ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: During the first steps of sophisticated renovations of a road bridge over railway lines the bridge deck suddenly slipped off temporary supports on the railway track. Incidentally at the same time an intercity train approached the location and crashed into the collapsed bridge deck at a high speed. The accident resulted in a number of fatalities, injuries and great economic consequences. Identifying the causes of the collapse was complicated due to a number of uncertainties and additional damage to the bridge caused by the train. The background materials of the investigation were mostly limited to photographic documentation and the presence of a few witnesses. Additional detailed structural analyses did not reveal any convincing evidence. Critical consideration to all possible causes including aerodynamic effects supplemented by Bayesian (causal) networks finally resulted in the identification of the most significant causes including insufficient foundation and overall stiffness of temporary supports.
