Engineers at N.C. State and the University of Cincinnati have partnered to learn how to make bridges safer in the wake of the Minneapolis bridge collapse.
Sami Rizkalla, professor of civil engineering, is directing the partnership, established by the National Science Foundation, which sponsors Industry/University Collaborated Research Center. Rizkalla said he had previously worked with the IUCRC.
The NSF contacted Rizkalla after the Aug. 1 bridge collapse, but Rizkalla, was in Canada at the time and could not tend to the site.
Rizkalla said he sent Gregory Lucier, research scientist at the Constructed Facilities Laboratory, to the site Aug. 4 and 5 while the rescue operation was still in progress.
Lucier said the experience of seeing the actual site gave him focus in learning how to make bridges safer. He said he wanted to gain knowledge of the consequences of this sort of accident, but the scale is so large that it could be years before they know what caused the collapse.
“It was totally devastated, quite a dramatic scene and quite a sobering scene,” Lucier said. “The most widespread thought was disbelief. There’s something different about being somewhere firsthand instead of seeing photographs,” he said.
According to Lucier, people in the area were also concerned how this sort of accident could be prevented in the future.
While he is not part of the investigation into the accident, Lucier and the other participating engineers are finding new ways to test and analyze bridges, which could aid in the prevention of a future bridge collapse. They are working with government and transportation organizations, other universities, industry sponsors and commercial clients who contact them to solve specific problems and work with new materials for structures, according to Lucier.
Part of their testing measures include pushing and pulling on materials, using extreme temperatures, hardening of bridges and applying weight to test the structures that are built, Lucier said. He said they can also use an earthquake simulator.
Hatem Seliem, a graduate student in Civil Engineering, working at the CFL, said he studied reinforcement with steel bars by using “a full scale bridge model in the building.”
The NSF called upon Lucier and other State engineers for their expertise in bridges, and UC engineers for their work in prognostics, Lucier said.
According to Rizkalla, there are also cameras used to analyze traffic patterns and there have been upgraded to wireless systems.
While this sort of technology could be very helpful, it can also be difficult to obtain data, Lucier said. The size of bridges forces them to only test small portions, and there are so many vehicles and environmental factors affecting bridges, it can be difficult to tell which one is causing harm, he said.
Lucier said there is no need to worry about the condition of North Carolina bridges, and he believes in the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s ability to keep bridges in proper condition.
“In general, bridges in North Carolina are very safe,” he said.
“If a bridge was found to be unsafe, it would be shut down. Proper maintenance of bridges is essential to keep structure healthy.”
