May 1, 2007: Melted freeway

Undertoad · 05-01-2007, 07:02 AM

Via Spluch comes this sfgate.com story about a gasoline tanker's misadventure near Oakland, CA. Seems the gent was traveling a bit fast and overturned. The thing is, if you do that to a gas tanker, and the gas ignites:

It may just be hot enough to melt all the metal in the structure of an overpass.

Quote:

The single-vehicle crash occurred on the lower roadway when the tanker, loaded with 8,600 gallons of unleaded gasoline and heading from a refinery in Benicia to a gas station on Hegenberger Road in Oakland, hit a guardrail at 3:41 a.m.

Engineers said the green steel frame of the I-580 overpass and the bolts holding the frame together began to melt and bend in the intense heat -- and that movement pulled the roadbed off its supports.

The driver had enough sense to know he was hurt and hailed a taxi to get off the scene and to a hospital:

Quote:

Mosqueda, an employee of Sabek Transportation in San Francisco for 10 months, got out of the truck on his own after it overturned and hailed a taxi that took him to Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, witnesses and police said.

He has been transferred to the burn unit at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco, where his father said he was "doing OK" this afternoon, having sustained burns on his face, neck and hands. The family expected Mosqueda to remain hospitalalized two or three more days.

It's not so bad. If you had a good four-wheel drive you could still use it.

Aliantha · 05-01-2007, 07:04 AM

We've had this one on the news over here. I was amazed when I first saw the story. I thought someone had blown it up till I turned the sound up and found out it was the heat from the fire alone that'd caused all the damage.

It must have been intense.

glatt · 05-01-2007, 07:34 AM

Those poor bastards will have traffic nightmares for a while with this. Glad it didn't happen in my city.

Ibby · 05-01-2007, 08:16 AM

This even made page one of the Taipei newspaper.

Wow.

elSicomoro · 05-01-2007, 08:41 AM

Something like this should quiet the conspiracy theorists that think the WTC towers were brought down by the government...but they'll find some way to twist it to their point of view.

Sheldonrs · 05-01-2007, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sycamore

Something like this should quiet the conspiracy theorists that think the WTC towers were brought down by the government...but they'll find some way to twist it to their point of view.

Or MAYBE this was caused by the government to make us BELIEVE that it's possible to melt that kind of steel with the flames alone.

Not that I want to start any conspiracy theories or anything. hehehe

piercehawkeye45 · 05-01-2007, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sycamore

Something like this should quiet the conspiracy theorists that think the WTC towers were brought down by the government...but they'll find some way to twist it to their point of view.

I forget what there response to it is...

LabRat · 05-01-2007, 08:55 AM

W.O.W.

Would the tankers insurance company be responsible for the repair of the bridge, (assuming it was properly insured), or does the city end up having to eat the cost of the repairs?

Either way, yikes.

rfoxx · 05-01-2007, 09:26 AM

This is really their own fault for building a bridge on the cheap. Engineers have known for years that all structural steel should be encased in concrete. That protects it from fire, especially the ultra-hot kind. And it's not like this the first time a gas truck ever burned on the road. Hopefully, they'll rebuild it right this time.

Sheldonrs · 05-01-2007, 09:52 AM

From www.rosie.com:

"jen writes:

Your right again! Have you seen them demo the SF bridge? Steel Beams still there and holding up most of it! Not melted rubble, concrete having to be broken up. Keep speaking out - more are joining!

CORRECT JEN "

CharlieG · 05-01-2007, 09:57 AM

Paging Dr Rosie O'Donnel....

elSicomoro · 05-01-2007, 10:18 AM

Sheldon, if you and your partner ever go on one of her cruises, I may have no choice but to kick your asses...but it won't be a hate crime, I assure you.

Sheldonrs · 05-01-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sycamore

Sheldon, if you and your partner ever go on one of her cruises, I may have no choice but to kick your asses...but it won't be a hate crime, I assure you.

My partner hates boats so that ain't going to happen.
But I actually like Rosie. So you can go ahead and do what you want with my ass. ;-)

daniwong · 05-01-2007, 06:06 PM

So - I live in the bay area - but I live in south bay - San Jose - and I work in Fremont (about 30 mins south of Oakland). This was expected to cause ALL sorts of traffic nightmares - but so far it hasn't been that bad. Public transportation is free this week. Oddly enough - everyone has been pretty gracious about the whole thing.

Funniest thing though - CalTrans has said that they hope to have this fixed by the end of the week - I say HAHAHAHAHAHAH to that.

tulzscha · 05-01-2007, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniwong

Funniest thing though - CalTrans has said that they hope to have this fixed by the end of the week - I say HAHAHAHAHAHAH to that.

Eh, it *should* all be modular, so they just need to unbolt a few sections, and slap in a couple new ones. Unless the support pillars are damaged, which they shouldn't be - concrete is pretty fireproof. Didn't they show us that in a movie? Volcano, i think it was?

Is it a modular structure? I have no idea...

05-01-2007, 07:04 AM	#2
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	We've had this one on the news over here. I was amazed when I first saw the story. I thought someone had blown it up till I turned the sound up and found out it was the heat from the fire alone that'd caused all the damage. It must have been intense. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

05-01-2007, 08:16 AM	#4
Ibby erika Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: "the high up north" Posts: 6,127	This even made page one of the Taipei newspaper. Wow. __________________ not really back, you didn't see me, i was never here shhhhhh

05-01-2007, 08:55 AM	#8
LabRat twatfaced two legged bumhole Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,143	W.O.W. Would the tankers insurance company be responsible for the repair of the bridge, (assuming it was properly insured), or does the city end up having to eat the cost of the repairs? Either way, yikes. __________________ Strength does not come from how much weight you can lift, or how many miles you can run. It comes from knowing that you set a goal, and rose to the challenge. Strength comes from within.

05-01-2007, 09:52 AM	#10
Sheldonrs Master Dwellar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 4,412	From www.rosie.com: "jen writes: Your right again! Have you seen them demo the SF bridge? Steel Beams still there and holding up most of it! Not melted rubble, concrete having to be broken up. Keep speaking out - more are joining! CORRECT JEN " __________________ Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and the world laughs AT you.

05-01-2007, 06:06 PM	#14
daniwong Vice-President of Resentment Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 196	So - I live in the bay area - but I live in south bay - San Jose - and I work in Fremont (about 30 mins south of Oakland). This was expected to cause ALL sorts of traffic nightmares - but so far it hasn't been that bad. Public transportation is free this week. Oddly enough - everyone has been pretty gracious about the whole thing. Funniest thing though - CalTrans has said that they hope to have this fixed by the end of the week - I say HAHAHAHAHAHAH to that. __________________ Mistress of all that is claim related.

05-01-2007, 07:34 AM	#3
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Those poor bastards will have traffic nightmares for a while with this. Glad it didn't happen in my city.

05-01-2007, 08:41 AM	#5
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Something like this should quiet the conspiracy theorists that think the WTC towers were brought down by the government...but they'll find some way to twist it to their point of view.

05-01-2007, 09:26 AM	#9
rfoxx Questionist Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 8	This is really their own fault for building a bridge on the cheap. Engineers have known for years that all structural steel should be encased in concrete. That protects it from fire, especially the ultra-hot kind. And it's not like this the first time a gas truck ever burned on the road. Hopefully, they'll rebuild it right this time.

05-01-2007, 09:57 AM	#11
CharlieG Hoodoo Guru Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 301	Paging Dr Rosie O'Donnel....

05-01-2007, 10:18 AM	#12
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Sheldon, if you and your partner ever go on one of her cruises, I may have no choice but to kick your asses...but it won't be a hate crime, I assure you.

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