The Daily Tribune
Isabela Bridge engineer calls for forensic probe, denies design flaw
The structural engineer behind the collapsed Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela, Alberto Cañete, insists a design flaw did not cause the collapse, stating the design followed the Philippine Bridge Code.
Cañete, who authored both the 1997 and 2015 Philippine Bridge Codes, pointed to a 102-ton dump truck, including its load, which had already crossed nine arches before the tenth arch's connection failed.
He suggested the collapse was due to overloading and not a faulty blueprint, noting that if there were a design flaw, the collapse would have occurred on the first arch, not the tenth.
The bridge, designed in 2012-2013 using arch geometry proven effective since Roman times, was designed to exceed national load limits.
Cañete mentioned the bridge was designed to the 1997 Bridge Code, but construction began in 2014, with updated and stricter standards introduced in 2015, leading to the retrofitting of the initial eight arches.
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President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. initially blamed a "design flaw" and budget cuts from previous administrations for the collapse of the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela.
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. identified a design flaw in the collapsed Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela, noting its lack of supporting cables.
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A 60-meter segment of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela collapsed on February 27 after a dump truck carrying 100 tons of boulders passed over it, injuring six individuals.
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Senator Alan Peter Cayetano will lead a Senate blue ribbon subcommittee investigation into the collapse of the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela, which occurred less than a month after its opening when a dump truck exceeding the weight limit attempted to cross, resulting in six injuries.
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Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III filed Senate Resolution 1319, calling for a Senate investigation into the alarming frequency of bridge collapses nationwide to determine accountability and assess the adequacy of current infrastructure policies.
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