Flash, Bang, Compression Wave - and then it was down. Old Eastbound I-74 bridge.
Jun 20, 2023 09:55:07 #
The old and badly outdated Eastbound Span of I-74 between Bettendorf, IA and Moline, IL was brought down this weekend. A twin span to the original Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge built in the 1930s came down with a bang after all the roadbed steel and concrete had been removed, the suspension cables partially cut away, and the towers cut to leave just enough to hold it upright.
Onlookers we kept about ⅓ mile away and the new twin I-74 bridges (5 lanes each) were closed for 3 hours to allow for the explosion and the clean up any errant debris that may have been blown onto them.
This was my first outing with my new Z8. I set it for 20 frames per second and handheld. ISO was 1600. Imagers have only modest cropping.
Fortunately, I was within earshot of one of the perimeter guards and I could hear the countdown over his walkie talkie so my shooting began just before the first explosion. All-in-all it was over in ~4 seconds.
River navigation was shut down. All the pid pieces has floats tied on with long ropes to help in the recovery. All the steel was out of the river within 24 hours.
Now they get to repeat the process with the Iowa Bound span. After that coffer dams will be erected about the piers and all the original piers will be chopped out of the river down to the river bed (limestone).
I must be getting old. I watched them build this bridge from the placing the early coffer dams, setting the huge pilings into the river bed, pouring concrete, erecting massive amounts of steel, and spinning the cables when I was in 9th grade (a long time ago).
The replacement is a modern stressed arch bridge with the arches made of stainless steel.
Onlookers we kept about ⅓ mile away and the new twin I-74 bridges (5 lanes each) were closed for 3 hours to allow for the explosion and the clean up any errant debris that may have been blown onto them.
This was my first outing with my new Z8. I set it for 20 frames per second and handheld. ISO was 1600. Imagers have only modest cropping.
Fortunately, I was within earshot of one of the perimeter guards and I could hear the countdown over his walkie talkie so my shooting began just before the first explosion. All-in-all it was over in ~4 seconds.
River navigation was shut down. All the pid pieces has floats tied on with long ropes to help in the recovery. All the steel was out of the river within 24 hours.
Now they get to repeat the process with the Iowa Bound span. After that coffer dams will be erected about the piers and all the original piers will be chopped out of the river down to the river bed (limestone).
I must be getting old. I watched them build this bridge from the placing the early coffer dams, setting the huge pilings into the river bed, pouring concrete, erecting massive amounts of steel, and spinning the cables when I was in 9th grade (a long time ago).
The replacement is a modern stressed arch bridge with the arches made of stainless steel.
The Beginning.
Mid section starting to fall
Now cut the suspension cables
The End.
Jun 20, 2023 10:17:03 #
Wow! I've driven that bridge many times. Excellent recording. How many pictures did you take in all?
Jun 20, 2023 10:24:31 #
Jun 20, 2023 10:31:52 #
Very impressive, these demolition engineers. Great set of photos. Must have been awesome to watch.
Jun 20, 2023 10:40:58 #
Jun 20, 2023 10:48:14 #
Jun 20, 2023 11:01:00 #
Jun 20, 2023 11:11:28 #
AzPicLady wrote:
Wow! I've driven that bridge many times. Excellent recording. How many pictures did you take in all?
Roughly 160 @ 20/second
Jun 20, 2023 11:12:46 #
Jun 20, 2023 11:14:13 #
Hereford wrote:
Very impressive, these demolition engineers. Great set of photos. Must have been awesome to watch.
and feel.
Jun 20, 2023 11:29:09 #
Jun 20, 2023 12:01:41 #
Jun 20, 2023 12:20:52 #
Jun 20, 2023 12:28:41 #
Jun 20, 2023 17:52:44 #
BobHartung wrote:
The old and badly outdated Eastbound Span of I-74 ... (show quote)
The old Eastbound Span has spun 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
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