Westgate Bridge collapse how and why it happened 50 years on

On the 15th October 1970, two spans of the Westgate bridge collapsed leaving 35 dead and a scare in the heart of Melbourne. The Westgate bridge collapse is the story of a series of bridges that collapsed between 1969 and 1973, the Westgate bridge disaster was the most tragic of all these failures. all these bridges has a similar miss understanding of the design and construction on a box girder bridge. the collapse of the Westgate lead to the reform of the industry and changed design codes internationally.
With the 50th anniversary of the Westgate bridge collapse just passing let's look back at this disaster to ensure we do not make similar mistakes as structural engineers.
The events that lead up to the Westgate bridge collapse are important to understand as they build a story on how and why the Westgate bidge collapsed.
The Westgate Bridge is a key arterial road linking east and west Melbourne and has helped Melbourne prosper
Royal commission report www.parliament...
#WestgateBridgeDisaster
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[@noelroberts8199]

Brendan, the Westgate Bridge collapsed on the 15th October 1970 not the 6th October.......

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi Noel, thankyou for the correction. Sorry for the mistake.

[@genshard]

@@BrendanHasty sorry to say, perfect example of my posts complaints. Don't think I don't appreciate your work, I do. I just think you could really use an editor.

[@nitrobreed]

My dad was working nearby at commonwealth aircraft when it happened he said he will never forget the noise it made and sheer terror at the site

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi nitrobreed, It must have been gut wrenching time.

[@christhorney]

my grandpa was a crane operator on the westgate, he was supposed to be working when it happened but he had his work mate ask to swap shifts. so fortunatly he wasnt on the bridge when it came down, but sadly he had to pull all his work mates bodies and rubble out of the water with his crane. during the rebuild he suffered a heart attack while at work but not operating his crane at the time. lucky bloke survived that too, so that bridge has some history to my family. RIP grandpa

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your story, it must have been traumatic for him, with survivors guilt. Tho he was fortunate, may he rest in peace.

[@christhorney]

@@BrendanHasty thanks for the great video, I showed my dad also. Will be sure to show many more in the future. Thankyou

[@RiffRaffMama.]

I live in Melbourne and although the Westgate collapse happened before I was born, it's obviously something I've always been aware of. As a teenager I went with some friends to take photos of an "interesting metal sculpture" one of my friends knew of at their University. Fast forward twenty years and I saw a documentary on the Westgate collapse and in it they showed four sections of the bridge that broke off during the collapse. One of these sections was eventually placed in the garden surrounding the Engineering building at Monash University in Clayton, Melbourne *as a reminder to the up-and-coming engineers of the tragedies that can occur if they fail to do their job right* . This is what we took photos of the day we went to see the "interesting metal sculpture" (my friend was an IT student, he had no idea what the significance of it was). I still have a photo from that day and when I saw the documentary I immediately recognised the piece in my photo as being one of the four sections. I'm hoping that maybe in your research you came across the documentary I'm talking about and could direct me towards it?

[@alanemarson]

As a fellow structural engineer from the UK, I want to thank you for your video! This is the first of your videos I've seen, but I have subscribed to your channel and will watch more!

[@BrendanHasty]

Thanks ScottishAI, thanks for watching, happy you enjoyed the video.

[@Musikur]

Thanks for covering the issue and explaining it. If I can make a suggestion though, it would be to tighten up the editing and scripting a little; there are several times in the video where you almost verbatim repeat the same information, or in other cases, information which would make sense to be together is separated. All the best.

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi Musikur, that you for the tips, these are really helpful. and I agree on all your points, my newer videos I hope are getting better. it is always hard to get good tips, for improvement thanks for the feedback.

[@stevebroadbent5080]

Good to see a fellow engineer standing up and telling it how it is. An unforgiving profession, hence the more that is done to share lessons learned, the better. Nice work.

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi Steve, thanks for the support. Agree we all need to all learn from past issues, as engineers.

[@paulbetts4984]

One of my favourite art installations is at Monash University. A piece of the collapsed Westgate bridge is in the Westgate garden to remind future engineers the consequence of error.

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi Paul, I agree that art piece is a good reminder of the responsibility we hold as engineers, I went to Monash too. Thanks for watching.

[@RiffRaffMama.]

Paul, as a teenager I went with friends of mine to Monash because one of the friends wanted to take photos of an "interesting metal sculpture". Fast forward twenty years and I saw a documentary on the Westgate collapse and in it they showed four sections of the bridge that broke off during the collapse and I immediately recognised one of them as being what we photographed that day at Monash. I still have a photo from that day. Do you happen to know the documentary I'm talking about and where I could find it?

[@johnnyrvf]

The idea that they could straighten the buckled sections in this way sounds like the worst type of botching imaginable. The steel constuction appears to illustrate a complete lack of understanding of the dynamics of steel.

[@juanignacioramos4876]

Great video! Could you give a more profound analysis of the collapse? It would be great if you could use a whiteboard or make some drawings and numbers to fully understand the failure!. Thanks for the video!

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi Juan, additional Illustrations would definitely help along with some animation, thanks for the surgestion.

[@maxkeller9656]

@@BrendanHasty I completely agree - some of the concepts I probably could understand with the help of some drawings but without them I'm somewhat lost at what really was the design flaw...

[@peterbarreca1568]

Excellent presentation and discussion. I lived through the aftermath of this while I was studying at Sydney University. Thoroughly enjoyed your great insight and detailed knowledge. The plate buckling research that came out of this disaster greatly helped me design some safe girders 5.2m deep. Peter

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi Peter, thanks for watching. Like most engineering failures, something is learnt, tho under tragic circumstances. Glad that you found it insightful. That must have been a big bridge you designed; what was its span?

[@peterbarreca1568]

@@BrendanHasty sorry i missed your reply I designed irders holding up the boier at Loyang Power station Span 20m Load 2000t 600 tonnes of steelwok

[@urgodicu6263]

My father was a lift operator on the bridge , he left 2 weeks before it fell due to a failing marriage. He had a bad car accident a while before and we were very poor from loss of income , apparently they passed the hat around to help our family out , some of those men died . I vaguely remembered a Christmas function we went to a the bridge as a child . I was around six or seven at the time . My uncle worked from clarke mobile cranes in Montague st at the time and he told me how they had police escorts to the bridge . He was 30 yo mobile crane driver .

[@BrendanHasty]

It must have been a hard time for you back then. It was a big tragedy. It is interesting to hear experiences of the event.

[@Aussie_Engineer]

Excellent video. Really enjoyed the video, it was like watching a movie. Thank you for making it.

[@BrendanHasty]

Thank Anubhav, it makes me happy that you really enjoyed it.

[@anasshaiban9663]

very insightful, thanks Brendan

[@BrendanHasty]

Thanks Anas, glad you found it insightful

[@GH-oi2jf]

Half a century later, the collapse of the pedestrian bridge under construction at Florida International University was similar in some respects. The main span showed signs of failing after being lifted into place, and the engineers tried to remedy the problem in situ, while people were driving underneath it. It fell while being adjusted, killing six people.

[@deanne6463]

i think you explained it very well thank you - I missed the documentary and cant see it on the 9 website anymore :(

[@BrendanHasty]

Thanks for watching Deanne, hope they put the documentary back up.

[@RiffRaffMama.]

I'm seeking the same documentary. Did you end up finding it?

[@robuzy]

This helped me so much for my essay. Also great hand gestures

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi Robuzy, glad it helped you on your essay. Hope you get a good mark.

[@kennethprocak5176]

everyone should download the royal commission report, and have a read. Then consider the extra lanes now installed, and weight of cars being 500kg+ heavier and trucks now carrying 32 tonnes since it's 60's design. l avoid that bridge when it's carrying high load volumes, or high winds.

[@RiffRaffMama.]

I understand your apprehensions, but I would argue that you have a greater chance of being involved in a fatal car accident while making the long drive through the inner suburbs of Melbourne to get around the bridge, than being involved in a collapse of a bridge that has been standing without incident for 50 years now.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

It needs to be pointed out a little more that concrete precast sections were used mainly for the construction of the bridge and that the spans over the river were made of steel and that is where the collapse happened. I know you did mention this but I think a little more emphasis would be beneficial. After these sections were secured outriggers were fixed either side to give the necessary width for the roadway. I never knew the buckling was so severe.

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi Anthony, it is always great to drill down into the details on these things, also thanks for showing intrest. it is alway how to know how much to focus on each part.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

@@BrendanHasty Of course, you have divide the time between the various aspects of the WGB disaster. I grew up in Yarraville and saw some of the construction taking place, it was a huge undertaking especially for that period in time. I remember "inspecting" the piers and how tall and massive they are, I was surprised to see them resting on pads not knowing any better. I didn't like the irregular lengths of the securing bolts that protruded vertically up from the concrete support to locate/secure the pads. There was a large diesel (maybe a Cummins) winch with multiple winding drums and I couldn't figure out how the cable wound from one drum to another. This winch was damaged by the collapse but was repaired and back on duty albeit in a different colour. I worked at Spotswood at the time (Victorian Railways) and didn't feel a disturbance but my mother in Yarrville did.

[@veronicahaddad4416]

Brilliant.....

[@BrendanHasty]

thanks for watching

[@RGGail]

My Uncle Dennis went to work that day and never came home. He was one of the 35.

[@1129DSJ]

I may be wrong but it was 35 men who died, people yes but no women, let’s cut the PC crap.

[@dennis5814]

Hi Brendan, thanks for your video. Can i point out that i think you missed a vital point in the events leading up to the collaspey. When JHC lifted the box girder they twisted it and that is why it lifted up at one end rather than have slight bend in it. Hence the kentledge that was put on to surpress the panels.

[@BrendanHasty]

thanks for point this out. it is always better to learn more.

[@MegaBoilermaker]

"Mill Haven" Do you mean Milford Haven ? I was working on the Avonmouth M5 Bridge at the time and it very nearly collapsed due to a displced jacking prop location bracket failure.

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi George, it was the Cleddau Bridge which is in milford haven, is this the same bridge？

[@MegaBoilermaker]

@@BrendanHasty Yes Brendan

[@markjmaxwell9819]

A terrible accident for the time. The westgate has had constant upgrades over the years and is still very stable. The mistakes made at the initial construction and the efforts to rectify them were criminal acts done in the name of cost cutting.

[@cr10001]

NO bridge ever collapsed at "Mill Haven." Is it perchance MilFORD Haven?? I'm not sure what a 'fundle' is either.

[@danielmorris6523]

Take for example the Clifton Suspension Bridge which was built 150 years ago and yet to this day is used by traffic thousands of times a day. I know it was over engineered to some extent but you can trace back most of these big civil engineering disasters to government policy of the day when they try and build big projects at the lowest possible price, with each part of the build being carried out by multiple firms where there is always the chance of losing consensus on small details.

[@LegitVenom]

The west gate bridge will collapse again. There’s massive cracks in the bridge that we go over with grout. Trust me, do not drive on the bridge. It WILL come down eventually. There’s a reason why there taking down the suicide fences, weight issues.

[@BrendanHasty]

Hi Jimmy it would be intresting in seeing pictures of the cracks

[@LegitVenom]

@@BrendanHasty we sign contracts not to take any photographs on site. That would get me into a fair bit of trouble my friend.

[@OmmerSyssel]

@@LegitVenom anyone can make decent snap shots, in our time with smartphones available..

[@RiffRaffMama.]

Although an uncountable number of suicides have taken place from the bridge over the years, I call the fence D'arcy's fence because of what it was constructed in response to. Anyone in Melbourne over the age of 30 would remember what that event was. When did they start taking the fence down? I drive over the bridge regularly and haven't seen this taking place. Who do you work for Jimmy?

[@PMWorkshop]

Milford Haven is the name

[@gaul849]

Get rid of that top load suicide fence and install security guard station insurer that the people who designed the bridge and bridge works never work on Australian projects again nothing makes sense it's a poorly desinged bridge too much weight on it.

[@NoTaboos]

It's only a matter of time before the West Gate bridge totally collapses due to the huge unplanned weight of the steel suicide fencing along the whole length.

[@BrendanHasty]

The weight of this fencing is minor compaired to the weight of the traffic.

[@genshard]

Couldn't understand half your speech, sounded more like Sinus then science. Plus the frantic use of scrolling maps and PiP was truly hard to follow. Quite sad this is the best info I can find on YT regarding the worst engineering disaster in Victorian history.

[@ruperthazel9198]

bit rude

[@equestrianlifestyle9871]

Hunny, don't complain unless you can do better, be thankful this man even made this video at all. If anything, your lack of ability to understand him is likely due to your own incompetence. There is always subtitles, which, presuming from your ability to write, I also believe you could read x Quite sad you would take the time to write this comment at all really, what a little ray of sunshine you are :)

[@joeblob611]

Thanks Brendan. My father was a boilermaker on the bridge and had just gone across that span to attend another part of the site when it collapsed that day. This is a great piece of work, really well put together and articulated. Keep up the great work.

[@genshard]

@@equestrianlifestyle9871 right... I'm guessing my Masters in quantum mechanics and batchelors in philosophy must make me incompetent as hell. And what on earth are you on about my ability to write? There are no errors in my prose, but then I don't speak millennial rhubarb. Sheesh, I'm just saying the man needs a mic upgrade and I find his cinematography appalling. Excuse me for having an opinion. But carry on being perfect and thinking highly of yourself.

[@ZenoGy]

Agreed . I find his vocal presentation to be at a primary level . Some is so garbled I cannot make out entire sentences he attempts . He uses "fundamentally" often , but sometimes shortens it to funda . Weird speech impediment , even with his edits .