Other Than Being Hit By The Ship, What Triggered The Collapse Of The Baltimore Bridge?
A retired Indian scientist based in Coimbatore claims the Baltimore Bridge in the US recently collapsed following a series of short circuits, after being hit by a ship MV Dali on March 26, manned by 20 odd Indian crew members. The bridge snapped and collapsed sending several people and vehicles into the river below. The 985-foot-long vessel was headed for Sri Lanka. News reports said the vessel struck one of the 2.6 km long bridge’s supports, causing the span to break.
Dr C.S. Venkitasubramanyan, says “The bridge collapse was not the result of mere mechanical impact. It involved severe electrical shorting and related fire and gas explosions. DALI seriously damaged the bridge and it might have remained so. It is the first short circuit, large fires and explosions that initiated the process of its rapid collapse ending in an eerie fire and mayhem on the right pier with trusses throwing out flaming cables from their guts.”
The video images of the instant collapse of the FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE in Baltimore shocked the world. But an analysis of the tragedy reveals some shocking details, that need to be highlighted, CS argues. The scientist explains “In the short video clips circulated the ship MV DALI is seen approaching the left pier of the bridge. In the next clip, the ship has already impacted the left pier but the bridge is still standing and the road is undamaged. A glowing spot appears ominously on its upper edge. Identifying this spot as an electrical “short” was a major turning point.
The only alternative is the electrical cable’s insulation. Even at the end, one can see two shorts in the upper bend and two flames in the inner bend just above the right pier. One could see burning electrical cables coming out of steel trusses, in other clips available.
Later, the short transformed into two fires 40 feet apart with an explosion. The tip of another flame can be seen 40 feet behind. Shorting, fire, and gas explosions go together. The bridge has a tilt and is sitting on the broken pier. A new short appears in the middle of the bridge at the top and becomes a flame in subsequent clips. The left portion of the bridge is plunging in a “V” shape. Current was being fed to the bridge although there were major shorts and related fires.
“When the first short appeared a circuit-breaker or fuse should have “tripped” instantly. It is most elementary. Until the bridge collapsed completely 50000 tons of steel carried “live” current and it could have killed many. The shorts, flames, and explosions continued throughout. Steel does not burn. The only alternative is the electrical cable’s insulation. Even at the end, one can see two shorts in the upper bend and two flames in the inner bend just above the right pier. One could see burning electrical cables coming out of steel trusses, in other clips available.
The questions that need to be answered are “Were there several independent circuits, each with its circuit breaker? Were the electrical cables well-insulated? How did the bare wires come in contact with the truss? Were the cables installed very taut or with a lot of slack to take care of stresses? Were the couplings and connectors foolproof? Were they periodically inspected for deterioration, weathering, fraying, etc. after 1977? The main cable that caused the short, fire and explosion was installed in the top and bottom steel trusses which had square cross sections and sealed.
How did they carry out periodic inspections without accessing the cables? Is it possible they were not encased in rigid PVC pipes, were flammable or incendiary, and released explosive gases? Ignited insulation gives off carbon monoxide, methane, ethylene, and acetylene which burn. Without oxygen, things get worse. Halogenated insulations give off products such as chlorine which does not burn but enhances the combustion of other substances causing serious fire and explosions. Conduits need perforations for aeration and should not be sealed.”
Dr Venkitsubramanyan says “I am sitting in a Coimbatore retirement home, writing about the happenings in Baltimore, USA. I have to trace the steel portion that was subjected to fire and gas explosion to prove what I say. A lot of debris had already been shifted to Sparrow Point. But I located the portion lying in the water next to DALI. The types of holes clearly show gas explosions creating puncture marks, ripping apart square steel sections into ribbons, etc. Fire belched out through these holes.”
The collapse of the bridge was not the result of mere mechanical impact. It involved severe electrical shorting and related fire and gas explosions. DALI seriously damaged the bridge and it might have remained so. It is the first short circuit, large fires and explosions that initiated the process of its rapid collapse ending in an eerie fire and mayhem on the right pier with trusses throwing out flaming cables from their guts.
Remember, the ship DALI had a lot of momentum, equal to 3 Apollo rockets. This momentum abruptly stopped. Then gravity took over. The mechanical fall happens at about 150 kmh. But electricity travels at 80% of the speed of light and in copper wire it may be about 200000 kms. Electricity will do the damage much faster.
This answers the question “How did it collapse so fast?” The bridge has not descended even halfway to the water below but showed multiple shorts, fires, and explosions in its most vulnerable points. One has to do a slow-motion study, frame by frame, to get a balanced, fair, and unbiased picture. Ironically, the portion of the bridge called Section-4 that was sitting on DALI was brought down by the Unified Command by the same process by which the bridge collapsed. Electric current was sent to explosives with fuses kept at vulnerable points. “
About the scientist
Dr Venkitasubramanyan is a technocrat, an entrepreneur, a teacher and a "never give up" researcher whose quest for the truth continues even in his advanced age. From geology to wine-making his interests are varied.