Bomb Trains and Our Bridges

I just have to stay on this issue because it is close at hand. As I have mentioned before, these bomb trains are moving through our town to the tune of 6-8 a day when only a few years ago there were virtually none. They are carrying frack oil and possibly a liquid form the tar sands. This is generally described as bitumen but in order to get it to flow they have to add natural gas condensates and natural gas liquids--both of which are volatile and thus explosive.

I have already posted some spectacular photos of explosions, the one in Canada killed 47, the others no fatalities but one hell of an environmental mess. This includes burning rivers  and streams.

Why I get revved up is that when they pass through town the go over three different over-passes, all of which seem very old and clearly in bad repair.

If a person looks closely at this photo it is easy to notice areas where the rusted re-bar is protruding from the cement, but the most interesting part of the photo, and really the bridge in its entirety, is the cracking. Now, if the crack were just on the surface, then no real big deal. In close examination, clearly, water full of carbonate is seeping through the cracks meaning the water is passing through the entire concrete mass, getting loaded with dissolved parts of the concrete. It is widely known the bridges of this type are steel reinforced---we can see the re-bar.

So as the water passes through the mass it goes by, over and very much in contact the re-bat rusting it just like the visible reinforcement. Rust weakens steel and this has been going on for how many years? Maybe 75, maybe more. Does that over-pass have the same strength it did 40 years ago? Not likely.

These trains are now very heavy from loaded tank cars, much more than box cars, or the automobile cars, lumber cars. How much additional pounding does the bridge take. I don't like it one  bit so I am making a stink.