CONTENTS Foreword V Contents. VII Preface to the English edition 2010 XI Preface to the German edition 2000 XIII 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Retrospect 1 1.2 Aim .3 1.3 Structure 4 1.3.1 General information about the tables 4 1.3.2 Structures included 4 1.3.3 Causes considered 4 1.3.4 Sections of the book 4 1.3.5 Sources used 4 1.3.6 Abbreviations 5 1.3.7 Overview of failure cases 6 1.4 Earlier publications on the failure of load-bearing structures 6 1.5 Estimated numbers of bridges in Germany and USA 10 2 Failure of bridges, general information 13 3 Failure during construction 15 3.1 General observations 15 3.2 Buckling of compression members in truss bridges 46 3.3 Deflection of steel compression struts or chords out of the plane of a truss or beam - a trough bridge problem 49 3.4 Failure of steel bridges with box girders 51 3.5 Failure of cantilever prestressed concrete bridge beams 62 3.6 Failure of bridges constructed by incremental launching [54] 65 3.7 Collapse of the Frankenthal Rhine bridge 69 3.8 Damage during construction of the Heidingsfeld motorway bridge 74 3.9 Failure during demolition or reconstruction 76 3.10 Remarks on cantilever erection 82 3.11 Remarks on the collapse of a steel truss bridge over the Mississippi (Case 3.103) 82 4 Failure in service without external action 85 4.1 General observations 85 4.2 Remarks on the Nienburg cable-stayed bridge over the River Saale, Case 4.87 115 4.3 Failure of suspension bridges 116 4.4 Collapse of the Dee Bridge 121 4.5 Collapse due to wind action, excluding suspension bridges 122 4.6 Collapse through overload, excluding suspension bridges 122 4.7 Collapse of the Mb'nchenstein Bridge (Case 4.28) 123 4.8 Collapse or damage due to material defects: brittle fracture 124 4.9 Damage resulting from fatigue or bad maintenance 127 4.10 Collapse of the Elbow Grade Bridge (Case 4.48). 128 4.11 Collapse of the Connecticut Turnpike Bridge over the Mianus River and the Sungsu truss bridge over the Man River in Seoul 130 5 Failure due to impact of ship collision 133 5.1 General observations 133 5.2 Conclusions from Table 5 152 6 Failure due to impact from traffic under the bridge 155 6.1 General observations 155 6.2 Impact due to failure to observe the loading height 155 6.3 Collision with bridge supports by derailed trains or vehicles leaving the road 161 7 Failure due to impact from traffic on the bridge 165 8 Failure due to flooding, ice floes, floating timber and hurricane 173 9 Failure due to fire or explosion 191 10 Failure due to seismic activity 203 11Failure of falsework209 11.1General observations 209 11.2 Failure due to inadequate lateral stiffness 227 11.2.1 Inadequate ensuring of the assumed effective length of supports 227 11.2.2 Inadequate lateral bracing of compressed upper flanges of temporary beams 228 11.2.3 Inadequate bracing in the area of screw jack spindles 230 11.2.4 A special case 233 11.3 Failure due to poor foundations234 11.4 Failure due to inadequate coordination between design and construction 238 11.4.1 Laubach valley viaduct near Koblenz. 1972, Case 11.17 238 11.4.2 Bridge near St. Paul, Minnesota, 1990, Case 11.38 241 11.5 Failure due to errors in design, construction and operation . 243 11.5.1 Single-span bridge over railway tracks near Weinheim. 1967, Case 11.10. 243 11.5.2 22-span bridge. 1991, Case 11.40 244 11.5.3 Working scaffolding for repair of the sidewalk parapet of a viaduct 1993, Case 11.43. 244 11.5.4 Bridge at Diez near Limburg. 1997, Case 11.47 245 11.5.5 Brief descriptions 248 11.6 Three particular cases 250 12 Lessons for the practice 255 12.1 General observations 255 12.2 Design255 12.2.1 Selection of designers 255 12.2.2 Head of design with full responsibility: chief engineer 256 12.2.3 Time and resources258 12.2.4 Changes in the design concept or change of designers 259 12.2.5 Design of robust structures 259 12.2.6 Design of simple structures 261 12.2.7 Summaries in literature 262 12.3 Structural safety calculations and design detailing262 12.3.1The danger of extrapolation 262 12.3.2 Organization: coordination, delegation, exchange of information 265 12.3.3 Verification of structural safety 266 12.3.4 Constructive design 270 12.4 Construction management 273 12.4.1The present situation273 12.4.2 Precautionary measures 273 12.4.3 Rules for the avoidance of risks in construction management276 12.5 Inspection and maintenance of structures 277 12.6 Rules and formulations in engineering literature . 277 12.7 My own summary 280 12.7.1For the entire construction process . 280 12.7.2 Design 281 12.7.3 Verification of structural safety281 12.7.4 Design of details . 282 12.7.5 Construction management 282 13 Lessons for teaching 283 14 Literature 285 15 Geographical Index 291 16 Sources of drawings and photographs 301 17 Index 305