Why did the Key Bridge collapse so quickly? Engineering expert weighs in
BALTIMORE -- There's a sadness still hanging over Baltimore City after the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
A massive cargo vessel, the Dali, collided with the bridge, sending people and vehicles into the Patapsco River below.
Six workers who went missing after the collapse are presumed to be dead, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Two people were rescued from the water shortly after the collapse.
Morgan State University's Engineering School Dean Oscar Barton, Jr. spoke with WJZ last week to discuss the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and potential rebuilding efforts.
Barton says the resilience of the bridge could not withstand the Dali's size and weight on impact.
"Here we have a massive vessel weighing literally thousands of tons, and it's moving, even though slowly, it has a lot of momentum, and when it impacts, and this is called an elision type of collision, where a vessel impacts a fixed structure, that energy has to go somewhere," Barton said.
Are other bridges susceptible to similar incidents?
Are other bridges susceptible to similar incidents? While modeling can be used to prevent tragic incidents like Tuesday's collapse, Dr. Barton says they aren't completely avoidable.
One potential method of prevention could have been technology used to monitor the health of the vessel, according to Barton.
"Now it is based upon what's been reported in the media that the vessel lost power. We saw smoke plumes coming from the engine. It will be likely that the power generation or power distribution was the cause of the ship losing maneuverability," Barton said. "Now just imagine that if we had instrumented that vessel with a health monitoring system, we would have predicted that the vessel would have been incapacitated months before this event would have occurred."
How long will it take to rebuild the bridge?
Barton says he's hopeful that the bridge will be rebuilt "very quickly," given President Biden and Governor Wes Moore's expressed commitment to stimulate the economy.
"We could be looking at months, but I would definitely think it would not be longer than a year, but it will be rebuilt very quickly, I can assure you that," Barton said.
President Biden said Tuesday that he intends to push the federal government to pay for the entire reconstruction of the bridge, and pledged to work with Maryland leaders to provide as much support as possible.
Transportations Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Face The Nation Sunday that while there is not yet a timeline for the repair, "the work is underway." He added that safely dismantling the bridge will be a very complex process.
The massive salvage effort is a priority for crews as they work to open the Port of Baltimore.
"There is a thousand ton capacity lift crane on a barge being put into place now there's another 600 ton crane on its way to back it up. This is going to be a very complex process, there are even now forces acting on that steel," Buttigieg said. "So it takes a lot to make sure that it can be dismantled safely, to make sure that the vessel stays where it is supposed to be and doesn't swing out into the channel."
Standing for 47-years, the Francis Scott Key Bridge cost $60.3 Million when it was constructed in March 1977. It took five years to build.