Bamboo bridge collapse injures a dozen in Mae Hong Son

[hrjay]

Posts with wire bridge supports attached. You will always have flexing - it's impossible not to have flexing - it's a bridge for heaven's sake. Yep the concrete broke in the exact place where the flexing would be the worst -- at the base. Concrete is a really bad choice for posts that are gonna flex. They grow makha trees here and common uses are docks and the ribs of ships. Wood is a better choice, especially when it's under their noses.

[Stargeezr]

In just looking at the pictures of this story, it seems to me that the concrete supports were poorly built.

Not using rebar to help in the strength, would not be allowed in most countries. I guess this bridge was built

a while back, and lasted this long, but it is a sad situation none the less. I am just glad that no one was killed

in this collapse. I enjoyed my visit to Mae Hong Son a year ago, and would recommend a visit here to anyone.

One tip though is, Fly in and Fly out, unless you want to experience a very windy road experience.

[jacko45k]

Judging from the appearance more than 10 on there would be enough, and they should break step!

Thousands would strike me as absolutely insane!

[canopy]

In August they blamed the weather for the collapse and in October they blamed the people for using it. Who knows how many more times there have been collapses before this. Living in the north of Thailand I notice when people do a bad job, they just blame something else. It's never their fault. It's never their bad design and workmanship. So they never learn or better themselves. They go through their whole lives repeating the same mistakes over and over. And it's particularly disturbing in cases like this where it sends people to the hospital and they go through the same ritual.

The structure appears to be made from concrete, steel, and wood. Bamboo is used for the footpath / ornamental. So I too do not classify this as a bamboo bridge and find the topic misleading at best.

[apetley]

In just looking at the pictures of this story, it seems to me that the concrete supports were poorly built.

Not using rebar to help in the strength, would not be allowed in most countries. I guess this bridge was built

a while back, and lasted this long, but it is a sad situation none the less. I am just glad that no one was killed

in this collapse. I enjoyed my visit to Mae Hong Son a year ago, and would recommend a visit here to anyone.

One tip though is, Fly in and Fly out, unless you want to experience a very windy road experience.

Looking at the pic in the OP there is rebar in the concrete pillars but it seems remarkably thin for such an integral part of the structure.

[soalbundy]

Monks collected alms on the bridge, wonder if they will contribute some of their ill gotten gains to rebuild it, or perhaps a bridge blessing later for free.

[circusman]

Any third year student at a good engineering school could calculate the maximum load (number of people) that should be on the bridge at one time. Then a big sign is several languages is posted warning people that exceeding the people limit could lead to injury or death.

It never ceases to amaze that basic rules of public safety seem to allude the people in charge of public safety.

You expect folks here to obey signs? Must be new to Thailand.

[kiwikeith]

Because the bridge is made from bamboo. The support poles are now made from "cheap" concrete...

And no Temple boy to police the amount of people allowed on the bridge at one time.

Nor any tested recomendation for loading or enforcement and warning signs to advise amount of people allowed on bridge at one time.

TIT.

[bangon04]

"Su Tong Pae bridge is the longest bamboo bridge in the country"

Now it is the longest underwater bamboo bridge in the country... which explains why now

"It is one of the unseen tourist attractions in Mae Hong Son"

because the underwater bit can no longer be seen.

[FangFerang]

Almost 2000 died at the Haj when a crane collapsed. 10 injured, two seriously, when the bamboo bridge collapses here in Thailand.

I think the universe is trying to tell people that organized religions are unhealthy.

And they're not listening.

Edited October 29, 2015 by FangFerang

[Borzandy]

Any third year student at a good engineering school could calculate the maximum load (number of people) that should be on the bridge at one time. Then a big sign is several languages is posted warning people that exceeding the people limit could lead to injury or death.

It never ceases to amaze that basic rules of public safety seem to allude the people in charge of public safety.

It's not so simple. In Thailand, when workers mix the sand and cement, they do not put the right amount of cement, and too much sand, so, no one can predict what may happen. (Here we can see on the picture that the pole was broken). And it's the same process when building home.

[jpb1963]

It's not cheap to build in Thailand but you can build cheaply...

Looking at the pictures you can clearly see that the bridge is a steel structure with bamboo just to cover it and the concrete pillars working as the support structure. And with too much free time I did some measuring using some the pictures as they gave 2m width that I used as a reference and if my calculations are right then:

Concrete pillars: 230mm or 10"

Steel pipes: 26mm or 3/4" pipe

Wires: 8mm

Sections: 1000*350mm

So if there are any engineer out there who can do any kind of strength calculation for the bridge?! I would guess that the max load is not that much!

I just did the calculation for you

500 people yield point .

max safe working load using dynamic factoring and stress to yield modelling - 200 people.

[jpb1963]

and before the naysayers climb all over that i used highly detailed and scientific arithmetic stuff to work that out....

[canopy]

It sounds stupid to put up a sign for maximum person capacity, as if people are going to stop and make an accurate count before getting on. Then what if they do only to have a group of morons or a few dogs and water buffalo wander on after them and go over the limit. Another problem of course is the bridge workers don't have a clue how many people it can hold or what kind of weather is safe so making a sign is just putting a finger up in the air with no added safety. A bridge like this will always be enter at your own risk like many places in Thailand. A waste of breath recommending a safe and long lasting structure. The preference here is making up excuses on each future collapse.

[Krataiboy]

Guess the gods are peeved at plans to make Buddhism the official national religion. Can's think why. Much.

[chickenslegs]

Bridges do fail.. Lots of them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bridge_failures

[Yann55]

Monks around here do tend to be overfed. I guess it's time for them to (again?) look into what it really means and implies to be a Buddhist monk.

... errr... before another TVF poster with no sense of humour whatsoever lashes out at me about that remark on overfed monks, it's a joke.

And the second part of my statement is not..

[soalbundy]

It's not cheap to build in Thailand but you can build cheaply...

Looking at the pictures you can clearly see that the bridge is a steel structure with bamboo just to cover it and the concrete pillars working as the support structure. And with too much free time I did some measuring using some the pictures as they gave 2m width that I used as a reference and if my calculations are right then:

Concrete pillars: 230mm or 10"

Steel pipes: 26mm or 3/4" pipe

Wires: 8mm

Sections: 1000*350mm

So if there are any engineer out there who can do any kind of strength calculation for the bridge?! I would guess that the max load is not that much!

I just did the calculation for you

500 people yield point .

max safe working load using dynamic factoring and stress to yield modelling - 200 people.

or ten fat monks with bags full of money