THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Construction suspended after Chao Phraya bridge collapse

Construction suspended after Chao Phraya bridge collapse

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith on Sunday ordered a one-month suspension of the construction of a bridge across the Chao Phraya River in Chai Nat’s Muang district, following an incident on Saturday when concrete section collapsed and seriously wounded four workers. 

Arkhom also instructed officials to check on 17 other large bridges as a precaution against a similar incident occurring.
The suspension was ordered to make way for a police investigation and a structural assessment by engineers, which would require 30 days to complete, he said. 
Council of Engineers secretary-general Amorn Pimanmas said his agency would dispatch an engineering team to inspect the scene on Tuesday. 
He said the collapse of bridge’s neck section could include an insufficient number of scaffolds to support the bridge’s weight, incorrect assembly of scaffolding, the use of the wrong materials in making the scaffolds or subsidence in the soil underneath the scaffolding. 
Other factors could be flaws in the bridge design or in construction supervision, he said.
 The team would inspect the scene and summon the supervising engineers, he added.
The workers were inside a cement truck parked below the construction site when a 240-tonne concrete slab fell onto the truck. Three of them were in critical condition on Sunday.
 

RELATED
nationthailand