Guangzhou is shocked! At dawn on February 22, the Lixinsha Bridge in Nansha was hit by empty boats, and many vehicles fell into the river, which was very bad! This earth-shattering disaster is not only distressing, but also raises deep concerns about the safety of bridges.
This old bridge, which has witnessed 30 years of wind and rain, was completed and opened to traffic as early as 1994, which connects Lixinsha Island in the west of Panyu with the outside world, and plays an important link between Nansha Economic Development Zone and Sanmin Island. However, on this quiet morning, a corner of it collapsed with a bang, bringing endless sadness to the city.
When it comes to the structure of the bridge, it has a T-shaped rigid structure with hanging holes, which seems to be strong, but it was vulnerable in this impact. Although the T-beams were intact, the piers of the side spans were skewed, exposing design deficiencies. The foundation of the double-column pier was even more destroyed, which makes one wonder how strong such a design is.
And what is the cause of the accident? At the beginning of the design, the improvement of future navigation standards was not considered, and the bearing capacity of the bridge lagged behind the changes of the times. In 2008, some of the piers had problems, and although they were repaired and reinforced, they failed to fundamentally solve the hidden dangers. With the improvement of the waterway level, the traffic of large ships has increased, and the safety of bridges has become increasingly prominent.
The "Lianghui 688" ship, which collided, although it was an experienced container ship, became the culprit in this incident. Facing the piers at high speeds, the impact velocity is almost close to the design value, which triggers a rethinking of ship safety awareness.
We should not just lament the aftermath of a disaster, but should also work hard to prevent it. The design, construction and maintenance quality of bridges is important, but even more critical is the safety of passing ships. Any negligence can lead to irreparable damage. For the safety of the city, let us call together to fulfill our responsibilities to maintain every bridge and protect every home.