Planes and Boats and Trains. Wrecks!

[pipistrelle]

The clearing up is going to be such a major undertaking.

They are working on plans to divert all the shipping to other ports up and down the eastern seaboard. I wonder about all the shipyard/port workers - will they get help moving? Will the other ports absorb them? And all the ancillary businesses whose main customers are port workers - they're going to be hurt, too.

Side note: We know immediately after the crash, all the scummy conspiracies started bubbling up; I mostly saw joke memes about them bc they're so stupid and unbelievable. "DEI" was one of them and I thought it was just thrown in there bc it's a thing right now. But then I heard a comment (I think on NPR?) that DEI came up because the mayor of Baltimore is Black. That took me aback because I'm just not creative enough to come up with that. I mean, it's stupid, but to think a current mayor had anything to do with a boat crash? That earns bonus racist points.

There's a twitter meme with the mayor of Baltimore labeled "DEI." DEI, like Let's Go Brandon, is cowardly MAGA shorthand. In this case, it's for a term that you can guess.

Wikipedia does a decent job of explaining DEI in the real world:

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (usually abbreviated DEI) are organizational frameworks which seek to promote "the fair treatment and full participation of all people", particularly groups "who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination" on the basis of identity or disability.

In the corporate world, most companies recognize not only employees are diverse, but so are customers. It has absolutely nothing to do with hiring or competence, at least not from what I've seen. There are no "DEI hires." The mayor was elected, of course.

An example of DEI in practice would be employees being totally cool with another employee wearing a hijab or a turban that reflects their culture and beliefs. We have employees who wear hijabs and turbans. No one freaks out.

Here's a Yahoo story about what DEI really means to MAGA, under the hidden tag. I would go to it for the imagery and full story.

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[roadscholar]

I figure with subsequent advances in bridge technology they’d probably be able to achieve a wider span, and thereby reduce or even eliminate the possibility of ship allisions. No?

[Volkonski]

Yes.

A modern beam bridge, for instance, is likely to span a distance of up to 200 feet (60 meters), while a modern arch can safely span up to 800 or 1,000 feet (240 to 300 m). A suspension bridge, the pinnacle of bridge technology, is capable of spanning up to 7,000 feet (2,100 m).

https://www.google.com/search?q=bridge+ ... e&ie=UTF-8

[RTH10260]

When a ship is drifting without control it can hit anything.

Maybe a cable-stayed bridge might do the trick.

Blueprints and expierience are available at the US Canadian border in Detroit.

https://www.gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com/en

[Sam the Centipede]

Yes.

A modern beam bridge, for instance, is likely to span a distance of up to 200 feet (60 meters), while a modern arch can safely span up to 800 or 1,000 feet (240 to 300 m). A suspension bridge, the pinnacle of bridge technology, is capable of spanning up to 7,000 feet (2,100 m).

https://www.google.com/search?q=bridge+ ... e&ie=UTF-8

Suspension bridges the pinnacle of technology? No. Relatively few are built now (as far as I am aware) because cable-stayed bridges (where the bridge deck is supported directly from the towers by cables) have better dynamics than suspension bridges (where the bridge deck is supported by vertical hangers below a heavy catenary cable slung between tower tops.

Cable-stayed bridges also do not need huge ground anchors on the shores as they can be designed so there is little lateral load on the towers, because each tower supports an equal weight of bridge on each side.

Bridge specialists (not me!) might disagree but I think cable-stayed bridges have all the performance advantages of suspension bridges and avoid several significant disadvantages.

[Volkonski]

High Pressure Gas Pipeline Halts Salvage of MV Dali

https://gcaptain.com/dali-salvage-balti ... -pipeline/

Salvage efforts to remove the MV Dali from Baltimore’s Key Bridge were delayed indefinitely yesterday after a high-pressure subsea natural gas pipeline was discovered under the wreckage.

Yesterday, the Maryland Port Authority held a meeting at the unified incident command center located at the Maryland Cruise Terminal in Baltimore. The Army Corps of Engineers and the US Coast Guard outlined their priorities: firstly, to open the shipping channel; secondly, to secure and remove the MV Dali; and thirdly, to initiate salvage operations “from the inside out”.

According to a source at the meeting, the salvage company DonJon-SMIT has been assigned to work with US Navy Salvage Operations (SUPSALV) to clear the bridge. Meanwhile, SCANSKA has been hired by the State of Maryland to secure the shoreside components of the bridge structure.

Earlier this week, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg assigned the most delicate task of the operation, extracting the ship, to the American salvage company Resolve Marine. Founded in 1980 with just one tugboat, Resolve Marine has since grown into an industry leader with offices worldwide. The company has participated in various major projects, including the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the Hoegh Xiamen fire. Resolve told gCaptain that CEO Joe Farrell III is personally leading the efforts in Baltimore to ensure it receives the company’s full attention and resources.

Our source indicates that Resolve has determined that approximately three to four thousand tons of steel and concrete are presently resting on the ship’s bow. Photos of the ship visibly depict the stern elevated above the bow, and experts suggest that the weight of the bridge is pinning it to the seabed.

One salvage master we interviewed said sections of the bridge have cut through the deck causing serious structural weakness. “Imagine putting a steel bar in a powerful metal vise,” he said. “Now lift and drop the end of that bar. The tide is your hand lifting and dropping that bar. Each time you do, the vise digs deeper into the steel, and the bar weakens. It’s crucial to loosen that vise by removing the bridge segments that are pinning it down as soon as possible.”



So far those pressures have only delayed the efforts but yesterday operations were paused indefinitely. The concern came during the due diligence process when salvage engineers discovered a high-pressure gas line near the wreckage. According to one source, both the Department of Transportation’s US Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) have been notified.

A pipeline safety expert from PHMSA confirmed concerns about a particular pipeline. They informed us, off the record, that the operator was notified and the pipeline has been isolated and depressurized. PHMSA records indicate that the pipeline, which carries natural gas under high pressure, is owned by Baltimore Gas And Electric (BGE). It remains unclear when BGE was alerted and when the pipeline was shut down.

Despite the shutdown, salvage teams aren’t willing to further risk the ship, the crew, and their own members. They require a review of the undersea documents and a survey of the pipeline before resuming.

“This will undoubtedly cause additional delays to the operation,” said a senior official at the meeting. Even after the risks to the pipeline have been fully mitigated, “the timeline to remove the debris from the ship is very uncertain.”

[Volkonski]

UPDATE 1: Unified Command commences bridge wreckage removal for Key Bridge Response 2024

https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/p ... ponse-2024

The Unified Command commenced bridge wreckage removal Saturday to remove debris from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

Highly trained demolition crews will begin cutting the top portion of the north side of the collapsed bridge into smaller sections for safe removal by crane. One crane barge and one working barge are staged at the incident to support Saturday’s operations.

Salvage teams will use gas-powered cutters to systematically separate sections of the steel bridge, which will be taken to a disposal site. At the same time, salvage divers continue to conduct underwater assessments of the work site to support further operations. Every lifting operation requires engineering analysis to inform salvage operation plans.

The Unified Command is working in partnership with BGE to reduce pressure of an underwater pipeline that spans the width of the channel and runs under the incident site. Unified Command is coordinating to inert the pipeline to free it from hazards and risk. Pipeline operations will continue through the weekend.

The Unified Command continues to maintain a 2000-yard maritime Safety Zone for the M/V Dali recovery efforts, a Temporary Flight Restriction with a radius of three nautical miles from the surface, up to and including 1,500 feet above ground level also remains in effect.

The Safety Zone is enforced for the protection of personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from the potential hazards associated with salvage work. The vessel remains stable with crew aboard.

[raison de arizona]

What a nightmare, the forces involved in that vice must be enormous.

[Volkonski]

The Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command includes-

U.S. Coast Guard

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Maryland Department of the Environment

Maryland Transportation Authority

Witt O’Brien’s representing Synergy Marine

Maryland State Police

[Volkonski]

In the photo below you can see how the weight of the bridge sections resting on the bow of the Dali have pushed the bow down and raised the stern. Reports suggest that the underside of the bow is resting on the bottom of the ship channel.

Each of those containers is 8 feet by 8 feet by 40 feet.



https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/

[pipistrelle]

Fake photo. AI. Blah blah blah.

(It does look a hair miniaturized.)

[chancery]

UPDATE 1: Unified Command commences bridge wreckage removal for Key Bridge Response 2024

https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/p ... ponse-2024

The Unified Command commenced bridge wreckage removal Saturday to remove debris from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

Highly trained demolition crews will begin cutting the top portion of the north side of the collapsed bridge into smaller sections for safe removal by crane. One crane barge and one working barge are staged at the incident to support Saturday’s operations.

Salvage teams will use gas-powered cutters to systematically separate sections of the steel bridge, which will be taken to a disposal site. At the same time, salvage divers continue to conduct underwater assessments of the work site to support further operations. Every lifting operation requires engineering analysis to inform salvage operation plans.

Are they actually laying hands on and removing sections of bridge yet? I ask because I have seen several "Salvage Is Starting" headlines that on further inspection meant that an immense barge-mounted crane had arrived at the harbor and was moored off Sparrows Point awaiting further developments.

[Dave from down under]

There is a photo filter that makes actual images look like models/dioramas

[much ado]

Are they actually laying hands on and removing sections of bridge yet? I ask because I have seen several "Salvage Is Starting" headlines that on further inspection meant that an immense barge-mounted crane had arrived at the harbor and was moored off Sparrows Point awaiting further developments.

The Washington Post has a 45-second video in this article that shows, at the beginning, a barge crane with a cherry-picker device on the bow using a cutting torch to cut bridge beams prior to lifting. So it seems actual work has begun.

WaPo gift: Massive effort to clear Key Bridge wreckage begins

[chancery]

Thanks!

[Foggy]

I think this is fascinating, and I look forward to all y'all's posts as they clean up the mess.

[Volkonski]

UPDATE 2 Multimedia Release: Unified Command commenced bridge wreckage removal for Key Bridge Response 2024

https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/p ... dge-respon

The Unified Command commenced cutting operations Saturday to remove wreckage from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

Highly trained demolition crews are cutting the top portion of the north side of the collapsed bridge truss. Two crane barges, a 650-ton crane and a 330-ton crane, are actively working on scene. The removed wreckage is scheduled to be lifted and transferred to a barge this evening as daylight allows. A 230-ton land-based crane will offload and process the wreckage at Tradepoint Atlantic and will then be taken to a disposal site.

A Coast Guard Station Crisfield 29-foot Response Boat-Small crew observes as highly trained demolition crews cut the top portion of the north side of the collapsed bridge into smaller sections for safe removal by crane in the Patapsco River, in Baltimore, Maryland, March 30, 2024. Salvage teams used an exothermic cutting torch to systematically separate sections of the steel bridge, which will be taken to a disposal site. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kimberly Reaves)

[Foggy]

How do exothermic cutting torches work?

[RTH10260]

exothermic torches = the weat dreams of right wing radicals playing with tiki torches

[Sam the Centipede]

I've always wanted to have a go with shaped charges used for demolition: you wrap the cord round the member, press the big red button, and the explosive in the cord forces a jet of molten copper into the steel, producing a surprisingly neat cut.

But nobody ever asks me to demolish anything

[Rolodex]

I'm grateful that there are people who know how to do these things!

[Volkonski]

UPDATE 3 Multimedia Release: Unified Command continues bridge wreckage removal for Key Bridge Response 2024

https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/p ... dge-respon

Demolition crews continue to cut portions of the north side of the collapsed bridge truss. Two crane barges, a 650-ton crane and a 330-ton crane, are actively working on scene. The removed wreckage is being lifted and transferred to a barge as daylight allows. A 230-ton land-based crane will offload and process the wreckage at Tradepoint Atlantic. Every lifting operation requires engineering analysis to inform salvage operation plans.

BGE has reduced pressure of the underwater natural gas pipeline to 35psi. The pipeline spans the width of the channel and runs under the incident site. The Unified Command is continuing to coordinate with BGE to inert the pipeline to free it from hazards and risk.

Three dive teams with the Unified Command are surveying sections of the bridge and the M/V Dali for future removal operations.

[RVInit]

I mentioned on another thread that there are actually things other than court related that I watch on YouTube. I ran across this guy a while back and really love his storytelling. He has a nice deep voice and he also mixes the background music for his videos. It's quite dark and ominous and fits his stories well. I like the way the music comes in and out, is not constant and the volume is just loud enough to hear without it becoming a distraction. His videos have become really polished over the last couple of years. Here is one of the latest videos.

[Volkonski]

UPDATE 4 Multimedia Release: Unified Command prepares for opening of temporary alternate channel around Key Bridge wreckage for commercially essential vessels

https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/p ... hannel-aro

The Captain of the Port (COTP) is preparing to establish a temporary alternate channel on the northeast side of the main channel in the vicinity of the Francis Scott Key Bridge for commercially essential vessels.

“This will mark an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore,” said Capt. David O’Connell, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Key Bridge Response 2024. “By opening this alternate route, we will support the flow of marine traffic into Baltimore.”

This action is part of a phased approach to opening the main channel. The temporary channel will be marked with government lighted aids to navigation and will have a controlling depth of 11 feet, a 264-foot horizontal clearance, and vertical clearance 96 feet.

The current 2,000-yard safety zone around the Francis Scott Key Bridge remains in effect and is intended to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment. No vessel or person will be permitted to enter the safety zone without obtaining permission from the COTP or a designated representative.

The COTP will issue a Broadcast Notice to Mariners (BNM) via VHF-FM marine channel 16. Mariners are requested to monitor the VHF channel 16 for the latest information.

Members of the public may not enter the safety zone unless authorized by the COTP or designated representative. Those in the safety zone must comply with all lawful orders or directions given to them by the COTP or designated representative.

[Volkonski]

A controlling depth of only 11 feet will greatly limit the ships that can use that temporary channel.