The Seongsu Bridge

What Is The Name Of The Bridge You Are Researching?

The name of the bridge I'm researching is the Seongsu Bridge. Seongsu Bridge links the Seongdong and Gangnam districts. Seongsu Bridge is a cantilever bridge. The case name is called “Collapse of the Korea Seoul Seongsu Bridge”. The Seongsu bridge, was built 15 years prior, it is one of 17 bridges across the Han river normally packed with traffic during rush hour. The Songsu was built by one of South Korea's biggest construction firms, Dong Ah Construction Industrial Company.

Where Was The Bridge Located?

It located over the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. The bridge connected the districts of Seongdong and Gangnam. The Seongsu bridge was one out of 17 bridges used to cross the Han river. Two years prior to the disaster another bridge away collapsed during construction with no deaths.

When Was The Structure Built?

The original bridge that collapsed in 1994 was built in 1979. The newer Seongsu Bridge was built 3 years after in 15 August 1997 after the 1994 collapsed and is still standing today. The original bridge was built to hold vehicles no heavier than 36.3 tons. But the bridge, one of the city's busiest, allowed loads of more than 47.3 tons.

When Did the Disaster Occur?

The disaster occur on October 21, 1994 at 07:40 am KST (Korean standard time) over the Han River in Seoul, South Korea during the morning rush hour. Where 49 people fell into the Han River below with 32 of them dying and 17 being injured. Witnesses said there was no warning before a 157-foot central section of the bridge sheared cleanly from the main structure and fell into the Han River.

What Happened?

What happened was one of the concrete slabs fell due to improper welding of the steel trusses of the suspension structure beneath the concrete slab roadway. This disaster caused 49 people to fall into the water below 32 of which died. An urban bus filled with passengers and 6 passenger cars that were driving down Seongsu Bridge fell in the river about 20 m below. These vehicles inculded most of the vitcims.

What Caused The Disaster?

What caused the disaster was improper welding of the structure’s steel trusses. It was also due to failure of the suspension structure. Along with more weight than it could carry traveling over it for multiple years. The works of gravity was pulling at the structure with the addition of more load then the bridge was built to hold over the years. Which would lead to the collapse of the bridge in 1994.

The Impact On The People,Wildlife,Environment, and the Economy.

The impact of the Seongsu Bridge disaster on the people of Seoul, South Korea were that many of they grieved for their lost ones, while others had to find other ways to travel across the Han River to get to their jobs or schools. The impact on the wildlife/environment being from the cars and bus that fell into the Han river. Since these vehicles fell into the river they ended up becoming rolling disasters. This disaster happened during the dry season meaning the water levels were 3-5m deep. The vehicles would most likely have crushed and destroy any living things that were living in the Han River. Finally the impact on the economy from the Seongsu Bridge disaster was that the had to spend more money on building bridges and structures for stronger materials so more disaster wouldn’t happen. They also had to do stricter testing which would cost more money to do.

What Can Be Learned From The Disaster?

What I think can be learned from the Seongsu Bridge disaster in 1994 is that while building you should make sure of that the welding and other parts of the structure are ready for use and will not end up collapsing when in use. Along with that you should build the structure for the purpose it is for and expect how much it will need to hold or how much more it will need to hold for it not to collapse under the weight.

Bibliography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seongsu_Bridge

http://www.shippai.org/fkd/en/cfen/CD1000144.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/22/world/32-reported-dead-as-bridge-collapses-in-seoul.html