Civil Engineering Expert ‘Not Surprised’ By Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

Abi Aghayere, a civil engineering technology professor at Rochester Institute of Technology who specializes in bridge safety, says the deterioration of many bridges he has encountered is ‘quite scary.’

Aghayere, who has worked as a structural engineer, says:

“I continue to have concerns about our infrastructure in the United States because many of our bridges are approaching the end of their useful life, which is typically 50 to 75 years. Due to less than adequate maintenance over the years on some of these structures, anything could happen without warning. I would be surprised if this bridge in Minneapolis was not already crying out for help through cracking and other signs of deterioration. The tell-tale signs of this collapse could lie in the previous three inspection reports for this bridge.”