Lessons learned from the bridge collapse in Palau

The collapse of a record-breaking 240 m span prestressed-concrete bridge in the Pacific island nation of Palau occurred without warning in 1996. The parties involved were subject to a confidentiality agreement, so no definitive statement has been made as to the cause of the collapse. This paper reports on a study carried out using information in the public domain.

It condudes that a repair carried out six weeks before the collapse was not to blame, but did expose weaknesses in the original design. It is recommended that the construction industry should not shelter behind confidentiality clauses but, like the aircraft industry, publish its mistakes so lessons can be learned.