What Happened To the Bay Bridge?

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

What Happened To the Bay Bridge?

Posted by kdawson on Saturday October 31, 2009 @06:36AM from the span-in-the-works dept.

farnsworth writes "Tony Alfrey has put together a fascinating page with some history, analysis, and possible explanations for what ultimately went wrong with the recent emergency repair of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The bridge has been closed for days and is not scheduled to open for days to come, hugely inconveniencing more than 250,000 people a day. His analysis touches on possibly poor welding, a possibly flawed temporary fix, and the absence of a long-term fix or adequate follow-up by Caltrans, the agency responsible for the bridge. Slashdot is a great engineering community; what other insights do you have on the bridge situation?"

12 of 407 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

still dead! by MickyTheIdiot · 2009-10-31 06:40 · Score: 3, Funny

For several work mornings the headline on "the new" CNN.com has been "Bay Bridge still closed."
In my head I hear it in the voice of Chevy Chase.
"General Francisco Franco is still dead!"
1. Re:still dead! by Prien715 · 2009-10-31 06:41 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Slashdot is a great engineering community
  He must be new here;)
  
  --
  -- Political fascism requires a Fuhrer.
2. Re:still dead! by tsm_sf · 2009-10-31 07:13 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  He must be old here.
  
  --
  Literalism isn't a form of humor, it's you being irritating.
3. Re:still dead! by JWSmythe · 2009-10-31 07:48 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Aw, everyone knows Slashdot is full of experts. Even if we don't know what we're talking about, we'll still pretend to be experts. Well, until a real expert speaks up and makes us look stupid. :)
  
  --
  Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
Speaking as the owner, I'm furious by Anonymous Coward · 2009-10-31 06:43 · Score: 5, Funny

Four years ago I bought that bridge along with a package of subprime mortgages to highly qualified homeowners.
Temporary fix insufficent by Anonymous Coward · 2009-10-31 06:48 · Score: 3, Funny

They should have used duct-tape!
whoa by nimbius · 2009-10-31 06:52 · Score: 3, Funny

I knew people had been talking about the state falling apart due to budget problems, but i didnt think they meant it literally

--
Good people go to bed earlier.
Wrong audience by Noose+For+A+Neck · 2009-10-31 06:53 · Score: 5, Funny

Slashdot is a great engineering community; what other insights do you have on the bridge situation?
No, Slashdot is mostly made up of computer janitors; the greatest insight you'll get out of most of the posters here is, "hurrr durr, the bridge must've been running Windoze! LOL!", with maybe a little "omg the twin towers were collapsed by EXPLOSIVES!!!!"-style conspiracy theory and "THE GOVERNMENT IS BAD!!!" braindead libertarianism thrown in for color.

--
Software piracy is victimless theft.
1. Re:Wrong audience by stimpleton · 2009-10-31 09:34 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Yes, the fact these planes had fuel on-board was a unique situation, and would be an unforseen consequence of a plane crash.
  
  --
  
  In post Patriot Act America, the library books scan you.
Closing the bridge makes it 100% safe by Anonymous Coward · 2009-10-31 07:03 · Score: 5, Funny

If their goal was to improve the safety of the bridge, then they totally succeeded.
Re:small by neoform · 2009-10-31 07:26 · Score: 5, Funny

The US spends $1.15 trillion a year on 'Defense', only bleeding heart liberals would want to waste any of that money on silly things like infrastructure.

--
MABASPLOOM!
Re:No worries about the Bay Bridge! by Bitmanhome · 2009-10-31 11:36 · Score: 3, Funny

Bridges aren't that expensive, it's the assembly and installation that kills you.

--
Not that this wasn't entirely predictable.