The Dali’s Bow Demonstration and a Videography of the Work being Doped on Metal at the Fermilab Tevatron
Officials said the detonation went as planned. They said the next step in the dynamic cleanup process is to assess the few remaining trusses on the Dali’s bow and make sure none of the underwater wreckage is preventing the ship from being refloated and moved.
William Marks said the crew would stay in a designated safe place during the demolition. “All precautions are being taken to make sure everyone’s safety,” he said in an email.
In a videographic released this week, authorities said engineers were using precision cuts to control how the trusses break down. They said the method allows for “surgical precision” and is one of the safest and most efficient ways to remove steel under a high level of tension. Hydraulic grabbers will now lift the broken sections of steel onto barges.
“It’s important to note that this controlled demolition is not like what you would see in a movie,” the video says, noting that from a distance it will sound like fireworks or loud thunder and give off puffs of smoke.
The Disruption of the Francis Scott Key Bridge by Explosives: The Dali’s Crew is Back in Business at the Port of Baltimore
The crew of the grounded vessel have not been allowed to leave since the disaster. Officials said they have been busy maintaining the ship and assisting investigators. Of the crew members, 20 are from India and one is Sri Lankan.
State and federal officials have commended the salvage crews and other members of the cleanup operation who helped recover the remains of the six construction workers. The last body was recovered from the underwater wreckage last week. Latino immigrants come to the U.S. to find a job in order to make ends meet. They were filling potholes on an overnight shift when the bridge was destroyed.
BALTIMORE — Crews set off a chain of carefully placed explosives Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and with a boom and a splash, the mangled steel trusses came crashing down into the river below.
It was a big step in freeing up the Dali, which has been stuck among the mangled wreck since it crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns after leaving Baltimore.
The explosives flashed orange and let off plumes of black smoke upon detonation. The long trusses came out of the grounded container ship and slid away from its bow.
Officials expect to refloat the ship within the next few days. Then three or four tugboats will guide it to a nearby terminal at the port. It will likely stay there for a few weeks before being moved to a shipyard for more substantial repairs.
“This was a very big milestone for our progression forward,” Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore District Commander for the Army Corps of Engineers, said in the immediate aftermath of the demolition. She said that crews don’t anticipate needing to use any more explosives.
The Dali’s crew remained on board the ship during the detonation, and no injuries or problems were reported, said Capt. David O’Connell, commander of the Port of Baltimore.
Collapsed Baltimore Bridge Comes Down with a Boom in the Millimeter-Scale Port of San Marino, Puerto Rico
Engineers spent weeks preparing to use explosives to break down the span, which was an estimated 500 feet (152 meters) long and weighs up to 600 tons (544 metric tons). The demolition was postponed Sunday because of thunderstorms.
“This is a best practice,” Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference Monday, noting that there have been no injuries during the cleanup to date. “Safety in this operation is our top priority.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI are conducting investigations into the bridge collapse. Officials have said the safety board investigation will focus on the ship’s electrical system.
Officials said the operation remains on track to reopen the port’s 50-foot (15-meter) deep draft channel by the end of May. The temporary channel is slightly deeper than it was before. The port has seen a large amount of commercial vessels pass through in recent weeks. The port processes a large amount of farm equipment and cars.
Source: Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom
Maryland Senator Nancy Pelosi speaks of the response of government in the wake of the Key Bridge disaster and the Battle of Fort McHenry
Nancy Pelosi, a Baltimore native with a father and brother who was the mayor decades ago, likened the Key Bridge disaster to the bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1812. She said both are a testament to Maryland’s resilience.
Pelosi, a Democrat who represents California’s 11th district, attended Monday’s news conference with two of her relatives. She was impressed by the response of various government agencies, working quickly without sacrificing safety.