Why did the Baltimore bridge collapse so quickly?

Expert comment on Baltimore bridge collapse

"The Francis Scott Key Bridge is a metal truss bridge with a suspended deck, and from videos shown by the media it seems that the vessel has hit a main pier of the bridge. The main piers rest on soil underwater and they are part of the foundations of the bridge.

"This type of bridge is not designed to redistribute loads in the event of a main pier collapsing and therefore videos show there is a progressive collapse of the bridge (bridge elements fail after other bridge elements had failed).

"Maybe if the vessel had hit a small section of the suspended deck the bridge would have been able to survive the collision but not a main pier.

"I am assuming the first line of investigation will be to understand why the vessel could not avoid the pier when there were no other vessels around."

Dr Marina Bock BEng MEng PhD PGCert FHEA CEng MICE

Lecturer in Structural Engineering, Aston University

For further details or to speak to Dr Bock contact Nicola Jones Press and Communications Manager College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Aston University, Birmingham n.jones6@aston.ac.uk or Mobile: (+44)7825 342091