Construction Bridge Collapse in Schweinfurt: Structural Engineer Avoids Criminal Charges, Faces Fine
Structural collapse of bridge: Charges against the engineer withdrawn. - Static's legal proceedings halted due to bridge collapse incident.
Winding back to 2013, a tragic incident shook the small town of Schweinfurt when an autobahn bridge's collapse led to one fatality. Nine long years later, the Schweinfurt Regional Court has discontinued the case against the suspected structural engineer. The 53-year-old offender is now ordered to fork out a 5,000 euros fine to the Bavarian Red Cross, Schweinfurt.
Despite the court's dismissal, the verdict is still provisional. The trial participants agreed to this decision on the opening day, but the prosecution demanded an admission of errors in the bridge's static calculation. The engineer conceded his blunder, affirming the report of the court-appointed expert who pinned the collapse chiefly on the omission of such calculations.
Wrongful Death and Injuries Pile Up
The engineer was charged with negligent homicide and bodily injury in 14 cases. Throughout 2015, he calculated the statics of the support structure for the bridge. On June 15, 2016, during the construction of the Schraudenbach Valley Bridge on the A7 near Werneck, the support structure caved in while 1,500 tons of concrete were being poured. Several workers plummeted more than 20 meters, leading to one death and 14 injuries.
At the trial commencing, the suspect stated that he believed he had accounted for all necessary aspects. "I still can't wrap my head around what happened back then," he lamented. He confessed to his errors and expressed remorse.
Not the First to Be Held Accountable
In May 2023, the Schweinfurt Regional Court handed down sentences to two inspection engineers (aged 51 and 61), dishing out suspended prison terms. A third defendant was acquitted. The case judge attributed the accident to a shoddy static calculation that rendered the bridge support structure unable to bear the load in the affected section.
However, the defense argued that it was the construction workers who assembled the steel structure differently than planned, resulting in the accident. The required construction monitoring was not carried out. The 51-year-old and 61-year-old engineers appealed the verdict.
The 61-year-old's appeal was dismissed by the Federal Court of Justice as unjustified. The 51-year-old's appeal was overturned due to a procedural error, with the case remanded to another chamber of the regional court. A new trial date for this engineer hasn't been set yet.
errors adding up
During the technically intricate trial, the court-appointed expert identified numerous errors, particularly in the calculation of the support structure's potential load-bearing capacity. It was noted that such a calculation was missing entirely. According to the expert's account, the accused structural engineer should have supplied evidence for the stability of the arches—a crucial element that the engineers tasked with inspecting the statics allegedly overlooked. They were accused of negligence or complete disregard for the project. Apparently, the scaffolding was inadequate to withstand the concrete load.
Swissfort, Autobahn Bridge Tragedy, Bavarian Red Cross, Prosecutor's Office, Bodily Injury
- The Prosecutor's Office in Schweinfurt charged the structural engineer with negligent homicide and bodily injury in 14 cases, related to a fatal bridge collapse in 2016, as part of the Swissfort Autobahn Bridge tragedy.
- After the sentence was handed down to two inspection engineers in May 2023, the suspect in the bridge collapse case admitted his errors and expressed remorse, agreeing that the collapse was primarily due to his omission of the static calculations, a crucial element in workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness.
- The Swissfort Autobahn Bridge collapse, along with other incidents, has highlighted the importance of adhering to community policy and vocational training, especially in the fields of science, engineering, construction, and medical-conditions, to ensure the safety of structures and prevent accidents.
- The court-appointed expert in the Swissfort Autobahn Bridge case noted numerous errors, particularly in the calculation of the support structure's potential load-bearing capacity, which could have been addressed through proper vocational training and adherence to general-news and best practices in the construction industry.
- The Swissfort Autobahn Bridge collapse and subsequent trial have raised awareness about the implications of medical-conditions and workplace-wellness, underlining the need for accident prevention programs and workplace safety training, which are essential for maintaining a healthy and safe working environment.
