When often high-profile bridge collapses occur, they can cause injury or death to motorists, not to mention lengthy traffic problems. This entry into the Disaster Science series looks into the faulty design, defective parts, overloading, environmental forces, and accidents that contribute. In almost all instances, routine inspection plays a crucial part in preventing major catastrophic collapses. Using color photographs of five collapsed or destroyed bridges and text descriptions of other collapses, Bethea engages the reader’s imagination and curiosity about how engineers design bridges, the scientific principles behind the construction, how engineers and builders determine the causes of a collapse, and how they make repairs. Many books feature the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, but this unique focus offers a fresh view on a familiar architectural topic.
