Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
Members of the media may directly contact:
Elena Dragomirescu( English only)
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Professor Dragomirescu can explain why the collapse was unavoidable for the collision in question.
“The bridge was old (constructed in 1977), but well maintained, had a long mid span (366m) for this type of structure (3rd longest in the world for truss bridges), with a total length of 2,632 m. But in this case the massive collision which knocked down the pier is the cause of collapse. Even a brand-new bridge would have collapsed under similar circumstances. It would have required a much wider pier to stop the cargo ship, while still maintaining partial structural integrity.
What is interesting is the fact that it was considered a safe route for trucks caring hazardous materials, which are not allowed in the Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry tunnels.”