Hernando Desoto Bridge closed I-40 Memphis

[Grayfox54]

16 hours ago, kentmck said:

Arkansas bridge inspector fired!!

Well they may not have a real plan of action yet. But in typical government fashion, they quickly found somebody to blame. 

[Grayfox54]

1 hour ago, Erik88 said:

is it really as dangerous as they claim?

I seriously doubt the bridge is in any danger of collapsing. I would be more concerned with the added flexing causing damage to the roadway above the crack.  Cracks, separations or holes in the road surface would be very dangerous to traffic. 

[Erik88]

53 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Were you making the call, would you take a chance on it, or shut it down intil the cause is determined

I'm completely fine with their decision. I'm sure it was the right call. I'm just saying that now that we have more info, I wonder if it's as bad as it seems. But you guys know a lot more about this than me so I'll take your word for it. 

[Erik88]

58 minutes ago, FUJIMO said:

As far as our infrastructure it's an all too convenient target anytime politicians want money for something else

This is probably true, but I tend to believe the fact that our infrastructure is in need of massive upgrading. I'm sure this group has their own agenda, but there is some good info here.

 

https://infrastructurereportcard.org/

[gregintenn]

10 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

I'm completely fine with their decision. I'm sure it was the right call. I'm just saying that now that we have more info, I wonder if it's as bad as it seems. But you guys know a lot more about this than me so I'll take your word for it. 

I DON’T know. That’s the thing. I wouldn’t want traffic on that bridge until I did know.

As far as the interstate system, it was mostly built in the 60’s and 70’s as a means for military equipment to be transported efficiently. It was an afterthought that the motoring public could actually use it too. Those bridges are ALL pushing 60 years old. We are coming to a place shortly where there will be an astronomical bill due to replace them. Anything mam makes has a limited lifespan.

[monkeylizard]

46 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

I DON’T know. That’s the thing. I wouldn’t want traffic on that bridge until I did know.

As far as the interstate system, it was mostly built in the 60’s and 70’s as a means for military equipment to be transported efficiently. It was an afterthought that the motoring public could actually use it too. Those bridges are ALL pushing 60 years old. We are coming to a place shortly where there will be an astronomical bill due to replace them. Anything mam makes has a limited lifespan.

Not exactly. It was planned as a civilian/commerce project. Congress slapped "Defense" onto the funding act in the 1950s, presumably because a) everyone supported spending on "Defense" and b) the ancillary benefit to moving .MIL equipment and evacuating cities.

 

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/interstatemyths.cfm#question3

Edited May 18, 2021 by monkeylizard

[Snaveba]

2 hours ago, leroy said:

It aint unusual to " monitor defects " in structures and even piping systems ( .. we did it on steam lines in fossil plants.. )……

leroy...

In which fossil plants were you monitoring steam lines?

[deerslayer]

2 hours ago, leroy said:

This one is really bad.  Thats why they are doin what they are doin.  Bridge failures are often catastrophic and involve loss of life... This aint a " no.. nevermind " thing.

leroy...

Yep.  My best friend growing up went over the Highway 51 Hatchie River bridge 30 minutes before it collapsed back 30 or so years ago.  I think that one killed seven or eight people.  
 

Also, my wife and I went over the 40 bridge over the Arkansas River in Oklahoma the day before it collapsed.  That one was the result of a barge collision, though.  

Edited May 18, 2021 by deerslayer

[leroy]

1 hour ago, Snaveba said:

In which fossil plants were you monitoring steam lines?

Gallatin. We finally replaced the main steam. Rolled n welded pipe replaced with seamless.  Some at John Sevier and Kingston as well. 

leroy.   

[Snaveba]

Know those plants quite well (at least the CCR side of them).

Not much steam pipe inspection at JSF anymore, unless it’s the CC plant.

[leroy]

2 minutes ago, Snaveba said:

Know those plants quite well (at least the CCR side of them).

Not much steam pipe inspection at JSF anymore, unless it’s the CC plant.

Yep... John Sevier is gone now.  Looks like Johnsoville will be gone soon as well.   Kingston still putting out MW... I retired in early 2006.  There wuz a pretty good program to repair all the " troublesome " spots in the 90s to early 2000s .  

leroy.  

[Snaveba]

26 minutes ago, leroy said:

Yep... John Sevier is gone now.  Looks like Johnsoville will be gone soon as well.   Kingston still putting out MW... I retired in early 2006.  There wuz a pretty good program to repair all the " troublesome " spots in the 90s to early 2000s .  

leroy.  

You got out just before the hit the fan at KIF Christmas of 2008. I think h have been to every plant (and most of the dams) in the Valley in the last 12 years. 

[Omega]

5 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

Well they may not have a real plan of action yet. But in typical government fashion, they quickly found somebody to blame. 

I don't know, seems he and his team missed that large break, so I say good riddance. 

[gregintenn]

54 minutes ago, Omega said:

I don't know, seems he and his team missed that large break, so I say good riddance. 

He'll have some supervisors sweating as well. Something like this is interesting to watch play out. Either this guy was an idiot, or he has documentation of things his supervisor has done that would get them in major trouble as well. Don't be surprised to either find he's receiving full retirement benefits or is rehired shortly.

[Garufa]

There is talk in the news of charging the fired ARDOT inspector with as yet unnamed charges.  What would he/she/it be charged with?  Incompetence, unfortunately, is not illegal.  Some kind of negligence maybe?  

[Grunt67]

Saw a video on Channel 4 News with a measured  1" gap, heavy rust. This didn't happen last week.

[Grayfox54]

I'm not saying the didn't deserve getting fired. He most definitely did. What I'm saying is that government wasted no time at all in finding someone to blame. That's their normal procedure. 

[Omega]

3 hours ago, Garufa said:

There is talk in the news of charging the fired ARDOT inspector with as yet unnamed charges.  What would he/she/it be charged with?  Incompetence, unfortunately, is not illegal.  Some kind of negligence maybe?  

Without any injuries, I don't know what they could personally charge him with.  Now the company, well their insurance, they may face fines and possible license forfeiture depending on how many jobs they botched, and who knew about it.

[leroy]

The " charges " thing is a non starter... Im guessin ( ... The operative word is " guessin " ..) that the reason for the firing was forging inspection reports.  He wuz supposed to visually inspect, then write a report.  He obviously didnt...

leroy...

[Chucktshoes]

54 minutes ago, leroy said:

The " charges " thing is a non starter... Im guessin ( ... The operative word is " guessin " ..) that the reason for the firing was forging inspection reports.  He wuz supposed to visually inspect, then write a report.  He obviously didnt...

leroy...

I wonder if they might attempt to pursue him for forging government docs?

[Snaveba]

56 minutes ago, leroy said:

The " charges " thing is a non starter... Im guessin ( ... The operative word is " guessin " ..) that the reason for the firing was forging inspection reports.  He wuz supposed to visually inspect, then write a report.  He obviously didnt...

leroy...

If he really falsified reports, and never actually did the inspections, he is damn lucky it was found and the bridge closed before someone died  If that had happened, he could very well have been charged with negligent homicide.

 

[GlockSpock]

6 hours ago, Garufa said:

There is talk in the news of charging the fired ARDOT inspector with as yet unnamed charges.  What would he/she/it be charged with?  Incompetence, unfortunately, is not illegal.  Some kind of negligence maybe?  

Fraud? Falsifying documents?

Do these state inspectors hold and licenses granted by the state? Oftentimes there can be legal consequences for certain things. 
 

I am imagining someone too lazy to get tour of the truck and slapped a new date on last years report (or similar). 

[leroy]

7 hours ago, GlockSpock said:

Fraud? Falsifying documents?

Do these state inspectors hold and licenses granted by the state? Oftentimes there can be legal consequences for certain things. 
 

I am imagining someone too lazy to get tour of the truck and slapped a new date on last years report (or similar). 

In guessin that the inspectors are tecnicians and/or engineers.  We used both.  Trained and certified for the inspections they performed.  Additionally, an engineer most likeky reviewed the report.

This poor guy's problem is that he either overlooked or didnt do ( ... My guess.. ) the required inspections.  That is firin offense on its face.  Signin the report is certifying a lie... Another slam dunk for firin.   This will be interestin to watch. This witch hunt aint over in thinkin.

leroy...

[Grayfox54]

4 hours ago, leroy said:

This witch hunt aint over in thinkin.

Oh, far from it. Local news is digging fast, hard and deep. Trying desperately to fling poop far and wide. 

[ReeferMac]

22 hours ago, leroy said:

Kingston still putting out MW... I retired in early 2006. 

When we first moved here we told the kids "oh look, the cloud machine is running!"

They take everything Dad says with a grain of salt.

Buddy of mine just retired from there last year!  That new stack is supposed to be the latest and greatest clean-coal technology?