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-   -   Baltimore Bridge collapse (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1159423-baltimore-bridge-collapse.html)

oldE 03-29-2024 05:22 AM

I'm not an engineer, but as for mooring barges, they will probably need mooring at all four corners, as the river is tidal.
Dismantling the twisted structure of the bridge will be dangerous, as I imagine there will be a lot of oxy lance work to render it into manageable pieces.
Using explosives to sever the beams and girders might be safer and faster.

Best
Les

greglepore 03-29-2024 05:26 AM

The bow of the ship is in the river bottom, but only due to the weight of the bridge resting on it. Should pull right out.
They'll offload containers to barge, they did it with the Ever Forward to lighten it. Only a few hazmat containers aboard, they know where they are and not in the river.
The link upthread that Jolly posted has data on what ships are in the harbor and trapped, luckily not many. As far as arrivals, "Wolfsburg" unloaded VW's at Sparrows Point yesterday-its outside the bridge. Other traffic may divert to Norfolk or Wilmington, both are international ports with all the goodies and only a couple days away. Currently most are holding at an anchorage below the Chesapeake Bay bridge.
I guess a remaining issue is whether salvage is allowed to proceed to cut things apart immediately as all of the bodies haven't been found or recovered.

HobieMarty 03-29-2024 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclebilly (Post 12222407)
Aside from the unimaginable losses, here is what I’m curious about.

1. How are they going to remove the old bridge debris? I know there are barge cranes enroute but they can’t lift an entire bridge section.

1a. How do they cut the bridge sections into liftable segments without shock loading the crane?

1b. How do they get a man into position to cut the bridge sections? Is this torch work or some crane mounted ‘jaws of life’ type pincer machine?

2. How do they get the barges to the bridge and keep them there? Presumably they would set the anchors upstream and the barges would be positioned downstream where the bridge debris is. Likely they would triangulate the anchors to prevent side shifting. It seems like the barges need to be upstream of the bridge but they can’t get there… yet.

3. It appears to me that some sea cans fell from the Dali. How do they deal with that and the contents?

4. Will there be criminal charges against the captain or pilots? 6 people died.

5. How many ships are stranded in Baltimore right now? Who pays for this?

6. If they have to unload Dali partially before they move it, how do they do this?

7. How deep is the water there? Is Dali aground? Is there risk of it sinking there?

8. Is it time to buy Maersk stock?

To answer question #7, I have read that the water is 50 feet deep there at the bridge.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

hcoles 03-29-2024 05:59 AM

I'm curious about - What component failed or what was the human error?

TimT 03-29-2024 06:09 AM

1. How are they going to remove the old bridge debris? I know there are barge cranes enroute but they can’t lift an entire bridge section.

1a. How do they cut the bridge sections into liftable segments without shock loading the crane?



They will use a combination of methods, cutting torches, shears, hoe-rams, hydraulic saws, possibly lances, etc..

1b. How do they get a man into position to cut the bridge sections? Is this torch work or some crane mounted ‘jaws of life’ type pincer machine?

They will probably have barges with manlifts/aerial buckets etc..

And demo shear such as this

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0Hc4uLS6wnE?si=QuhSVVSNfDD4LDed" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>


2. How do they get the barges to the bridge and keep them there? Presumably they would set the anchors upstream and the barges would be positioned downstream where the bridge debris is. Likely they would triangulate the anchors to prevent side shifting. It seems like the barges need to be upstream of the bridge but they can’t get there… yet.

They will have barges with spuds either on the bow or stern, or all four corners to locate the barges securely.. I'm not sure of the depth of the water . in some instances they may sink or ground the barges.. load them with debris, then refloat the barges. Same with the barge mounted cranes.. There is a barge mounted crane called the "century" owned by the Port Authority of NY and NJ, that has a 1000 ton capacity if floating.. if its grounded the capacity goes up a great deal..

There will be a number of set ups like this, on a much larger scale...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711721193.jpg

TimT 03-29-2024 06:14 AM

Quote:

I'm curious about - What component failed or what was the human error?
The ship hit one of the main piers almost head on destroying it and a bridge like that where the span instantly double cannot self support..

In this image you can see the destroyed pier cap, and a portion of one of the columns draped across the bow of the ship

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711584033.jpg

URY914 03-29-2024 06:39 AM

As far of cutting the bridge up into smaller pieces, when the ship Golden Ray rolled over in Brunswick Ga. a few years a go they used a huge chain to cut though the entire ship. There videos of it on youtube. It's crazy to watch it in action.

URY914 03-29-2024 06:49 AM

Found this "before" pic on flickr

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711723754.jpg

Jolly Amaranto 03-29-2024 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3rd_gear_Ted (Post 12221783)
They are looking hard at dirty fuel.
Bunker oil is nasty stuff

They no longer are allowed to use Bunker C. Global regulations require low sulfur fuel. In years past, the sulfur in the diesel fuel would help break down other crap the refiners would dispose of in the fuel oil they sold, so unused feed stock stock from paint or plastics could typically be blended in to get rid of it. Now with the low sulfur, those added impurities wreck havoc with marine diesels.

URY914 03-29-2024 07:09 AM

How are they going to pick up the pieces?

There are MASSIVE barge mounted cranes around the world that can lift hundred of tons. The problem will be finding one available that can get on scene soon.

This one can lift 900 tones


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711724954.jpg

TimT 03-29-2024 07:22 AM

https://www.donjon.com/ches1000.htm

1000 tons at 63' radius

https://www.donjon.com/vesselimages/chesapeake.jpg

Sooner or later 03-29-2024 07:29 AM

One crane has arrived,

https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse-03-29-2024-7d27a5c561f9f3359935a56139623108


BALTIMORE (AP) — A crane appeared at the site of a collapsed highway bridge in Baltimore as crews prepared Friday to begin clearing wreckage that has stymied the search for four missing workers and blocked ships from entering or leaving the city’s vital port.

A crane that can lift 1,000 tons — described the largest on the Eastern Seaboard — had been expected to arrive late Thursday, and a second that can lift 400 tons should arrive Saturday, officials said earlier. They will be used to clear the channel of the twisted metal and concrete remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, as well as the cargo ship that hit it this week.

Tobra 03-29-2024 09:32 AM

I wonder who they will name the new bridge after

Scott Douglas 03-29-2024 09:35 AM

I think this project would make for a good live streaming camera event. It's going to be very interesting to see how they get all the bridge cleared in a timely manner.

Will a replacement bridge be similar in design?

It's hard to not think about the four guys still missing and what their families are feeling.

hcoles 03-29-2024 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimT (Post 12222476)
The ship hit one of the main piers almost head on destroying it and a bridge like that where the span instantly double cannot self support..

In this image you can see the destroyed pier cap, and a portion of one of the columns draped across the bow of the ship

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711584033.jpg

We know the ship hit things and caused damage. Why did the ship go off course?

Scott Douglas 03-29-2024 09:38 AM

It also lost power and thus the ability to steer it.

hcoles 03-29-2024 09:54 AM

Why did it lose power? E.g. capacitor on circuit board ABC failed and there was no backup or quick recovery process. I would expect that most of the critical systems do not have a single point of failure.

Steve Carlton 03-29-2024 09:54 AM

With so much weight and inertia involved, it would make sense to have tugs escort ships out of the harbor to avoid such a catastrophe. I'm sure that would be expensive, but this illustrates the downside. I know hindsight is 20/20, but this should have been anticipated.

I wonder if not replacing the bridge and re-routing traffic is feasible. Not replacing the Embarcadero Freeway after it collapsed seems to have been a big plus overall.

URY914 03-29-2024 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas (Post 12222623)
I think this project would make for a good live streaming camera event. It's going to be very interesting to see how they get all the bridge cleared in a timely manner.

Will a replacement bridge be similar in design?

It's hard to not think about the four guys still missing and what their families are feeling.

I heard an engineer being interviewed today on the radio about the new bridge going back would be a much different design. Look how new bridges are supported today, Much different than the old ones. Designed now with sections that are self supporting and not relying on other sections so when one section goes down it all doesn't fall like a house of cards

Steve Carlton 03-29-2024 10:49 AM

Built in 1977. Like a kitten on a freeway.

jrj3rd 03-29-2024 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton (Post 12222646)
With so much weight and inertia involved, it would make sense to have tugs escort ships out of the harbor to avoid such a catastrophe. I'm sure that would be expensive, but this illustrates the downside. I know hindsight is 20/20, but this should have been anticipated.

I wonder if not replacing the bridge and re-routing traffic is feasible. Not replacing the Embarcadero Freeway after it collapsed seems to have been a big plus overall.

The ship was moving at 8+ knots. At that speed and size the tugs would be along for the ride and useless.

Seahawk 03-29-2024 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrj3rd (Post 12222868)
The ship was moving at 8+ knots. At that speed and size the tugs would be along for the ride and useless.

100%.

Once underway, with steerage, a ship the size of the Dali is like a planet in orbit a tug cannot influence.

I am really interested in the truth on this. I only drove ships for a year but the nuances of getting in and out of port are briefed, at least in the Navy, in detail by the Navigator to the watch team.

Steve Carlton 03-29-2024 04:31 PM

Not so sure. Some think tugs could have averted this disaster. Some ships are much bigger, but I don't know if they go to Baltimore or not. Maybe we're 'gonna need a bigger tug.' If you're referring to stopping the Dali's forward momentum, I would agree that a huge job. But what about pushing it perpendicularly in a different direction?

I think it's time for some change.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2024/03/27/tugboats-baltimore-key-bridge-disaster/73123627007/

TimT 03-29-2024 05:04 PM

I've calculated a few times, the force that ship struck that pier with.

Not really relevant because the answer is with a lot more force that the pier could resist..


I had a feeling this crane was headed to the site..

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2024/03/29/largest-floating-crane-at-baltimore-site-not-left-coast-lifter/73142285007/

Kind of odd knowing you have worked in a niche sort of career and know where 1000 ton capable barge cranes are located....

pmax 03-29-2024 05:41 PM

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711763555.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711772401.jpg

G50 03-29-2024 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas (Post 12222628)
It also lost power and thus the ability to steer it.

I haven’t followed this, but I did see the video.

If it lost power, why was it billowing huge black smoke in the entire half a minute before it hit the bridge?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711764319.jpg

unclebilly 03-29-2024 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G50 (Post 12222932)
I haven’t followed this, but I did see the video.

If it lost power, why was it billowing huge black smoke in the entire half a minute before it hit the bridge?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711764319.jpg

That was when they recovered power and went full throttle astern.

unclebilly 03-29-2024 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton (Post 12222878)
Not so sure. Some think tugs could have averted this disaster. Some ships are much bigger, but I don't know if they go to Baltimore or not. Maybe we're 'gonna need a bigger tug.' If you're referring to stopping the Dali's forward momentum, I would agree that a huge job. But what about pushing it perpendicularly in a different direction?

I think it's time for some change.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2024/03/27/tugboats-baltimore-key-bridge-disaster/73123627007/

I think a good size tug on either side of the bow could certainly steer a vessel this size much like bow thrusters. Ultimately, this is how they dock them when currents and the wind aren’t cooperating.

Going slow, they have very limited steering.

I had more than one log ship get all bent out of shape in the shipping lane in Trevor Channel on the west coast of Vancouver Island back in the day when I was dragging for shrimp there… they wouldn’t charge course until I called Tofino Traffic on channel 73… Tofino Traffic quickly reminded them that the active commercial fishing vessels in the area had the right of way. They had limited steering, I had none with a shrimp net 1200’ behind me in ~100 fathoms of water.

berettafan 03-30-2024 01:04 AM

Whoa too cool we have a waterman here! What sort of shrimp were you catching there?

unclebilly 03-30-2024 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berettafan (Post 12223047)
Whoa too cool we have a waterman here! What sort of shrimp were you catching there?

Pink shrimp and sometimes side stripes. If we towed in the shallow side of the channel, we could catch a pile of prawns which were larger.

We had a 47’ Japanese beam trawl net and it worked pretty well. We also had a door trawl that towed a lot faster but didn’t fish as well.

This boat, the Darlene T, wasn’t well setup for shrimping as it was originally built for Gillnetting salmon on the Fraser River and we converted it for salmon trolling as well. It would only hold 1500-2000 lbs of shrimp because you would do 30% ice. We added a deck tote so I could take another 700 pounds of shrimp before we had to deliver.

I could fill the boat in a day and a half but then it was a 2 day turn around run to Ucluelet to deliver.

At 17, I was the youngest skipper on the west coast.

berettafan 03-30-2024 03:56 AM

Skipper at 17? That is crazy!

greglepore 03-30-2024 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G50 (Post 12222932)
I haven’t followed this, but I did see the video.

If it lost power, why was it billowing huge black smoke in the entire half a minute before it hit the bridge?

Attempt to restart. The explanation I heard was that they use compressed air to spin the diesel and the restart creates a plume.

hcoles 03-30-2024 05:48 AM

Some initial RCA thoughts coming in relate to possible contaminated fuel taken on at the port. Very early to know, could be something completely different.

rfuerst911sc 03-30-2024 06:06 AM

And it was initially reported that the belch of black smoke was from the generator coming online and not the engines . There are lots of questions and there will be answers but only after a thorough investigation .

stevej37 03-30-2024 06:26 AM

^^^ Wonder if it is driven like a locomotive? The engine charges the batteries and the batteries drive the wheels or prop?

unclebilly 03-30-2024 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greglepore (Post 12223069)
Attempt to restart. The explanation I heard was that they use compressed air to spin the diesel and the restart creates a plume.

Any big old pre emission diesel does this. Leave it idle for a period of time and when you rev it up, it makes a cloud (before rolling coal was a thing).

My gravel truck does it, my old case tractor does it, the fish boat I ran did it. Pretty normal. My newer tractor with tier 4 emissions, does not smoke at all.

hcoles 03-30-2024 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej37 (Post 12223122)
^^^ Wonder if it is driven like a locomotive? The engine charges the batteries and the batteries drive the wheels or prop?

I don't think this ship has the more flexible design where the engines turn generators which power electric motors, one on each shaft. They really don't have to use batteries in the way I think you meant. It would be helpful if someone here knows what the propulsion and generator system layout is on the ship in question. I'm guessing (WAG) two main direct-drive engines and at least two aux. generators.

schwarz633 03-30-2024 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcoles (Post 12223196)
I don't think this ship has the more flexible design where the engines turn generators which power electric motors, one on each shaft. They really don't have to use batteries in the way I think you meant. It would be helpful if someone here knows what the propulsion and generator system layout is on the ship in question. I'm guessing (WAG) two main direct-drive engines and at least two aux. generators.

According to Dr. Salvatore Mercogliano on YouTube, it's a single engine, single fixed pitch screw. He say's it's direct drive and requires 8-9 minutes to reverse the engine and achieve reverse propulsion.

hcoles 03-30-2024 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schwarz633 (Post 12223206)
According to Dr. Salvatore Mercogliano on YouTube, it's a single engine, single fixed pitch screw. He say's it's direct drive and requires 8-9 minutes to reverse the engine and achieve reverse propulsion.

Excellent. Thanks. That's a good YouTube Channel.

A more modern layout might be something like this. I think these newer systems are more robust at tolerating failures.



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711816498.jpg

Sooner or later 03-30-2024 12:48 PM

Oklahoma today

https://www.newson6.com/story/66086506279eaf1f2b6c6efe/bridge-closed-near-sallisaw-due-to-barge-collision


A bridge has been closed near Sallisaw due to a barge crashing into it according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The bridge on US Highway 59 is south of Sallisaw at the Kerr Reservoir. Traffic is being diverted from the bridge until it can be inspected, according to OHP


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