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The bridge opened in March 1977. A cargo ship at that time would have maxed around 3000 TEU (pre-Panamax). Dali is close to 3x that size at just shy of 10,000

The bridge opened in March 1977. A cargo ship at that time would have maxed around 3000 TEU (pre-Panamax). Dali is close to 3x that size at just shy of 10,000 TEU. And Dali basically center-punched that bridge support. And swerved very close to the bridge. A dolphin might have mitigated a glancing blow, but I doubt it would have stopped a direct hit such as this. I'm sure the replacement bridge will have more protection, for the optics if nothing else. But, we can't really afford to redesign bridges every time a larger ship is built.

c0wb0yc0d3r 3y ago
> A dolphin might have mitigated a glancing blow Are you referring to the animal, or is this slang for some sort of nautical device?
- woofcat 3y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(structure) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(structure)
- alistairSH 3y ago
  The upper span has concrete dolphins, the lower span does not... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(structure)#/media/File:Skyway_Bridge_old_and_new.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(structure)#/media/Fil... What I don't know is how much protection these would offer in a direct hit like the Dali on the Key Bridge. They definitely work for glancing blows and smaller vessels. Would the Dali just push right through/over these? Or would the impact move enough earth (below the surface) to cause the bridge major structural damage?
ethagknight 3y ago
But the bridge had _no_ apparent protections even for those 3000 TEU ships. Port of Baltimore spent considerable (federal) funds dredging the harbor to make way for Panamax. A bog standard ring of rocks or concrete or steel piles could have dissipated enough energy to have a very different outcome. I’m just asking, should not the obligation for reasonable protection of the bridge be on the government or port authority?

c0wb0yc0d3r 3y ago

> A dolphin might have mitigated a glancing blow Are you referring to the animal, or is this slang for some sort of nautical device?

woofcat 3y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(structure) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(structure)
alistairSH 3y ago
The upper span has concrete dolphins, the lower span does not... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(structure)#/media/File:Skyway_Bridge_old_and_new.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(structure)#/media/Fil... What I don't know is how much protection these would offer in a direct hit like the Dali on the Key Bridge. They definitely work for glancing blows and smaller vessels. Would the Dali just push right through/over these? Or would the impact move enough earth (below the surface) to cause the bridge major structural damage?

ethagknight 3y ago

But the bridge had _no_ apparent protections even for those 3000 TEU ships. Port of Baltimore spent considerable (federal) funds dredging the harbor to make way for Panamax. A bog standard ring of rocks or concrete or steel piles could have dissipated enough energy to have a very different outcome. I’m just asking, should not the obligation for reasonable protection of the bridge be on the government or port authority?