Engineers have identified a significant design flaw in the structure of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which led to its recent collapse. The bridge, lacking modern anti-collision systems, was vulnerable to the impact of a massive container ship. This incident has shed light on a larger issue: tens of thousands of US bridges, built before these systems were standardized, may share the same fatal flaw.
According to experts, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, constructed in 1977, did not incorporate fenders or protection cells, technologies that became common in the 1980s following similar accidents.
The absence of these crucial elements meant the bridge had no defense against the nearly 105,000 ton vessel, leading to a loss far exceeding the potential cost of installing such systems, a Daily Mail report said.
Experts estimate that implementing these necessary fenders on the bridge would have cost around $3 million. In contrast, the bridge’s failure has led to an estimated loss of $15 million per day in economic activities, coupled with $1.5 million daily losses in state and local revenues, the Daily Mail report said.
