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Article: Old photos show flaws in steel of I-35 bridge; Bowing of gusset plates was visible in photos taken of the 35W bridge by inspectors more than 4 years before the collapse.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- March 23, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: TONY KENNEDY; STAFF WRITER
Two crucial gusset plate connections on the Interstate 35W bridge were visibly deformed at least four years before the structure collapsed, according to photographs newly released by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB's Office of Highway Safety confirmed Friday that the bowing of steel gusset plates depicted in the June 2003 photos is part of the investigation into why the bridge collapsed last Aug. 1. The deformed plates were located in the bridge's U-10 connections -- nodes of connecting beams that federal investigators believe were among the first points of failure.
The photos came to light ...