According to informed sources, the tilting and subsequent collapse of the beam was an instantaneous process without any warning signs. Workers described that when the beam tilted close to the ground, it produced a tremendous sound accompanied by vibrations in the ground, creating an extremely dangerous situation.
The giant test stones had already been stacked on the beam during the night. In this destructive test process, why were there still workers risking their lives to work on the beam? Was it due to the contractor's temporary oversight or a complete lack of awareness regarding the outcome of the test?
After gathering accounts from those who narrowly escaped and the injured, it was consistently stated that although they had heard about the preloading test, more than ten workers were normally working inside the beam. Their task was simple: to tighten bolts to secure the Bailey beams.
When the reporter entered the construction site, it was found that the site was bustling with normal construction activities. The Bailey beam where the emergency occurred was a north-south longitudinal beam spanning the busy road underpass bridge, all made up of Bailey truss components assembled together, with windows as connecting elements fixed by bolts.
Subsequently, the reporter went to Hefei Friendship Hospital. According to Dr. Li Zheng from the Emergency Department, several workers who were crushed were indeed treated that morning. Many have been discharged for observation, but three have been admitted for treatment, "One has a fracture and is currently undergoing surgery."
Doubt 1: Why were there multiple workers conducting construction during the preloading test?
The actual number of injured individuals was even unknown to the key bureau staff who initially announced the incident. Were the number of injured deliberately concealed by the contractor or was there another hidden reason? Ultimately, the Key Bureau indicated that further investigation and verification with the contractor would be necessary regarding the number of injured.
At around 7:30 am yesterday morning, an emergency occurred on a section of the under-construction Bailey beam over the Prosperity Avenue underpass bridge on Baohe Avenue elevated highway. The nearly 300-ton Bailey beam tilted, causing the heavy steel beam to severely topple to the east side. The reporter learned that more than ten workers working inside the beam were greatly startled, with six going to the hospital for examination and treatment. Three have been hospitalized, one requiring surgery due to a shattered arm fracture. The official announcement claimed that this was a normal destructive test.
Hospital Interview: Three people admitted for treatment, one with a fracture
Initially, it was clearly stated that only "one passerby worker was accidentally scratched," with no serious injuries, and had returned home. This was used as the original material announced at the project department in the morning. Why did the reporter manage to find three injured individuals in the hospital, one with serious injuries? These situations were ultimately clarified in the reported materials, "One person was accidentally scratched, while two others were hospitalized for observation due to shock."
Official Announcement: This was a normal destructive test
At 11 am, officials from the Hefei Key Projects Bureau and the site manager successively introduced the situation to the reporters. Jiang Hao, the project manager of the Baohe Avenue Elevated Highway Project of the Hefei Key Projects Bureau, said that from the current perspective, the tilting of the Bailey beam belonged to a normal destructive test. According to his introduction, the Bailey beam of the second span of the Baohe Avenue Elevated Highway over the Prosperity Avenue underpass bridge was undergoing an overload preloading test, simultaneously collecting relevant technical parameters.
On the fifth floor surgical ward, the reporter found two injured patients who had been hospitalized, Xu Xiaolei and Zhu Zhiqiang, who had suffered varying degrees of abrasions and had already received intravenous therapy. According to the attending physician, these two were not seriously injured, but both reacted with symptoms of dizziness and vomiting. Another patient, Master Zhou Wu from Suqian, suffered a compression injury leading to a comminuted fracture of the right elbow, and was currently undergoing surgery for the implantation of a steel plate. Dean Li of the hospital explained that after receiving a call from the responsible person at the construction site informing of multiple injuries, the hospital dispatched an ambulance to the location. However, the construction site had already arranged a minivan to transport the injured to the hospital, and ultimately successfully transferred them on the Maanshan Road elevated highway.
Yesterday, the reporter learned from the Hefei Municipal Government News Office that the "collapse" incident of the Baohe Avenue elevated bridge was an engineering test. The test was arranged under the most unfavorable conditions, and after the preloading, the scaffold tilted. Regarding this test situation, the collected data will be analyzed and summarized to ensure that the quality and safety of the project are not affected in any way. Preloading tests are mandatory procedures in bridge construction and belong to normal tests. During the overload preloading test, one person was accidentally scratched, while two others were hospitalized for observation due to shock.
Doubt 2: Why was the actual number of injured individuals only clarified later?
The reporter witnessed that the enormous beam tilted and collapsed to the east side, with gaps between sections large enough for a person to freely crawl through. Due to the overwhelming tilt and collapse, some Bailey panels had severely deformed under pressure. Beside the beam, a large crane was alternately lifting the heavy stones off the beam surface onto the ground. However, the reporter learned that the beam had taken workers more than 20 days of urgent construction to successfully join together on the 4th day, but unexpectedly tilted shortly after joining, rendering the hard work of the workers over the past twenty days futile.
This section of the Bailey beam spans 38 meters and weighs hundreds of tons. Facing the description of the test stones by the reporter, Jiang Hao gave the following explanation: "Each test stone weighs 2.5 tons, and there were more than ten placed on the beam, weighing nearly 15 tons in total. The purpose of stacking was to measure the load-bearing capacity of the beam. Stacking test stones is very common on construction sites and is a necessary procedure in construction."
During the stacking of test stones, since it was mechanical construction, these stones might have been asymmetrically stacked, resulting in excessive concentration of force points, unable to ensure balanced pressure application on the beam, causing the scaffold to tilt during preloading.
Deputy Director Zhang Jiayang of the Hefei Key Projects Bureau introduced that the cause of the tilt might be related to improper stacking of the test stones. "Since the environment of this area is relatively complex, there is a Prosperity Avenue underpass bridge below the bridge, so it is necessary to build load-bearing support points during the test, but the beam span is indeed quite long."
"At that time, there were more than ten workers still working inside the beam, mainly tightening bolts to fix the beam." A witness overseeing the site said that after the tilting incident occurred, many workers gradually crawled out through the gaps, already breathing heavily in fright. Afterwards, the workers gathered together and began to count personnel.
Sudden Emergency: The beam tilted like a mountain collapsing.
The reporter investigated and suspected that it was related to uneven force points of the test stones.
Preloading tests are mandatory procedures in bridge construction and belong to normal tests. According to construction personnel, the choice of Bailey beams for this section was due to the complexity of the environment, "Other beams are constructed using scaffolding."
According to the head of the Key Bureau, this incident was within the planned schedule, and everything was within the predetermined construction period. After dismantling, immediate reconstruction will be arranged, "Preloading tests will still be conducted to ensure the safety of the next concrete box girder casting construction for the elevated highway."