Introduction

The Silver Bridge was an Eye bar- chain suspension bridge built
in 1928 and named for the color of its aluminum paint. The
bridge carried U.S. Route 35 over the Ohio River, connecting
Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio.

Disaster
 The most immediate and devastating consequence of the Silver
Bridge collapse was the loss of human life. Forty-six people died
in the collapse, making it one of the deadliest bridge disasters in
U.S. history.
 many people were injured as a result of the collapse, some of them
seriously.
The injuries ranged from broken bones to severe trauma.
 The collapse deeply affected the communities of Point Pleasant,
West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio, as the bridge was a vital link
between the two towns.
 The bridge collapse disrupted commerce and transportation in the
region. It hindered daily commuting, affected businesses, and had a
negative economic impact on the communities it served.

Properties
The American Bridge Company developed a new heat-
treated carbon steel to use on the construction of the
Silver Bridge. This new steel would allow the individual
members of the bridge to handle more stress. Along with
the two eye-bars sharing the load, the steel could easily
handle the 4 « million pound load. The newly treated chain
steel eye-bars had an ultimate strength of 105,000 pounds
per square inch (psi) with an elastic limit of 75,000 psi
along with a maximum working stress of 50,000 psi. The
eyebars embedded into the unique anchorage were also
heat treated for an ultimate strength of 75,000 psi, an
elastic limit of 50,000 psi and a maximum unit stress of 30
psi.

Investigation
• Eyebar Failure: The collapse was attributed to the failure of a
single eyebar in one of the bridge's suspension chains. The eyebar had
developed a tiny crack due to stress corrosion, which eventually led to
its catastrophic failure. This failure was the focal point of the
investigation.

• Stress Corrosion Cracking: The investigation revealed that the

eyebar's material, which was carbon steel, had been exposed to a highly
corrosive environment due to the bridge's location near a chemical plant
and the presence of industrial pollutants in the river. This corrosion,
combined with the tensile stress on the eyebar, led to the development of
a crack that ultimately caused the collapse.

• Maintenance and Inspection Issues: The investigation also

identified deficiencies in the bridge's maintenance and inspection
practices. It was determined that regular inspections had not detected the
growing crack in the eyebar. The lack of proper maintenance and
inspection procedures contributed to the bridge's failure.

the accident is due to a small crack that was formed through fretting
wear at the bearing, and grew through internal corrosion, a problem
known as stress corrosion cracking. Residual stress in the eyebar that
was created during construction was responsible for the accident. After
the failure of the lower side, all the load was transferred to the other side
of the eyebar; consequently ductile overload led inevitably to the
collapse of the entire structure
 issues

 Poor communication or miscommunication : First, there is

poor communication or miscommunication between the various
design professionals involved which are engineers involved in
conceptual design and those involved in the supervision of the
execution of works
 Bad workmanship: bad workmanship, which is often the result of
failure to communicate the design decisions to the persons, involved in
executing them. The University of North Carolina (2013) stated that
Steinman had thickened the heads of the eye-bars and used four rather
than two bars per link.

 The compromises in professional ethics and failure: Next, the

compromises in professional ethics and failure to appreciate the
responsibility of the profession to the community at large could also result
in catastrophic failures.

 The lack of appropriate professional design and

construction experience: the lack of appropriate professional design and
construction experience of this bridge construction. The eye-bars in the
Silver Bridge were not redundant, as links were composed of only two bars
each, of high-strength steel rather than a thick stack of thinner bars of
 modest material strength that combed together, as is
usual for redundancy. With only two bars, the failure of one could
impose excessive loading on the second, causing its total failure.

After that, the ignorance of safety and welfare of the public also
the issues in the Silver Bridge. This can be seen when they did
not make maintenance to the bridge often. Cindy Johnson
(2007) stated that the survey of investigation to determine the
safety of the nation's bridges found that many bridges were
rarely if ever inspected, and were often poorly maintained
especially the Silver Bridge. This lead to a miscalculation on the
load of the traffic for the bridge which is the calculation of the
traffic load was not exactly the real ones. The next issues that
arise were inadequate preparation and review of contract and
shop drawing poor training of field inspectors and they also
ignore the risk. This can be seen when there was no inspection
and maintenance for the bridge before its fall.
Resolve issues
1. Regular Inspection and Maintenance:* This involves ensuring that equipment,
structures, or systems are regularly checked for safety and functionality, with
necessary repairs or maintenance performed promptly.

2. Risk Assessment:* Evaluating potential risks and their consequences is essential

for making informed decisions and taking preventive measures to mitigate these
risks.

3. *Transparency and Communication:* Open and honest communication is key

to maintaining trust and integrity. Transparency involves sharing relevant
information with stakeholders.
4. *Continuous Monitoring:* Keeping a vigilant eye on operations or processes to
identify issues or deviations from standards and taking corrective action as
needed.

5. *Environmental Considerations:* Taking into account the environmental impact

of actions and making efforts to minimize negative effects on the environment.

6. *Professional Development:* Promoting ongoing education and development

to ensure that individuals have the knowledge and skills required to make ethical
decisions in their roles.

7. *Accountability:* Holding individuals and organizations responsible for their

actions and ensuring that consequences are in place for unethical behavior.

8. *Whistle-blower Protections:* Providing mechanisms and legal protections for

individuals who report unethical behavior or wrongdoing within an organization.

9. *Community Engagement:* Involving and engaging with the community

affected by decisions or actions to ensure their perspectives and concerns are
considered.
Learning
1. Importance of Maintenance and Inspections: The collapse
highlighted the critical importance of regular and thorough bridge
inspections and maintenance. Neglecting these activities can lead to
the deterioration of vital structural components and, in extreme
cases, catastrophic failure.
2. Corrosion Management: The Silver Bridge collapse emphasized
the need for effective corrosion management strategies in areas
where infrastructure is exposed to corrosive environments. Proper
coatings, materials selection, and maintenance are essential to
mitigate corrosion-related risks.
3. Monitoring of Aging Infrastructure: Aging infrastructure, like the
Silver Bridge, requires special attention and monitoring.
Understanding the structural health of older bridges and
implementing necessary repairs or replacements is crucial to prevent
disasters.
4. Safety Regulations and Standards: The disaster led to the
development and strengthening of safety regulations and engineering
standards for bridge construction and maintenance. It highlighted the
importance of regulatory oversight in ensuring the safety of public
infrastructure.
5. Ethical Considerations: The collapse raised ethical questions about
prioritizing public safety over cost-cutting measures in infrastructure
projects. Ethical engineering practices must prioritize safety above
all else.
6. Whistleblowing and Reporting Concerns: Engineers and
professionals working on infrastructure projects learned the
importance of whistleblowing when they become aware of safety
concerns or unethical practices within their organizations. Reporting
such issues can prevent disasters.
7. Public Awareness and Advocacy: The Silver Bridge collapse
increased public awareness of the importance of infrastructure safety.
It empowered communities and advocacy groups to demand
transparency, accountability, and adherence to safety standards in
infrastructure projects.
8. Lessons from Failures: Engineers and professionals learned that
failures like the Silver Bridge collapse can provide valuable lessons
for the engineering community. It reinforced the importance of
learning from past failures to prevent future disasters.
9. Innovation and Technology: Advances in materials, engineering
practices, and technology have since played a role in improving the
safety and longevity of bridges and infrastructure. Continuous
innovation is vital for enhancing infrastructure reliability.
10. Replacement and Modernization: The Silver Bridge was
replaced by the Silver Memorial Bridge, incorporating modern
engineering practices and materials to ensure safety. This highlights
the importance of replacing or modernizing aging infrastructure to
meet current safety standards.