the piles of rock and sand were placed over steel plates that were thinner than they should have been.

Calculations by the agency have determined that the bridge in Minneapolis was carrying a 630-ton load at the time it fell into the Mississippi River. About half of that load was sitting on the center span.

The Aug. 1 collapse killed 13 people and injured 145.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23691300/

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I wondered at the time when it was reported construction material was on the bridge if this was a contributing factor.

Who was responsible for distributing the load of construction materials? Were they just parking materials willy-nilly?

their carelessness killed those people as dead as if they'd shot them in the head

it's the new orleans levee board all over again

what's the deal with these slob contractors and engineers?

Governor was trying to put off the cost and inconvenience till after the election.. so he set back the inspection date till no work could be done before the election... knowing the severity if the problems.. some inspections were done previously. negligent homicide

We're one STUPID, SELFISH, MONEY GRUBBING country.

Let's all kumbaya and sing the National Anthem.

And even got criticized by a few people for not buying into the "blame everything on Pawlenty" b.s.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2943175#2943213

...an attempt to defray blame before the RNC comes to town?