To the Editor:
The recent Letter to the Editor regarding the need for a forensic investigation of the settlement of the Morse Boulevard bridge is a necessary step in the cause of the settlement of the bridge. As a retired forensic structural engineer, I agree that the cause of the settlement has likely been determined to be erosion; however, the cause of the erosion has not been determined. Determining the cause of the erosion will likely determine who is responsible for the erosion. Preventing erosion in a bridge foundation design is the responsibility of the bridge engineer, based upon evaluation of the geotechnical (soil) engineer’s soil borings and recommendations for foundation design. Assuming that the geotechnical engineer’s recommendations were correct and the bridge engineer’s design was correct, then the contractor’s installation could be defective if the both the geotechnical engineer and bridge engineer did the design correctly. Someone is responsible for the settlement that has occurred.
Stuart Jacobson
Village of Gilchrist
