Samples from crash site may help forensic studies: IIT-Bombay Professor

MUMBAI: Collection of samples from the Himalaya bridge collapse site at CSMT by an expert committee may yield better results in forensic studies, said Prof Pradipta Banerji of IIT-Bombay. While BMC is yet to seek help from independent experts, it will be ideal to have them in the probe committee, he added.
Banerji, a structural engineer, said the bridge collapse on Thursday was a systemic failure. "We do not value safety as a culture here," said Banerji, who was principal investigator for Delisle bridge inspection in Lower Parel. The bridge is now being reconstructed.

While BMC demolished the remaining portion of the bridge and dismantled the frame on Friday, it was unclear if samples were collected by experts from the site. "The samples should be ideally taken before they are disturbed further. There should be a forensic inquiry of raw material used, including concrete and steel," said Banerji.

He said every collapse is a progressive collapse. "One thing fails, and simultaneously other things collapse too. It is like a domino effect. Experts need to look for corrosion in bridges. It is important to understand if the bridge was designed to handle the load and if the load was greater, the number of times maintenance was carried out. Some experts even do scenario-mapping," said Banerji. These defaults need to be identified and fixed in other bridges of similar nature. He said consulting private auditors cannot be blamed for such failures as they are expected to work in unrealistic timelines.