TAY BRIDGE DISASTER. COMMENT ON THE ETHICS OF THOSE INVOLVED.

Tay Bridge disaster



Tay bridge disaster

Introduction

Technological disasters- often with attendant human deaths evoke a kind of reaction that is different from that of the death of an individual. The multiple deaths that often result bring on a horror that is comprehensive and deep, but less personal than that concentrated on a single individual. This course study is a splendid example of these expressions. During the study of this course I will analyze and examine the “Tay Bridge Disaster” in detail. The course work is going to focus on the fundamental engineering errors and bad practices that led to the Tay Bridge disaster. Comments on the ethical concerns relating to the people who were involved and a detailed analysis of the modern engineering management practices are going to be a part of the course work. 'Tay bridge disaster' a devastating catastrophe that occurred in the 19th century on the rail bridge that crosses the firth of Tay, Scotland, linking Fife to the city of Dundee on the northern side of the river. The resent bridge is the second (and a road bridge also spans the firth) the first Tay bridge was opened on June 20, 1877. It was rather more than 1 mile (1.6 kilometer) of land and the engineers who designed it believed it was strong enough to withstand any weather.

On the evening of Sunday, December 28, 1879, a train departed as usual from Edinburgh with six carriages carrying passengers bound for Dundee. There were between 75 and 90 persons on the train as it began to cross the Tay Bridge. (Ryall, 2000, Pp.175-190)The weather was stormy, with gale-force winds blowing at up to 75 MPH. At about 7:17 PM, when the train was about half way across, the bridge collapsed and the train fell into the river below. There were no survivors. The subsequent investigation concluded that the bridge had not been properly built and maintained that its design failed to allow adequately for wind loading. Some scientists now believe that it was destroyed when two TORNADOES struck it simultaneously.

Discussion

Though railway-building in Britain peaked during the first half of the 19th century, the remainder of the country saw much continuing activity. But there was a change, especially in bridge design, Where once pioneering and innovation had been backed by flair and meticulous attention to detail— supremely on the Britannia and Royal Albert Bridges. Two rival railways linked Scotland and England. (Marion, 2004, Pp.120-125) The North British to the east and the Caledonian to the west. South of the border, the North British had the advantage, but between Dundee and Edinburgh its line was interrupted by two huge estuaries, the Firths of Forth and Tay, forcing its passengers to break their journey for slow ferry crossings, which caused sea-sickness and which were often cancelled due to bad weather. The North British engineer, Thomas Bouch, had long argued the case for Tay and Forth Bridges, and in the1860's, when a complex ...