According to a recently shared report, corrosion of cable stays were cited as the cause of a 2018 bridge collapse in Italy. The reason for the corrosion was imperfect construction and maintenance operations. By imperfect I mean substandard construction and maintenance techniques. According to the report, if either had been done better, the bridge would likely still be standing. When things like this collapse happen and findings are published, I can't help but think about how other pieces of infrastructure might be struggling to last function for extended periods of time and how subpar design, construction and maintenance might lead to disastrous results. We've all been around some aging and deteriorating infrastructure. It's a bit unnerving when I see how bad some buried utilities have broken down when I consider that other pieces are likely suffering too. Sewers running through disintegrated pipe and water running through piping littered with with rusty stalactites aren't as rare as I thought when I started working on them. While functional, it is only a matter of time without repair and replacement until something bad happens. I am optimistic that if the Biden administration can get an infrastructure plan passed, we'll be able to fix and supplement aging and overworked infrastructure like this. While still light on actual plans and heavy on campaign dreams, there is quite a bit of potential to build a better America with Biden's plan.
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