Expert refutes allegations about Carola Bridge collapse

The commissioned expert has refuted a media report about ignored expert opinions and neglect of necessary maintenance measures in the case of Dresden's partially collapsed Carola Bridge. According to a statement by bridge expert Steffen Marx, the collapse was primarily due to stress corrosion cracking. This had already been initiated during the construction of the bridge.

Marx writes of a "collapse without prior notice". This had not been detected in advance "with the usual investigation methods carried out within the framework of the recognized rules of technology".

The corrosion of the tendons in the concrete had taken place over many years inside the bridge, invisible from the outside and largely independent of superficial damage patterns. Marx is calling for a review and readjustment of the assessment methodology for bridges with a similar design and construction period.

Media report alleges omissions

"Bild" had reported, with reference to "internal documents", that the building authority had "apparently ignored explosive reports on the desolate condition of the bridge and neglected important maintenance measures" for years. One report in October 2022 questioned the load-bearing capacity of the bridge, while another found "very critical" corrosion or damage to a joint.

The city had contradicted these statements. Mayor Dirk Hilbert (FDP) had also commissioned the statement that has now been published. In it, Marx emphasizes that his office is investigating a wide range of conceivable causes.

Marx: Quoted passages "misleading"

The "Bild" report quotes very short passages from various documents, making it impossible even for experts to assess their relevance to the bridge's stability. "For non-specialists, however, such information is frightening and often misleading."

Among other things, he comments on a joint deflection which, according to the article, was identified in an expert report from 2017. According to Marx, the deformation occurred in the "early phase of the structure's life", had been known for a long time and had been intensively investigated. With close monitoring, no critical increase in deflection had been detected in recent years.

Steffen Marx is a professor at the Institute for Solid Construction at TU Dresden. The city commissioned him to investigate the cause of the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge on the night of September 11. Experts from all over Germany are involved in the analyses in order to obtain well-founded results quickly. An interim report is to be presented on December 11.