US structural designs
The recent collapse of a river bridge in Minnesota State in USA, and an earlier (a few years back) similar collapse of a bridge in California and a few lesser known similar failures; points to the fact that something is seriously wrong in the design or construction standards in the US! The situation is quite worrisome for the millions of automobile drivers crossing such bridges every day in the US.
In the TV news item on it, it was reported that this bridge was declared "suspect or deficient" way back in 1990! Worse, it collapsed while it was being repaired and under modification! It is surprising that no safety measures in terms of reducing speed limit for vehicles or restriction for heavily loaded vehicles or some form of traffic flow control were imposed. It appears to be a dangerous lapse on the part of the State Government.
I wonder if this issue was a neglect in safety and responsibility on the part of the State Government, and they could be held legally liable for the loss of lives, injuries and damages to private properties (vehicles) of many people. If this is the state of affairs in one of the richest country in the world, then they stand on very thin ice when preaching concerns for safety of their citizens in other countries. In short, one is tempted to state " Physician, heal thyself".
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