The Silver Bridge: America’s Deadliest Bridge Failure

The Silver Bridge’s origin traces back to the early 1900s to Charles Holzer, a doctor who grew tired of the time it took to reach patients on the other side of the river. Some died awaiting his arrival. Holzer eventually organized community groups to plan a bridge. Those groups eventually merged into the West Virginia Ohio River Bridge Company, with Holzer at the helm.

By |2023-06-27T16:21:52-06:00June 29th, 2023|Friday Famous Failures|11 Comments

The PEPCON Disaster: Manmade Earthquake and Inferno

A PEPCON employee was on the loading dock on May 4, 1988 when a thick cloud began moving through the facility. There were no flames in sight, but a sudden explosion rocked the plant. Then, a second explosion sent a shock wave across the terrain and Boulder Highway was reduced to a war zone. There was glass everywhere. Very few people got out.

By |2023-06-27T16:22:20-06:00May 25th, 2023|Friday Famous Failures|7 Comments

Florida International University-Sweetwater Pedestrian Bridge Collapse

The Florida International University (FIU)-Sweetwater University City pedestrian bridge was planned to connect the FIU campus to student housing neighborhoods in Sweetwater. It was intended to improve pedestrian safety, as the crosswalks at this wide, busy intersection had been a safety hazard.

By |2023-06-27T16:23:15-06:00March 30th, 2023|Friday Famous Failures|10 Comments

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse

The first Tacoma Narrows Bridge was a suspension bridge in the state of Washington that spanned the Tacoma Narrows strait of Puget Sound between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula. It opened to traffic on July 1st, 1940. Sleek and slender with a length of 7,392 feet, it was the third-longest suspension bridge in the world at the time, following the George Washington Bridge in New York City, and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

By |2023-06-27T16:23:33-06:00February 23rd, 2023|Friday Famous Failures|4 Comments

The Minnesota I-35W Bridge Collapse

The I-35W Bridge was designed by the engineering firm Sverdrup & Parcel, with the blueprints receiving final certification in 1965. The structure complied with the 1961 standards of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) and the 1964 standards of the Minnesota Highway Department.

By |2023-06-27T16:23:50-06:00January 26th, 2023|Friday Famous Failures|12 Comments