Famous Bridge CollapsesDue to Corrosion

Robert Heidersbach

If this is the first time you’re seeing the

word corrosion, you will be surprised with

how important this term can be for your

everyday life! Essentially, corrosion is the

deterioration of materials like copper or

steel over time. It’s a big problem for

engineers and other architects who

frequently use metal products in their

structures, because corrosion can be a

safety hazard! To see what I mean, take a

look at the following bridge collapses that

occurred due to corrosion.

Lowe's

Motor

Speedway

When the NASCAR Winston stock car race

ended, hundreds of pedestrians made their

way back to the parking lot by crossing a

pedestrian bridge that overlooked U.S. Route

29 in North Carolina. As they were making their

way across, the concrete and steel walkway

snapped in half, and pedestrians fell to the

highway below. The bridge collapse injured

107 people and 13 were in critical condition.

Lowe's

Motor

Speedway

After an inspection, it was determined that all

11 steel cables that were holding the bridge

together were corroded, and the bridge

bustled under the weight. The corrosion was

caused by too much calcium chloride, an

inorganic salt compound that’s highly

corrosive to steel, mixed into the grout that

cemented the bridge’s steel cables in place.

The compound is acceptable in small

amounts, but the construction company that

built the bridge used about 40 times more

calcium chloride than what was regulated!

Lowe's

Motor

Speedway

Nearly 50 lawsuits were filed against the

speedway and the construction company with

settlements of millions of dollars — just to

expedite the drying process.

Silver

Bridge

The U.S. Highway 35 bridge, nicknamed the

“Silver Bridge” since it was the country’s first

aluminum-painted one, was a major

transportation route between West Virginia

and Ohio. During rush hour traffic, the bridge

suddenly collapsed into the Ohio River and 75

vehicles were submerged. The tragedy killed

46 people and seriously injured nine.

Silver

Bridge

The cause of failure was from stress corrosion

and corrosion fatigue. Years before the

collapse, a tiny crack appeared in a suspension

chain on the bridge, and the crack grew bigger

as time went on. However, it went unnoticed

by bridge inspectors because technology did

not allow inspectors to see the crack.

Silver

Bridge

Constructed in the mid 1920s, the steel used

for the bridge was not known for being

susceptible to corrosion, so disaster was

inevitable. In addition, the bridge was

designed for Model-T Ford, which had an

approximate weight three times less than cars

in 1967!

Kinuza

Bridge

You would never believe it, but this 3,300-ton,

half-mile-long railroad bridge in north-central

Pennsylvania was once deemed the Eighth

Wonder of the World. The bridge collapsed

when strong thunderstorms with 80 mph

winds came through the region and sent most

of the bridge crashing into the gorge below.

Kinuza

Bridge

Built from iron 1882 and reconstructed using

steel in 1900, the bride fell into disrepair and

became covered in rust. Its cracked foundation

turned orange with age, and its supportive

columns became weak and shed rust flakes

everywhere. It was deemed such a safety

hazard that state officials closed the bridge to

train and pedestrian traffic because they

feared strong winds could easily topple it.

Robert “Bob” Heidersbach is the author of Metallurgy and Corrosion

Control in Oil and Gas Production. The book is based on Robert’s

experience teaching new engineers that need to understand metallurgy

and corrosion control in the oil industry. He is currently in the process of rewriting and updating the publication, and welcomes any suggestions

about how to improve the book. In his spare time, Bob enjoys kayaking, biking and traveling.