Collapse leaves engineers stumped

Bridge collapses like the one on the Barton Highway on Saturday ''happen in Third World and developing nations but rarely in Australia'', according to Australian bridge engineering experts.
Structural engineering academics struggled yesterday to name similar Australian examples from the past where a bridge being built had collapsed during this phase of construction.

While not being able to pinpoint why the bridge in north Canberra fell down, they all expected lengthy investigative or legal processes to determine who or what was to blame.

The total cost of the bridge was to be $3.2 million and it was to be made out of 500 cubic metres of concrete, until it turned to rubble while concrete was being poured.

A bridge engineering expert of 25 years, Associate Professor Tommy Chan from the Queensland University of Technology, said collapses such as this happened more often in the developing world where there was less supervision on construction sites.

''In Australia the procedures are well developed [to avoid this sort of occurrence],'' Associate Professor Chan said. ''Collapses are very rare in Australia. This only happens in Third World or developing countries.''

Professor of civil engineering at the University of Newcastle Rob Melchers also said this sort of case was more common in poorer nations. ''I'm not aware of that many cases in Australia,'' he said.