×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

More Problems with Canadian Bridges

More Problems with Canadian Bridges

More Problems with Canadian Bridges

(OP)
Falling Gardiner chunk misses car
 
January 28, 2007
Tamara Cherry
Staff Reporter

A piece of the Gardiner Expressway about the size of a basketball broke off last night, narrowly missing a car stopped on York St. below.

No one was injured when the concrete fell from beneath the overpass, shattering on the median where the westbound Gardiner meets northbound York St. around 11:40 p.m., Acting Staff Sgt. Craig Lewers said.

from the Toronto Star

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

Meanwhile, the city of Fort Worth, Texas, is planning three new bridges...and the architect is from Canada.

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

Doesn't matter where the architect is from as they produce creative sketches and flamboyant ideas.  Engineers are responsible for making structures stand up.  And apparently that is not the case in Canada at least in these localized incidents.

Regards,
Qshake
pipe
Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

(OP)
Qshake... not necessarily bad engineering... maintenance is required in particular where large amounts of de-icing chemicals are used and infrastructure maintenance has been 'put on a back burner' for too long.  We have the same opinion about architects, though...

Dik

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

Duly noted, dik.  Maintenance is a very critical item and is often ignored in favor of the out-of-sight-out-of-mind mentality.

Though for most clients or bridge owners an engineer is usually responsible for the overall program but not the actual work.

Regards,
Qshake
pipe
Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

(OP)
I've not done a bridge, have done a couple of small repairs to them.  With parkades, I have a standard maintenance manual that I give to the owner.  I also have a pre-design package stipulating loads, exits, layout, etc. for a sign-off...

Dik

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

Quote (JStephen):

Meanwhile, the city of Fort Worth, Texas, is planning three new bridges...and the architect is from Canada.

Do you have any details on those projects?

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

JStephen:  The architect might be from Canada; the Structural engineer, too, might be from Canada, but it is most likely that the contractor will be from the States (Texas, perhaps) as well as the concrete and steel.  So, unless there are negligence issues, it is the workmanship and proper construction that would be the cause of concern for me!

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

Hopefully, you all recognize that my comment on the bridges is in jest.

And, yes, they really are working on some new bridges, in the planning stages now.  See this site for some conceptual views:
http://www.trinityrivervision.org/ConceptualGraphics.asp
There is also a 15MB presentation on the bridges on this site, but I couldn't get it to open right.

The Trinity River isn't that big, so bridges across it aren't usually big news- these are different mainly because they are not the plain ol' bridges like we normally see around here.

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

Is the water shown reflecting the conceptual bridges usually so nice and blue? I've only been in & out of DFW, but recollect water looking less-than-thirst-quenching.

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

I think that's Artistic License.

The architect for this project also has some info on his website, but it's fairly vague.

www.bingthomarchitects.com, look for "Projects", then "Urban design", then "Trinity Point Planning Project"

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

Do I detect some canadian-engineer criticism above.  Having reviewed many designs by both US and Canadian engineers I have found sub-standard designs originating from both countries.  In Toronto and Montreal the major problem is poor maintenance of reinforced concrete structures deteriorating from de-icing salt.

RE: More Problems with Canadian Bridges

The real problem here is that because of the Montreal collapse any significant piece of concrete falling from a bridge in Canada makes the news.  Bits of concrete fall from bridges everywhere all the time, usually because of poor maintenance.  They're generally cleaned up by road crews quickly and don't make the news.  Canada's climate aggravates the problem, as it would in the northern US and marine areas.  Lack of funding for infrastructure maintenance is pretty universal, as is bridge engineering knowledge.  We'd all be better off if flying chucks of concrete made the news more often, everywhere.

Writing form Ottawa, Ontario, if it matters.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources