Part of I-85 collapses in Atlanta after massive fire

a reply to: kosmicjack

And now we are learning there is a new stadium being built nearby?
Was there a bond issue with the loans to build the stadium?

a reply to: Cauliflower

The stadium is already built, the first exhibition game is today. And there is always a bond issue in any major city, right? LoL! What are you implying?

a reply to: kosmicjack

The more I read the more this sounds nefarious.
So do you think Atlanta will get some emergency Federal money to cover the cost of the highway infrastructure or will Atlanta float a bond issue?

originally posted by: Cauliflower
a reply to: kosmicjack

The more I read the more this sounds nefarious.
So do you think Atlanta will get some emergency Federal money to cover the cost of the highway infrastructure or will Atlanta float a bond issue?

Being that it's a part of the federal highway system, I'd imagine that some federal money will be coming (hopefully).

I got some suggestion if people needs to go to Atlanta airport from the south west, take Columbus or 19 it will take you right to the airport and bypass the mess in the major arteries.

Because right now is a mess, I tell you a big mess.

Meanwhile, in 1917. The universe is so weird.

originally posted by: kosmicjack
a reply to: Cauliflower


Not an option now, too damaged.

Yep...from what I'm hearing they have to demo both sides then rebuild.

Atlanta traffic is going to suck hard for a long time. Maybe this will get them to actually put in a good public transportation system finally....probably noylt though.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe

originally posted by: kosmicjack
a reply to: Cauliflower


Not an option now, too damaged.

Yep...from what I'm hearing they have to demo both sides then rebuild.

Atlanta traffic is going to suck hard for a long time. Maybe this will get them to actually put in a good public transportation system finally....probably noylt though.

I heard that too, rebuilding both northbound and southbound sections of 85 at the point of collapse, which makes sense.

And yeah, since 85 is indefinitely shut down in both directions, this is an absolute nightmare for traffic and commuters. I rarely travel 85 between I20 and 285, but the rerouting onto other interstates is going to be a MESS, considering how big of a headache 285 and 75 already are. :/

Although I agree we need a good public transportation system (rails), I doubt most people would use them for commuting unless they absolutely HAD to, simply because of the nature of people in our society.

a reply to: kosmicjack

to quote red foreman what kinda dumba $$ stores anything under an overpass? isn't that land owned by dot?
and pvc pipe does burn but you have to have a good fire under it to get it going. now if it was spools of electrical or telephone wire i could maybe see some scrappers breaking in and stealing the stuff then going elsewhere and burning insulation off to scrap copper wire. did that once before when we dug up old telephone wire at a walmart that was no longer being used by phone company and had there ok.

LOL...a friend just sent me this...



Looks like Boss Hawg is going to have a problem y'all.....

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Your link says that terrorism is not suspected

Georgia State Patrol Capt. Mark Perry told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that terrorism is not suspected.

What I'd like to know is how a fire melts concrete? Don't they use Rebar in bridges in the USA?

The fire broke out at around 6 p.m. Atlanta fire officials told Fox 5 the blaze caught giant spools of plastic utility conduits which were being stored under the overpass.

originally posted by: TheConstruKctionofLight
a reply to: Vasa Croe

Your link says that terrorism is not suspected

Georgia State Patrol Capt. Mark Perry told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that terrorism is not suspected.

What I'd like to know is how a fire melts concrete? Don't they use Rebar in bridges in the USA?

The fire broke out at around 6 p.m. Atlanta fire officials told Fox 5 the blaze caught giant spools of plastic utility conduits which were being stored under the overpass.

It says that now, but yesterday the story I originally linked to did say it and was 404'd by the time anyone clicked so I had to put a different source up.

TheRedneck gave a good idea of how this happens in his post on this thread a page back.

I still think this was some act of domestic terrorism. It was not hot yesterday and spools of conduit/plastic and wire like that would take some direct form of fire in order to get them started...I dont see this being an accident at all.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

What I'd like to know is how a fire melts concrete? Don't they use Rebar in bridges in the USA?

The heat. Due in part to the age of the bridge, the intense heat compromised (weakened) the structural integrity of the concrete bridge; hence collapse.

a reply to: Konduit

Funny, when the OP mentioned terrorist, some people instantly jumped to the defense thinking that he was talking about Radical Islamic Terrorism.

You know whats funnier - upto your post no-one mentioned Radical Islamic Terrorism - they said "terrorism"

I think the stored conduit on reels was more likely HDPE (High Density Poly Etheylene) and not PVC

Can't load MSDS for HDPE right now but data sheet says " foam" as agent to extinguish and says material will liquify and propagate a fire.

PVC is usually a rigid pipe
HDPE is flexible pipe

They definitely have different burn properties.

Did ATL commute for 12 years from westside and feel the pain - gonna be chaos for awhile.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Yup definitely a set fire as ignition source has to be hot and steadily applied to get plastic burning.

Hobo fire not likely hot enough besides weather being warm, it's not likely.

Same for electrical source, somewhere a short will trip breaker or fuse.

Heat source had to be maintained for several moments - and had to be high temp, more than wood fire generates IMO.

Vandalism/arson is distinct possibility.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

What I'd like to know is how a fire melts concrete? Don't they use Rebar in bridges in the USA?

I just gave an explanation of that here.

It's just not as simple as "melting." Structural strength is a more continuous function.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

Bottom line: the heat needed to collapse the bridge that way had to be extreme and prolonged. CPVC, as reported, can provide such heat. But CPVC (as with almost any plastic) would not spontaneously combust. There had to have been an ignition flame, and it would have to have been substantially more than just a spark.

Thanks for that explanation.

a reply to: Phoenix

Correct.

It could possibly have been an incidental fire that started an avalanche effect... hobo fire ignites wood, wood ignites plastic type of thing, but that's a lot of maybes. I noticed, looking at the news (a lot of coverage here; we're not far from Hot-lanta) that while the main fire was mostly smoke with minor flames like plastic, there were some pretty substantial moments of flames that appeared more like fuel burning. Does anyone know if there are (were) any gas lines in the area?

TheRedneck

originally posted by: Phoenix
a reply to: Vasa Croe

Yup definitely a set fire as ignition source has to be hot and steadily applied to get plastic burning.

Hobo fire not likely hot enough besides weather being warm, it's not likely.

Same for electrical source, somewhere a short will trip breaker or fuse.

Heat source had to be maintained for several moments - and had to be high temp, more than wood fire generates IMO.

Vandalism/arson is distinct possibility.

Yeah...I'm thinking propane torch of some sort. I would bet they have traffic cam footage of the area and will be able to see if anyone was nearby though likely not able to discern any real features.

I will go with 2 different theories here.

1: It was a vandal that actually had an idea of the damage this would cause and possibly had a "rage" issue with the amount of traffic Atlanta produces and in some odd way justified doing this...possibly pisses at the new stadium or something. Maybe didn't expect it to collapse the bridge and destroy both directions?

2: They will find the remains of someone in the fire as it was set by whomever to cover the crime up...this one is a super tinfoil hat...not sure what temps this would have reached, but guessing it would incinerate a body pretty easily. The most expensive pyre ever....