Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Focus Turns to Dali Salvage

Salvage crews are continuing preparations for the removal of the large bridge piece on top of the Dali.

Before removing the bridge piece, salvage teams will consider various hazards and obstacles such as crushed containers, hull damage, and weight shifts that are likely to occur with the removal of the piece and refloating of the ship.

The safety of the salvage crew members remains a top priority during the operations.

Specialized equipment is being used to monitor the position and movement of the Dali and the bridge wreckage it is in contact with.

“We’ve got a total of six of, what we call, inclinometers that measure tilt on key locations of the span and key locations of the ship so we can watch how it’s pitching and rolling with tide, and wind,” said Rob Ruthledge, a contractor working for the Key Bridge Unified Command. “We have a sensor measuring the relative position of the span on the ship so we can see, if for some reason, it starts to slip. We also have what are called string gauges, which can measure, in real-time, the stress, while they are performing operations.”

Crews are working to remove parts of bridge span 17 that are in contact with the opposite side of the Dali.

//gcaptain