Photo: #The gusset plate is the steel plate that ties steel beams together on a bridge. Federal officials say a flawed gusset plate design is a main cause of the 35W bridge collapse.
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The gusset plate is the steel plate that ties steel beams together on a bridge. Federal officials say a flawed gusset plate design is a main cause of the 35W bridge collapse. (Photo submitted by Kevin Curley)

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Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

The I-35W bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour on August 1, 2007, plunging dozens of cars and their occupants into the river.

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Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

What is a gusset plate, anyway?

by Tom Crann, Minnesota Public Radio
January 15, 2008

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To learn more about gusset plates and what purpose they serve in the design of a bridge, MPR's Tom Crann talks to Roberto Ballarini, head of the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota.

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