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.
