Years later I learned a lot about various methods to move practically anything regardless of the size. Nonetheless I’m still captivated by big mechanisms that can easily lift and move objects that are also humongous. All these mechanisms are nothing but extension of our own arms, a logical sequel of a digging stick, stone hammer, lever, etc. It started so simply, and has gone so far.

This picture shows a floating crane “Titan” lifting a passenger ferry Karrabbee in Sidney, Australia. During the traditional ferry competition one of ferries happened to… sink. Luckily it happened after all passengers had gotten off the board. So the organizers simply pulled the “Titan” to the site and picked up the ferry from the bottom. By the way, this thing actually floats itself too! Who knows, perhaps, if their catholic highnesses of middle ages knew of such machines in their time, there would have been fewer her majesty ships at the bottom of the see. “Titan” lifted Karrabbee in 1984. And in late 80s “Titan” sank itself when it was being towed from Australia to Asia during a storm or something. Don’t you just love this picture: “Titan” floating from Australia to Asia…

And this cutie is called “Yoshida”.

Doesn’t it look like one of those lovely monsters from Japanese movies? Say, Godzilla, Motra and such? Floating crane Yoshida was built by Mitsubishi heavy Industries Division. Its lifting capacity is 3700 tons with 925 tonns per each hook.


Here is a submarine hanging on its ropes as a fish on a fishing rod.

Here is a floating crane «Asian Hercules» puting down the famous Gateshead Millennium Bridge in New Castle.

«Asian Hercules» participated in dismantling of the world’s largest (as of 2002) gantry cranes “Kockums” and replacing it with the new one called “Hyundai”.

Here is “Kockums”, 128m high and capable of lifting 1,500 tons with rail track 175 meters wide and 710 meters long.


It was assembled in 1973-74. It stood in the shipyard in Malmo, in Sweden, and up till its dismantling it had participated in the construction of 75 boats and ships. For the very last time it was used in 1997 when it loaded the Oresund Bridge’s fundamental high pillars (see the picture below) onto a cargo ship.

By then the Kockums crane had significantly worn out. In the 1990s it was sold to Burmeister & Wain, a Danish company which soon became bankrupt even before the dismantling began. Thus the Kockums remained integral until 2002 when it was again sold to Hyundai Heavy Industries (a Korean company) for… (guess how much). One dollar! It was shipped thereafter to Korea as a historical object of interest. By the way, Koreans named it “Malmo tears”. The Swedes cried when saying goodbye to the Malmo landmark that served as a background to their lives.
Dismantling.

The Koreans put a bright Korean thingamajig in the place of the previous crane loved by so many Swedes.





Some retro: 1951, floating crane “London Mammoth” is towing a steamer.

7500t Full Revolving Floating Crane. This name speaks for itself. It lifts 7500 tonns and spins like an ice skater. It is set on a floating platform which also has another crane of a smaller size and plenty of various hoists – just in case. This wonder is assembled in Shanghai by the Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Co.

Seven and a half thousand tons – this is really a lot. I don’t think there are crane with bigger capacity. But we’ll keep looking.

14. Plasterer

13. Foreman

12. Grinder

11. Porter

10. ?

9. Air-conditioner mounter

8. Mechanic

7. Loader driver

6. Electrician

5. Painter

4. Engineer-Airman

3. Electrician

2. Electrician

1. Military service of North Korea

About first collapse of the bridge
The bridge was nearing completion, when the local engineering began noticing increasing distortions of key structural members already in place. After four years of construction, the south arm and part of the central section of the bridge collapsed into the St. Lawrence River in just 15 seconds. Of the 86 workers on the bridge that day near quitting time, 75 were killed and the rest were injured.
About second collapse of the bridge
After a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the collapse, construction started on a second bridge, but September 11, 1916, when the central span was being raised into position, it fell into the river, killing 13 workers.

December 15, 1967. Silver Bridge (USA)
46 people dead.

On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge collapsed while it was choked with rush hour traffic, resulting in the deaths of 46 people. Investigation of the wreckage pointed to the cause of the collapse being the failure of a single eye-bar in a suspension chain, due to a small defect only 0.1 inches (2.54 mm) deep. It was also noted that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and was poorly maintained.
The new bridge that replaced the Silver Bridge was named the Silver Memorial Bridge.

March 17, 1945. Ludendorff Bridge (Remagen, Germany)
28 people dead.

28 U.S. army engineers were killed while working to strengthen the bridge, and 93 others were wounded.

May 9, 1980. Sunshine Skyway Bridge (Florida, USA)
35 people dead.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was collapsed on May 9, 1980, when the freighter SS Summit Venture collided with a pier (support column) during a storm , sending over 1200 feet of the bridge plummeting into Tampa Bay. The collision caused six automobiles and a bus to fall 150 feet, killing 35 people.

June 28, 1983. Mianus River Bridge (Connecticut, USA)
3 people dead.

Three people were killed when their vehicles fell with the bridge into the Mianus River 70 feet below, and three were seriously injured. Collapse due to failure of the Pin and Hanger assembly supporting the span.

October 21, 1994. Seongsu Bridge (Seoul, South Korea)
32 people dead.

On October 21, 1994, Seongsu Bridge connecting Seongsu-dong and Apgujeong-dong of Gangnam-gu, Seoul, collapsed. The slab (48 m) between the fifth and the sixth leg of the Bridge collapsed so 32 people died and 17 people were injured. One of its concrete slabs fell due to a failure of the suspension structure. This structural failure was caused by joints of trusses (steel structures) supporting the bridge slab were not welded to the full; the welding thickness, which should be over 10mm, was only 8mm; and further, connecting pins for steel bolts were poor.

January 4, 1999. Rainbow bridge (China)
40 people dead.

In January 4, 1999, a pedestrian Rainbow bridge across the Qi River in the Sichuan province collapsed three years after it was built. The collapse of the Rainbow bridge led to 40 deaths and 14 injuries. Parts of the bridge were rusty, concrete used in its construction was too weak and there were serious welding problems.

March 4 , 2001. Hintze Ribeiro Bridge (Castelo de Paiva, Portugal)
70 people dead.

On March 4, 2001, the Hintze Ribeiro Bridge, made of steel and concrete, collapsed in Entre-os-Rios, Castelo de Paiva, Portugal, killing to 70 people, including those in a bus and three cars that were attempting to get to the other side of the river.

August 28, 2003. Bridge Daman (Daman, India)
25 people dead.

At least 25 people, including 23 children, die when a bridge in the western coastal area of Daman collapsed into a muddy river, throwing a school bus, 10 vehicles and pedestrians into the swirling waters due to heavy rains.

November 7, 2005. (Almunecar, Spain)
6 people dead.

Five Portuguese and one Spanish national died near Almunecar on Spain’s, after a 20-ton section of motorway viaduct fell from 80 meters onto workers below.

December 2, 2006. (Bihar, India)
33 people dead.

Thirty-three people are killed when a 150-year-old bridge, being dismantled, crashed on the train near the Bhagalpur railway station in the state of Bihar.

August 1, 2007. Minneapolis I-35W bridge (Minneapolis, USA)
13 people dead.

On August 1, 2007, during the evening rush hour, the main spans of the bridge collapsed, falling into the river and onto its banks. Thirteen people died and approximately one hundred more were injured. The 1,907-foot bridge fell into the Mississippi River. Currently under investigation.

August 13, 2007. Tuo River bridge (Hunan, China)
34 people dead.

The 140-foot-high bridge spanning the Tuo River in the central Hunan city of Fenghuang collapsed as workers removed scaffolding from its facade. Investigation underway.

Sources: wikipedia canada.com

Three Sections Collapse
The eight-lane bridge near the University of Minnesota and the Metrodome stadium, where the Minnesota Twins baseball team was playing, stretched almost 2,000 feet (610 meters). Three of its four sections gave way, collapsing into the water and onto a freight train running on riverside tracks.
“It apparently is just a loading and unloading track,” said Tom White, a spokesman for the Washington-based Association of American Railroads. “It’s not a real busy line.”
U.S. grain and freight shipments on the river are unlikely to be disrupted by the collapse because most cargo is loaded downstream, traders and a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said.
The bridge, built in 1967, was inspected in 2005 and 2006. A March 2001 study by the state’s transport agency found that the approach spans “exhibited several fatigue problems, primarily due to unanticipated out-of-plane distortion of the girders. Concern about fatigue cracking in the deck truss is heightened by a lack of redundancy in the main truss system.”
The agency recommended that the deck be replaced by 2020 or beyond, Pawlenty said.
Bridge Just `Vanished’
South Minneapolis resident Xavier Sose said he was standing in the doorway of his balcony yesterday when he heard and felt a low rumble. He looked toward the bridge and saw dust shoot out of each end.
“The next thing you know, the entire center section of the bridge just vanished,” he said in a phone interview. “Cars were sliding down, and everything was covered in dust.”
Survivors were taken to the riverbank and transported to area hospitals, Minnesota State Patrol spokesman Steve Johnson said.
A school bus carrying about 60 children was on the bridge. As many as 10 were taken to hospitals and the rest released to their families, Ted Canova of the American Red Cross said. He put out a call for blood donors and financial donations.
The Hennepin County Medical Center received one drowning victim, six others with serious injuries and 22 more with non- critical injuries, Joseph Clinton, chief of emergency medicine, said in a televised news conference.
“We in the federal government must respond, and respond robustly, to help the people there not only recover, but to make sure that lifeline of activity — that bridge — gets rebuilt as quickly as possible,” President George W. Bush told reporters this morning.

This photo was made from the distance of 7 miles from the actual explosion place.

It’s 4.00am but it’s not dark anymore. The rain of gray ashes started.

The fire is 1000 feet tall!

Now on the site of the explosion there is a giant swamp-lake as a result of this disaster, surrounded by miles of frozen winter forests of Siberia.