Bridge collapse on M20

[Collectingbrass]

saaby93 said:

PF62 said:

I was amused at the people continuing to drive under the broken half of the bridge - https://twitter.com/Kent_999s/status/7694971328354...

That piece thats left should be ok, theres less weight on it now the other piece has gone.
It was acting as a support for the missing piece not being supported by the missing piece.
No worries driving under it

Except you dont know how much lateral support was provided by the missing section to the T section that supported it, or what the foundations have done now the weight of the missing section is no longer supported on the cantilever end. That said, if it didn't go with the first impact it probably won't go quickly, as long as they keep any live load off the remaining structure. I wouldn't have chanced it though.

[AgentZ]

turbobloke said:

marksx said:

saaby93 said:

The bridge has broken in half over that white artic so it cant have been that strong

Looks to be in the artic, and broken over the flatbed?

Not sure if it's been reported on the thread but news bulletins are now saying that the bridge was hit by a HGV which caused the collapse. Apologies in advance if this is old news.

I was going to say that it looks more like the white HGV has hit it first with the "slash" along the roof of the trailer and the damage on the top of the cab looking at the pictures.

[Googie]

Others will know precisely but I think lorries in UK don't exceed an overall height of 4.9m. Could the bridge have suffered a non impact structural failure and collapsed onto the traffic ?

[turbobloke]

Googie said:

Others will know precisely but I think lorries in UK don't exceed an overall height of 4.9m. Could the bridge have suffered a non impact structural failure and collapsed onto the traffic ?

News reports can be wrong but the latest I heard a few minutes ago said that delays at the start of the bank holiday weekend had been caused when a HGV hit a bridge over the M20 which then collapsed. No more details were given.

[greygoose]

Googie said:

Others will know precisely but I think lorries in UK don't exceed an overall height of 4.9m. Could the bridge have suffered a non impact structural failure and collapsed onto the traffic ?

It seems a bit unlikely that a lorry with a digger on the back that was higher than the bottom of the bridge would be halfway under the bridge when it structurally failed.

[CAPP0]

turbobloke said:

News reports can be wrong but the latest I heard a few minutes ago said that delays at the start of the bank holiday weekend had been caused when a HGV hit a bridge over the M20 which then collapsed.

Nothing erroneous in that. Bridge was hit by an HGV carrying a digger and other related plant.

[marksx]

AgentZ said:

I was going to say that it looks more like the white HGV has hit it first with the "slash" along the roof of the trailer and the damage on the top of the cab looking at the pictures.

I think the driver of the white HGV is the luckiest man alive today. That bridge has fallen as he drove under it. No tractor unit is tall enough to hit a bridge. As CAPP0 said. The flatbed is also a HGV.

[turbobloke]

CAPP0 said:

turbobloke said:

News reports can be wrong but the latest I heard a few minutes ago said that delays at the start of the bank holiday weekend had been caused when a HGV hit a bridge over the M20 which then collapsed.

Nothing erroneous in that. Bridge was hit by an HGV carrying a digger and other related plant.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-37204050

"A footbridge has collapsed on the M20 motorway in Kent after it was hit by a lorry carrying a digger, on one of the busiest travel days of the year."

[saaby93]

marksx said:

Looks to be in the artic, and broken over the flatbed?

marksx said:

saaby93 said:

That yellow thing isn't a massive dumper truck that was up at the front of the flat bed before hitting the bridge?

Looks like it. Presumably would have been loaded up front to aid traction?

I'm with this
Massive dumper truck on a flatbed parking up on the hard shoulder or even driving slowly to see if it can get under the bridge. Unfortunately the bridge is lower there. Taps the bridge off its mounting. The guy in the white artic should go out and buy lottery tickets this weekend. The biker should go on a stunt show.

[mp3manager]

Googie said:

Others will know precisely but I think lorries in UK don't exceed an overall height of 4.9m.

Nope, I pull a trailer that's 4.93m, 16' 2" in old money.

[SilverSpur]

No one loaded any dash cam footage yet?

Surely someone has some...

[Iva Barchetta]

SilverSpur said:

No one loaded any dash cam footage yet?

Surely someone has some...

YouTube has loads of rubber neckers footage of aftermath.

I only watched one of them ,don't know if any have actual collapse vid.

[MrBarry123]

The picture of this on the BBC News app had what I believe to be a E46 M3 CSL shown.

Anyone on here?

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

marksx said:

I think the driver of the white HGV is the luckiest man alive today. That bridge has fallen as he drove under it. No tractor unit is tall enough to hit a bridge. As CAPP0 said. The flatbed is also a HGV.

One of the luckiest...the other is the biker!

[ALawson]

As others have said the rubber duck has probably struck the bridge pushing it of its bearings which will only be designed for thermal movements and a bit of live loading.

Are the restrain chains still in place on the low loader, or was the duck pushed down the trailer following the impact.

I expect no central support due to "risk" of vehicle collision from 3rd lane, to be honest if it can span why would you put another support in.

The photo of the end of the broken section shows almost a fresh broken concrete colour in the top right section, the other 3/4 looks different.

[General Price]

It looks like the dumper hit it and got pushed back into the digger.

[thatsprettyshady]

MrBarry123 said:

The picture of this on the BBC News app had what I believe to be a E46 M3 CSL shown.

Anyone on here?

Well that settles it then, HGV driver was distracted by the CSL

[The Nur]

MrBarry123 said:

The picture of this on the BBC News app had what I believe to be a E46 M3 CSL shown.

Anyone on here?

If it is they're probably too busy cleaning the poo off the seats to post.

[MrBarry123]

[Dogwatch]

General Price said:

It looks like the dumper hit it and got pushed back into the digger.

Certainly looks that way. If the artic had hit the undamaged bridge you would expect the trailer roof to have been scraped back right across whereas on the nearside it is almost complete.