Experts: poor maintenance led to bridge collapse
By Xu Wenwen |
November 5, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
PROBLEMS in quality supervision and insufficient maintenance are to blame for a bridge collapsing in Hangzhou in eastern China, experts said yesterday.
Although the basic design and major construction met national standards, flaws in quality appraisal procedures and inadequate maintenance caused the bridge to fail to bear the weight of an overloaded truck and collapse, according to a panel who investigated the collapse.
A long-time lack of control over overloaded vehicles also contributed to the destruction of the bridge spanning the Qiantang River in the capital city of Zhejiang Province, the panel said.
On July 15, a motorist noticed a 6-meter long crack on the right lane of the A section of the Qiantang River No. 3 Bridge. He tried to steer around it but his wheels became stuck in the crack.
A truck laden with steel plates arrived soon afterwards, and turned right to avoid the car. But the weight of the truck caused the already weakened bridge to collapse and the vehicle toppled over the side.
The driver managed to escape before the vehicle hit the ground and suffered only a minor head injury.
An investigation by bridge experts for the Hangzhou government concluded that the blame lay with the overloaded truck - it was authorized to carry 34 tons, yet was laden with 128 tons of steel plate.
If better maintenance had been carried out, the collapse could have been avoided, added the experts.
"Insufficient maintenance is the biggest factor in the collapse," said Zhu Yulong, vice director of the Hangzhou transport bureau.
"The crack seen by the car driver should never have got to the stage," he told Shanghai Daily yesterday.
After repairs, the bridge reopened last month.
"Now the bridge is 100 percent safe as long as overloaded trucks are forbidden," Zhu said.
Another investigation about the durability of the bridge is under way and will be released six months later, officials said.
The Qiantang River No. 3 Bridge opened in 1997 and links Hangzhou's city center with Xiaoshan International Airport.
It handles about 50,000 vehicles each day. But only eight years after it opened, the bridge underwent strengthening and repair work, which took a year and cost 68 million yuan (US$10.7 million).
Although the basic design and major construction met national standards, flaws in quality appraisal procedures and inadequate maintenance caused the bridge to fail to bear the weight of an overloaded truck and collapse, according to a panel who investigated the collapse.
A long-time lack of control over overloaded vehicles also contributed to the destruction of the bridge spanning the Qiantang River in the capital city of Zhejiang Province, the panel said.
On July 15, a motorist noticed a 6-meter long crack on the right lane of the A section of the Qiantang River No. 3 Bridge. He tried to steer around it but his wheels became stuck in the crack.
A truck laden with steel plates arrived soon afterwards, and turned right to avoid the car. But the weight of the truck caused the already weakened bridge to collapse and the vehicle toppled over the side.
The driver managed to escape before the vehicle hit the ground and suffered only a minor head injury.
An investigation by bridge experts for the Hangzhou government concluded that the blame lay with the overloaded truck - it was authorized to carry 34 tons, yet was laden with 128 tons of steel plate.
If better maintenance had been carried out, the collapse could have been avoided, added the experts.
"Insufficient maintenance is the biggest factor in the collapse," said Zhu Yulong, vice director of the Hangzhou transport bureau.
"The crack seen by the car driver should never have got to the stage," he told Shanghai Daily yesterday.
After repairs, the bridge reopened last month.
"Now the bridge is 100 percent safe as long as overloaded trucks are forbidden," Zhu said.
Another investigation about the durability of the bridge is under way and will be released six months later, officials said.
The Qiantang River No. 3 Bridge opened in 1997 and links Hangzhou's city center with Xiaoshan International Airport.
It handles about 50,000 vehicles each day. But only eight years after it opened, the bridge underwent strengthening and repair work, which took a year and cost 68 million yuan (US$10.7 million).
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
