more from that Pandora's box:
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Las Cruces, NM
Posts: 48
#26
Re: Bridge collapse
08/05/2007 8:01 PM
It is unfortunate that this post duplicates a similar post under Civil
Engineering:
http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/10774/Could-bridge-collapse-be-prevented?frmtrk=CR4digest
I repeat my post from that thread:
There are many reasons why bridges collapse. They mostly fall into two major
categories: (1) compromised maintenance, (2) unanticipated "features" of a new
design concept.
The history channel has prepared an excellent non-technical review of the
recent history of bridge collapses
http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=55377&mini_id=1335
Regarding the second: It is hard to argue against new designs, but since much
of the concept polish in engineering is based on lessons learned (from
disasters), we should at the very least recognize that there is significant
inherent risk coupled with every departure from the tried and true. New
concepts are thoroughly investigated by a modeling, but the models only
evaluate the problems which we can think of, and often they cheat by adding
complexity (tweakable knobs) so that modelers can "tune" their models to
compensate for things that they cannot resolve intellectually. This subject is
treated at length in an excellent book: The Future of Everything: The Science
of Prediction by David Orrell
As to the first: A call to action was issued following the collapse of the
Silver Bridge over the Ohio River in 1967 citing to inattention that we pay to
our infrastructure. This call has been repeated after each ensuing collapse and
is soon forgotten. Politicians play to the whims of the voters, which they
skillfully manipulate. Politicians readily decide to spend a trillion dollars
on a ill advised war, but can never find funding for basic human needs
(education, health care, infrastructure, etc.). It's not their fault: we
(re)elect them and put up with their fanciful tirades.
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the
average voter - Winston Churchill
__________________Honesty trumps Loyalty
Cardio-2
Associate
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 37
#29
Re: Bridge collapse
08/05/2007 9:54 PM
You make a good point, but your figure of $ 2 billion a week needs some
adjustment. How much gasoline, diesel and jet fuel does the services consume in
a week? Where does that money go? Mostly to OPEC nations for "oil" at $60 to
$75 a bbl. How much of these fuels can be made from a bbl of crude? How much
aid, in many forms, do OPEC nations contribute to "the enemy" in Iraq and
Afghanistan? How much of that is paid for with "our" oil money to OPEC nations?
How many terrorists does Saudi, Iran, Syria, et al train, equip and support?
Are we accomplishing any good in Iraq? Is Iraq any better off now that it was
20 years ago under a dictator? How many lives of US service personal is that
accomplishment worth? What price does one put on a young, vibrant human life? I
submit that we need to increase the numbers of the actual cost of the "war" in
Iraq, plus the loss of that money as it contributes to the downside of poor
educational reforms here in the US, poor health and health insurance for the
needy, attention to the infrastructure of roads, bridges and railways, and so
on. One can make quite a list! No politics involved here, just facts. When will
taxes begin to skyrocket to pay for all the expenditures in Iraq, etc?
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That shd be enough!
mm
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