catbirdseat Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Scopes sez its true, so it must be unless snopes is doing hoaxes now... i'm guessing the arm angled up into the bridge when it hit, basically penetrating the bridge from beneith rather than slicing it. What really surprised me was the low cost of the repairs to the bridge, only $134,000. I would have thought it would be great deal more. Contractor bidding on job. "Yeah, yeah, I'll have her fixed up in no time". (Turns to flunky) "Jimmy, better place that big Bondo order, pronto." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 First off that's no 8 ton excavator. I can't make out the model number but just looking it appears to be closer a 315-320 Cat sized machine. You are correct in that it is not an 8-ton machine. It is a Hyundai 290LC, which is about 40% heavier (28 MT, or about 31 tons) than the Cat models (20 MT, or about 22 tons) you cite. Second, the visible rebar doesn't look like inch and a half to me. There are many different sizes of rebar that are incorporated into your typical interstate highway overpass. Since your eyes deceived you with respect to the size of the machine, I would venture to say that they are deceiving you again with respect to the size of the rebar. Since I call BS on the word problem part I guess I call BS on the photos as well. I would suspect the word problem part is just some shit some know-nothing data entry schmoe came up with to make the snopes.com article appear more appealing to the masses. Kind of like the way reporters come up with schmaltzy headlines to grab interest for an article. It has nothing to do with the validity of what actually happened. To draw the conclusion that you do from your analysis is, shall we say, banal. This really did happen. End of story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 it's the elbow of the big digger arm sticking through the deck of the bridge. It's got an awfully long boom then. I guess it's one of those extra long reach ones. The Hyundai 290LC can be ordered with a "long reach" boom and arm option, as indicated below: However, I don't think that combination was in place on this machine. I say this because a machine with that kind of attachment would have required removal of the boom and arm for transport purposes in order for the boom/arm combo to clear the rear of the tractor cab. You can sort of picture this if you look at the available range of motion of the two hydraulic pistons that control the boom in the pic above. Even with the available forward pivot of the pistons, you would never lower the boom/arm combo low enough to ever get a permit to run down the highway. A typical boom length (from the anchor hinge at the excavator body to the "elbow") is along the order of 22 to 28 feet, manufacturer dependent of course. That's easily long enough to produce the results shown in the pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murraysovereign Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 In spite of my best efforts at scepticism, I'm in the "believer" camp on this one. As for the mechanics of it all, the hole in the side of the bridge in photo #3 is the point of impact where the leading end of the arm punched through, which would have caused the arm to drive upwards and slice through the deck. As the whole machine came screeching to a halt, the force would have caused the cab to swing up and forwards, slamming up into the deck from below and causing the damage to the underside of the bridge seen in pics 1 and 3. Seems pretty simple, really - the kind of thing I could do in my sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterMo Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 32 tons...a 330 Cat. Oink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterMo Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 There are many different sizes of rebar that are incorporated into your typical interstate highway overpass. Thank you. Since your eyes deceived you with respect to the size of the machine, I would venture to say that they are deceiving you again with respect to the size of the rebar. Or maybe, after spending a good chunk of my life turning such things into rubble...and in the process sending a few thousand tons of rebar to the scrap yard...they are not. I would suspect the word problem part is just some shit some know-nothing data entry schmoe came up with to make the snopes.com article appear more appealing to the masses. Maybe. Or maybe the pictures are just some shit somebody concocted too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underworld Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mos_Chillin Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Never before have I wanted to lick sand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 There is no way that is real. I'm checking snopes (and doing some google image searches) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marylou Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Murray, I think we should discuss this vital matter over dinner. You going to be in Utah in a couple of weeks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Funny that none of you guys mention that the engineering snafu occurred on Valentine's day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 he was probably speeding home to buy his sweetheart some candy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crux Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Funny that none of you guys mention that the engineering snafu occurred on Valentine's day. Surely Oly deserves some credit for the appropriate mention of domestic terrorism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 There is no way that is real. I'm checking snopes (and doing some google image searches) If it isn't, then this one isn't real either... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 Or maybe, after spending a good chunk of my life turning such things into rubble...and in the process sending a few thousand tons of rebar to the scrap yard...they are not. Or maybe, after spending a good chunk of my life designing and constructing things that look strikingly similar to what you turn into rubble, we can choose to agree to disagree. I will not engage in an argument about whose point of view has more validity in this regard. I build; you destroy. Such is the way of things... Peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpinfox Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 OMG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 just Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ketch Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Brazillians play soccer too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Brazillians play soccer too Wow! Did you notice the ball control of the one in the dark green hot pants? Amazing! There was a ball in that video? Where? I musta missed that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
still_climbin Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 (edited) Control's what you want? Here's control. Bubbles Now that's an engineering problem. Edited August 11, 2006 by still_climbin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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