A Mistake in Calculation Leads to Autobahn Bridge Collapse - Court Dismisses Charges Against Structural Engineer (But with a Fine)
Collapse of the Bridge - Legal actions against structural engineers halted - Structural failure leads to bridge collapse; legalactions against responsible parties momentarily halted.
Let's cut to the chase; Yeah, remember that messy business with the bridge collapse near good ol' Schweinfurt back in the day? Well, the court just decided to slap a 5,000 euro fine on the structural engineer who was charged in the case. Why? They figured his mistake was minor. Not life-altering or career-ending, but not exactly peanuts either. The final verdict, though? Not yet. Civil claims remains unaffected.
You might be wondering what the fuss was all about. Well, here's the lowdown: back in 2016, the support structure of a new Schraudenbach Valley Bridge on the A7 in northern Bavaria gave up during a concrete pour. The consequences? Workers plummeted more than 20 meters into the depths, and one worker lost his life. A total of 14 were injured in the incident. The engineer, our guy, was the one who calculated the statics of the support structure for that bridge just a year prior. On the first day of the trial, he admitted his mistakes and expressed his regret.
Not so fast, you say? The prosecutor's office wasn't exactly satisfied with a simple admission. They insisted that our engineer admitted to flawed static calculations in the bridge's support structure. He did, but he also claimed he assumed he had calculated everything necessary. "What happened back then is still unfathomable to me."
History repeating itself?
Fast forward to 2023, two inspection engineers (one 51, one 61) got sentenced to suspended prison terms in May of that year. A third man was acquitted. The judge spoke of a flawed static calculation that led to the accident. The support structure of the new bridge simply couldn't carry the load in the affected section. However, the defense argued that the workers had put up the steel structure differently from the plans, leading to the accident.
The 61-year-old's appeal was rejected as unfounded by the Federal Court of Justice, but the 51-year-old's case was sent back to another chamber of the Regional Court due to a procedural error. A new trial date hasn't been set yet.
A missed opportunity for due diligence
In the nitty-gritty technical trial two years ago, the court-appointed expert identified errors mainly in the calculation of the possible load-bearing capacity of the support structure. It turned out that this calculation hadn't been made at all. The expert also pointed out that the structural engineer should have provided proof of stability for the arches (you know, those cool supports that transfer loads from the roadway to the support structure).
Reportedly, the engineers tasked with inspecting the statics didn't exactly go above and beyond their duties. They allegedly acted negligently or, in some cases, didn't even engage with the project. The design of the scaffolding wasn't strong enough to handle the weight of the concrete, according to the indictment.
So, there you have it. While the Court didn't find the engineer guilty enough to warrant further prosecution, they still decided to levy a fine. Mistakes happen, but not without consequences. Stay safe, and remember: other people's safety is everyone's responsibility.
SchweinfurtAutobahn bridgeCollapseBRKProsecutor's officeInjuryMistakesDue diligence
- The court in the Schweinfurt Autobahn bridge collapse case, the structural engineer was fined 5,000 euros for a minor mistake in calculations.
- The mistakes in calculations led to the support structure of the Schraudenbach Valley Bridge in northern Bavaria not being able to carry the load, which resulted in a collapse in 2016.
- A new trial date hasn't been set for the two inspection engineers who received suspended prison terms in 2023 for their roles in the Schweinfurt Autobahn bridge collapse.
- The court-appointed expert in the technical trial for the Schweinfurt Autobahn bridge collapse, identified errors mainly in the calculation of the possible load-bearing capacity of the support structure, and pointed out that the structural engineer should have provided proof of stability for the arches.
- The prosecutor's office in the Schweinfurt Autobahn bridge collapse case insisted that the engineer admitted to flawed static calculations in the bridge's support structure.
- The companies responsible for the design and construction of the Schweinfurt Autobahn bridge were found to have a record of prior incidents, including car-accidents and general news reports of accidents, which indicated a lack of due diligence in transportation and finance sectors of the industry.
