Minneapolis Receives Support from National Steel Bridge Alliance

A press release today announced the shock and sorrow of representatives of the bridge industry after the tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota yesterday. Conn Abnee, the Executive Director of the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) delivered the statement. He said, "We pray for the speedy recovery of the survivors and applaud the excellent rescue and recovery efforts."

There are approximately 175 members of the National Steel Bridge Alliance association. Members consist primarily of steel producers and fabricating companies. The press release stated that the NSBA would be ready to help the National Transportation Safety Board and any other federal or state organization with their investigations into the possible causes of the Minnesota tragedy.

NSBA will also be involved in attempting to restore the traffic flow in the areas affected by the collapse by placing temporary or permanent bridge structures along the Mississippi River as soon as possible.

Abnee further stated, "Whatever the eventual findings, this horrific event serves to remind us all about the decaying state of our country's infrastructure - not only bridges, but also roadways, railroads, power stations, and steam pipes under Manhattan."

The NSBA promotes steel as the preferred building material when constructing bridges. They endorse steel through various marketing, technology, education, and political avenues. Recently, the NSBA recently participated in the bidding activity of the Missouri River's Yankton Bridge, happily reporting that the steel plate design of the bridge won out over the concrete design. The NSBA has also undertaken a significant research initiative that seeks to "invest in innovative steel bridge designs, technology, deployment, and training."

The horrific events surrounding the Minneapolis bridge collapse have gotten a lot of people wondering. Many assumed that terrorism was somehow involved as collapsed bridges are quite the rarity in our American history. Authorities have ruled that possibility out for the most part. Others wondered why construction was taking place on the bridge. As the story unfolds, it seems that the construction was nothing more than routine maintenance and wasn't taking place because of any serious concern about the integrity of the bridge.

As the days and weeks move on, we will surely find out more about the factors that contributed to the bridge's collapse. It is comforting to know that organizations like the National Steel Bridge Alliance exist and are working to make certain that bridges are safe, innovative, and accessible. As authorities move forward with their investigations, let's hope that those hurt by this event can find healing and comfort.

Sources:

PR Newswire Press Release, http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?beat=BEAT_ALL&view=LATEST&resourceid=3528766

NSBA Press Release, http://www.steelbridges.org/pdfs/YanktonBridge.pdf

NSBA Website, http://www.steelbridges.org/pages/background.html