General Discussion

genxlib

(5,528 posts) Thu Mar 15, 2018, 10:26 PM Mar 2018

Please stop about the pedestrian bridge collapse [View all]

Somebody fucked up. Somebody fucked up big time.

But the constant recriminations and insinuations about all those involved is really unhelpful. We don't know what happened yet so we don't know who fucked up. We will find out and they will pay dearly. Until we do, this speculation is just pointless and irresponsible.

For the record, this hit close to home for me. I do work for FIU and know many of the people who got a terrible phone call today. I have worked with that Contractor years ago and know they are qualified to do this work. I am familiar with the bridge engineer and they have a reputation that more than qualifies them. Perhaps most importantly i have designed a number of pedestrian bridges including one on this scale.

Sometimes people fuck up and make disastrous tragic mistakes. It doesn't have to be evil or nefarious.

Sometimes they just fuck up.

64 replies

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Highlight:

Please stop about the pedestrian bridge collapse [View all] genxlib Mar 2018 OP

I think the tragedy is that a ped bridge had to be built in the first place, Ron Green Mar 2018 #1

FIU has steadily expanded Awsi Dooger Mar 2018 #4

Well said. vanamonde Mar 2018 #62

"It doesn't have to be evil or nefarious." dchill Mar 2018 #2

No. Stupid is not just as bad. And "mistake" doesn't necessarily mean "stupid." nt LAS14 Mar 2018 #36

I just meant that the result is the same. dchill Mar 2018 #41

See my response #37. We don't want to require people to admit to "stupid." We... LAS14 Mar 2018 #42

No one will ever admit to a "mistake". former9thward Mar 2018 #57

70s scandal haunts efforts to fix UMass garage Xipe Totec Mar 2018 #3

I'm not saying evil and nefarious doesn't happen genxlib Mar 2018 #9

So give me a rosy scenario - One where a bridge falls on eight cars and it's nobody's fault. nt Xipe Totec Mar 2018 #16

Let's not argue about who killed who.... FSogol Mar 2018 #22

LOL! Xipe Totec Mar 2018 #24

Who said anything about rosy genxlib Mar 2018 #49

A few questions. Blue_true Mar 2018 #5

I am not familiar with the specifics of the design genxlib Mar 2018 #10

Having decorative cables and a restraining tower for a structure like that would be insane. Blue_true Mar 2018 #32

I agree with you genxlib Mar 2018 #54

The pictures that I saw looked like the large concrete piece had re-bar support. Blue_true Mar 2018 #64

I'm reminded for about 9 hours every day what a thankless job engineering is. uncle ray Mar 2018 #6

Unfortunately genxlib Mar 2018 #12

Cheap materials MFM008 Mar 2018 #7

That was EXACTLY what I thought.. It was the first thing that ran through my The_REAL_Ecumenist Mar 2018 #8

This is what I am talking about. genxlib Mar 2018 #11

Speculation? The bridge collapsed. Either there was bad engineering or bad materials or both. stevenleser Mar 2018 #29

You answered your own question genxlib Mar 2018 #55

Incompetence. nt LexVegas Mar 2018 #13

Thank you! Javaman Mar 2018 #14

Sadly, it's human nature to try and assign blame as a kind of defense Blue_Adept Mar 2018 #15

What outfit was tightening the supports? nt. NCTraveler Mar 2018 #17

I have my suspicions about this quick new bridge-building method. alarimer Mar 2018 #18

Accelerated Bridge Construction died a spectacular death yesterday dalton99a Mar 2018 #20

You build 800 structures in this way over 8 years Blue_Adept Mar 2018 #28

In hindsight the Space Shuttle *WAS* stupid... it was hype and politics turned literally deadly. hunter Mar 2018 #43

I'm afraid people are not going to stop. MineralMan Mar 2018 #19

I think you need to go and look up what the word 'mistake' means. Kentonio Mar 2018 #23

I'm not jumping to any conclusions. MineralMan Mar 2018 #25

In other words you're not an expert in any way, shape or form Kentonio Mar 2018 #27

Negligence is not a mistake. MineralMan Mar 2018 #31

It's this kind of attitude that keeps people from participating... LAS14 Mar 2018 #37

+1 Kentonio Mar 2018 #39

You're talking about Morbidity and Mortality conferencing. hunter Mar 2018 #53

Yes, it is. Negligence is basically a legal term for mistake. The Velveteen Ocelot Mar 2018 #56

My guess is someone took a shortcut somewhere. alarimer Mar 2018 #59

So sorry for what you are experiencing mcar Mar 2018 #21

Agree, Genxlib. Thanks for posting sense and decency. Hortensis Mar 2018 #26

I respectfully disagree MaryMagdaline Mar 2018 #30

You are correct that a lot of all those things go on. genxlib Mar 2018 #61

By innocent I mean they did not KNOW that there was a defect MaryMagdaline Mar 2018 #63

That's not very accurate. The speculation is both benign and inconsequential. LanternWaste Mar 2018 #33

Not sure what speculation you think I engaged in genxlib Mar 2018 #58

Strongly Disagree... LovingA2andMI Mar 2018 #34

Absolutely no argument that lawsuits will happen and be warranted genxlib Mar 2018 #60

Stress Test SoCalMusicLover Mar 2018 #35

Thanks for this post. Our whole society, and DU as a small bit of it, would... LAS14 Mar 2018 #38

They were doing a stress test with traffic underneath. kcr Mar 2018 #40

Thanks for your perspective. I share your angst. mia Mar 2018 #44

There is a cadre of DUers who've programmed their responses to certain things Dreamer Tatum Mar 2018 #45

Exactly Awsi Dooger Mar 2018 #48

Puerile tribalism Dreamer Tatum Mar 2018 #50

This whole incident was a disaster from the get go. Initech Mar 2018 #46

Stress test it with people underneath it BootinUp Mar 2018 #47

It's almost like they were trying to get fired. Initech Mar 2018 #51

"Don't you think we should stop the traffic?" dalton99a Mar 2018 #52