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According to this Baltimore news report, after 9/11 state officials had looked at putting bumpers around the piers that could have protected the bridge from an

According to this Baltimore news report, after 9/11 state officials had looked at putting bumpers around the piers that could have protected the bridge from an impact like this, but it was too expensive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_-CpdVaHGg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_-CpdVaHGg

scoot 3y ago
Even compared to the economic impact of a bridge collapse and resulting port closure?
- DennisP 3y ago
  Yeah I'm guessing just replacing the bridge will cost a lot more than the bumpers would have, even without counting the broader impacts.
  - topspin 3y ago
    Supposedly "state officials" shot down bumpers on cost. They made a bet and it turns out that they've won: Biden has committed to paying the entire cost of replacement[1]. Instead of investing in bridge defense to protect a 50 year old bridge and its ever increasing maintenance costs they get a brand new bridge for free! [1] "It is my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort"
CivBase 3y ago
How could one build a bumper to protect the piers from an impact like this? That ship is massive and it sounds like it was going pretty fast. I'm having trouble imagining any solution that involves absorbing the impact. But I'm not a civil engineer. If something like this exists I'd be interested in reading about it.
- kfarr 3y ago
  The bumper may be crushed and may need to be replaced but the best outcome is that it redirects the majority of the force away from the critical support structure of the bridge.
- greenavocado 3y ago
  The boat changes direction after impact with the bumper
  - tasuki 3y ago
    It was a massive boat. They don't change direction very easily.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
    - lelandbatey 3y ago
      Well engineered small things can redirect a moving thing several orders of magnitude more massive. Consider guardrails on the side of a road; those guard rails might be less than 100 Kg but together they're rated to redirect the force of a car weighing thousands of Kg traveling at tens of K/h. That's a lot of force to redirect for such a small and cheap barrier; imaging what a more expensive and larger barrier can do.
      - bagacrap 3y ago
        Turning in water is a lot harder than turning a wheeled vehicle on land. Cars can turn themselves in a tight radius, container vessels cannot. I also don't think the weight of the guardrail is what matters. Its strength is derived from the strength of the materials and being anchored in the earth. In any case, any vehicle driving directly into a guardrail is going to plow right through. I just don't think this guardrail thing is a great analogy.
        3y ago

scoot 3y ago

Even compared to the economic impact of a bridge collapse and resulting port closure?

DennisP 3y ago
Yeah I'm guessing just replacing the bridge will cost a lot more than the bumpers would have, even without counting the broader impacts.
- topspin 3y ago
  Supposedly "state officials" shot down bumpers on cost. They made a bet and it turns out that they've won: Biden has committed to paying the entire cost of replacement[1]. Instead of investing in bridge defense to protect a 50 year old bridge and its ever increasing maintenance costs they get a brand new bridge for free! [1] "It is my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort"

CivBase 3y ago

How could one build a bumper to protect the piers from an impact like this? That ship is massive and it sounds like it was going pretty fast. I'm having trouble imagining any solution that involves absorbing the impact. But I'm not a civil engineer. If something like this exists I'd be interested in reading about it.

kfarr 3y ago
The bumper may be crushed and may need to be replaced but the best outcome is that it redirects the majority of the force away from the critical support structure of the bridge.
greenavocado 3y ago
The boat changes direction after impact with the bumper
- tasuki 3y ago
  It was a massive boat. They don't change direction very easily.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - lelandbatey 3y ago
    Well engineered small things can redirect a moving thing several orders of magnitude more massive. Consider guardrails on the side of a road; those guard rails might be less than 100 Kg but together they're rated to redirect the force of a car weighing thousands of Kg traveling at tens of K/h. That's a lot of force to redirect for such a small and cheap barrier; imaging what a more expensive and larger barrier can do.
    - bagacrap 3y ago
      Turning in water is a lot harder than turning a wheeled vehicle on land. Cars can turn themselves in a tight radius, container vessels cannot. I also don't think the weight of the guardrail is what matters. Its strength is derived from the strength of the materials and being anchored in the earth. In any case, any vehicle driving directly into a guardrail is going to plow right through. I just don't think this guardrail thing is a great analogy.
      - 3y ago