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I-35 W Mississippi River Bridge Disaster

Tyler Rose
November 10, 2008
IENG 2020
























Author’s Vita
TYLER W. ROSE
Student, East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
(252) 560-5577
twr0313@ecu.edu

Executive Summary
The purpose of this paper is to explain why the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota failed. It will also show why it is important not to cut corners in business.
This paper will include:
• A background on the history of the bridge
o The designers, and construction companies involved
o When construction began and completed
o Key information about the bridge
• The collapse
• Discuss key points that may have been reasons the bridge failed
o Initial design flaws
o Minnesota weather changes
o Prior improper maintenance
 Inspection mistakes
 Welds
 Drainage problems

o Surrounding variabilities
 Work done on the bridge the day of failure
 Adjacent train track
 Rush hour and slow-moving traffic
 Minnesota Twins baseball game
• Discuss how this disaster could have been avoided
o Better initial design
o Construction at night, or different season
o More thorough inspections
• Changes in legislation afterwards

Background on the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge
The I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis was a major vein in the traffic flow for downtown. The bridge carried approximately 140,000 people each day across the Mississippi River to downtown Minneapolis. The bridge was built in 1967, where its claim to fame was...