Suspension bridge in Phichit collapses before opening

[webfact]

Suspension bridge collapses before opening

PHICHIT: -- A suspension bridge spanning across the Nan river in Muang district of Phichit province collapsed last night during a heavy rain storm.

However nobody was injured as it was not yet open to traffic.

The 139 metres long and 2.90 metres wide bridge is located Ban Samka village in Tambon Kamang of Muang district.

The suspension bridge is a project of the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning.

Construction cost of the bridge is 9.53 million baht. A bid was called early last year and construction began June 23, 2014.

However the contract had expired on February 18 this year but construction has not yet finished.

The contractor has been fined for not able to finish work by the contracted period which was earlier set to officially open before the Buddhist Lent end of this month.

Local authorities said fortunately it collapsed before the official opening otherwise many people would have died and injured.

Substandard construction was blamed for the collapse.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/suspension-bridge-collapses-before-opening

-- Thai PBS 2015-07-22

[canopus1969]

Substandard construction was blamed for the collapse.

As with the greater majority of work done here

[peterjackson]

Surely there where staged payments tied to inspections and progress reports. Who signed off on those? I know TIT but when countless lives are at risk when something goes wrong, surely this can't just be fobbed off as TIT.

Amazing Thailand.

[DLang]

Surely there where staged payments tied to inspections and progress reports. Who signed off on those? I know TIT but when countless lives are at risk when something goes wrong, surely this can't just be fobbed off as TIT.

Farang think too much.

Not good.

Some people see a collapsed bridge....... others see lottery numbers.

Change your perspective unhappy farangs.

Edited July 22, 2015 by DLang

[Bluespunk]

"Local authorities said fortunately it collapsed before the official opening otherwise many people would have died and injured."

Nice spin.

[jonclark]

Hang on - Have I got this straight..the contractor hadn't finished the bridge, but it was still going to be opened?

So once opened despite being unfinished one can assume it would have been used to cross the river. Sounds like the collapse is a blessing in disguise.

[amerasianex]

Many things can happen during the night in a heavy rain storm. Especially when the money to finish ? is all gone....

Just sayin

[halloween]

Hang on - Have I got this straight..the contractor hadn't finished the bridge, but it was still going to be opened?

So once opened despite being unfinished one can assume it would have been used to cross the river. Sounds like the collapse is a blessing in disguise.

Try reading it again.

[pinkpanther99]

Must be those bad spirits at work again.

Because let's face it, we all know Thai construction is otherwise superb.

[smedly]

any photos before and after

I wonder how much of that budget was actually spent on the bridge

[NCC1701A]

This is very sad for Thailand. The Thais realize that there is a problem with the bridge. They know all along. The bridge is being built incorrectly. So much corruption. But no one speaks up. They will let the drama play out. In this case Buddha made the bridge collapse before anyone died.

[Emster23]

"Substandard construction was blamed for the collapse." Hmmm but what if "substandard" is the "standard"?

Guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.... if it is still standing.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

any photos before and after

I wonder how much of that budget was actually spent on the bridge

Only of the after....

Pic: ThaiRath

[jalansanitwong]

No doubt there will be an inquiry.

Most of the money probably went on overseas student fees for a local official's son.

It certainly doesnt look like much was spent on the bridge. Looks like someone spent a fair bit of time rumaging around a scrapyard.

Edited July 22, 2015 by jalansanitwong

[Naroge]

After seeing the photo I just ask. 9 Million Baht?

[ramrod711]

Am I the only one that had a mental image of Homer Simpson, arms raised, saying DOH!

[Basil B]

They can't get the labour these days...

[NCC1701A]

seeing how this is maybe the first bridge they have ever built, and given the budget, I think they did a good job.

Looking at photos on Facebook for examples and sort of guessing at materials with no understanding of how to engineer a bridge. or what happens when you use old rusted materials. But i am sure many knew and just watched. They did not have to wait long.

I think in some perverse way some may enjoy this like little kids playing a big joke on someone. Just like the way they drive.

Fun to build a bridge. Sort of like all the dress up and pretend stuff Thais do.

I'm in the Army! I'm a Policeman! I am a pilot! I am Engineer! I am a Real Estate agent!

Still very sad as it is 2015 and this is still the way they build the their own infrastructure.

Wake up Thailand.

Edited July 22, 2015 by NCC1701A

[zakk9]

There's a mistake in the article. I says "Substandard construction was blamed for the collapse." I'm sure it should be "Thai standard construction was blamed for the collapse."

[zakk9]

It reminds be of the construction work that has been ongoing at Bang Na-Trat Road (first level) for more than two years now. On a stretch of the road where you can buy new and used construction machinery at shops every few hundred meters, the construction has mostly been by hand. Now, a couple of months after one of the bridges opened, the asphalt is peeling off and we are driving on the bare concrete on parts of the bridge.

[atyclb]

In thailand dry conditions (drought) cause justified road collapse and wet conditions(rain) cause new bridges to collapse. Make sense.

[mikemac]

any photos before and after

I wonder how much of that budget was actually spent on the bridge

OK, so the allocated budget was not entirely spent on the project, but that is all water under the bridge........................

[diehard60]

The lack of any real quality assurance programs here in Thailand. Any QA they have is a person that backs up with his hand out.

[Alwyn]

I make that 23,647 baht per m2 build cost. No wonder it fell apart

[mango66]

please read the original story !

There was heavy rain and ! and ! storm which brought the bridge to collapse !

If tere would have been sunshine in the night,

the bridge for sure would survive !

[Basil B]

any photos before and after

I wonder how much of that budget was actually spent on the bridge

OK, so the allocated budget was not entirely spent on the project, but that is all water under the bridge........................

Now over the bridge...

[Borzandy]

The bridge that Thais tried to build by themself.....Hopefully it's the only one.

[bdenner]

I guess the engineers (I use the term VERY loosly) didn't study the 1940 failure of the Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge. Then again 9 Million Baht would not have covered the model and wind tunnel testing let alone the construction costs. Effin idiots!

Edited July 22, 2015 by bdenner

[fred Kubasa]

New administration said Thailand was on a new fast path& apparently true as it usually

takes a full year before new construction collapses.

[impulse]

Meanwhile back in Farangistan..

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/22/interstate-10-in-california-to-reopen-friday-after-bridge-collapse/

And, even better:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bridge+collapse&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CDoQsARqFQoTCLOxwvvD7sYCFUGnlAod7xsBHg