Why did the Baltimore bridge collapse so quickly? Engineering experts explain tragic structural failure

A massive cargo ship colliding with a major bridge in Baltimore has resulted in numerous people missing, potentially causing significant economic and social disruption, according to experts.

Many questions linger regarding the collision, particularly concerning why the ship struck the bridge and what structural vulnerabilities led to the rapid collapse.

A photo from the tragedy at the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Bridges like the Francis Scott Key Bridge are typically engineered with safeguards against such collisions. Structural protections such as 'sacrificial dolphins' or artificial islands are designed to prevent ships from reaching the bridge piers.

However, modern ships' size and power may exceed the assumptions made during the bridge's design in the 1970s. Ships like the 'Dali,' measuring 300 meters long and 48.2 meters wide, loaded with cargo and traveling at unknown speeds, could generate impact forces beyond what the bridge was initially engineered to withstand.

A helicopter flies over the scene of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland

Additionally, modern navigation technologies should have prevented the ship from colliding with the bridge, raising questions about potential failures in those systems.

Videos of the collapse illustrate the rapidity of the event, showcasing a phenomenon known as progressive collapse. Once a structural element fails, neighboring elements are unable to support the increased loads, leading to a cascading collapse.

A State of Emergency has been declared by Maryland’s governor after the tragic collapse

The footage of the collapse will be invaluable for investigators, providing crucial insights into the sequence of events and aiding in the assessment of the collapse.