Minneapolis Bridge Collapse
Can the new bridge stand the heat?
St. Paul, Minn. — The Star Tribune reported Thursday that National Transportation Safety Board investigators are looking into the role heat may have played in the I-35W bridge collapse.
Engineers design bridges to be able to accommodate seasonal weather extremes by allowing them to contract and expand. But the paper reported that a system of roller bearings that allowed the I-35W bridge to move with temperature changes wasn't working correctly.
Linda Figg is the lead designer of the I-35W bridge replacement project and CEO of FIGG Engineering Group. She spoke with All Things Considered host Tom Crann about how the new I-35W bridge will be designed to withstand Minnesota's extreme winters and summers.
