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I recently retired after an almost 40 year career involved with designing, building, repairing bridges in the metro NY area... Having said that I am by no means an expert.. I was still learning my craft when I retired...
The Key bridge appears to be a continuous span cantilever truss bridge... Even though bridges are designed concerns for safety and factors of safety.. many structures have been upgraded to meet the seismic requirements. However design concerns would not include an impact by a large vessel...
Most bridges with a navigable channel have a protection system (dolphins or fenders)
to protect the piers on either side of the channel..
However the dolphins wouldn't stand a chance being impacted by a 117000 ton ship going X knots..
From the pictures and videos I have seen the ship hit the pier directly at a 90 deg angle. destroying an intermediate pier.. and then like pulling the wrong piece in jenga.. the bridge came down..
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