Collapse of the west Gate Bridge : a case study for engineering students / [written by Brian Coles and Trevor Gourley].

Cover title.

This case study examines the circumstances leading to the collapse, whilst under construction, of the 367 foot (112 metre) span 10-11 of the West Gate Bridge on 15 October 1970. The study reveals that the collapse could not be attributed to a single identifiable cause, but rather to a multiplicity of causes, of widely varying nature and significance. The Royal Commission into the Failure of West Gate Bridge set up to examine and report on the failure identified faults attributable to virtually every major organisation involved with the project. Faults were identified in design, construction, supervision, labour management and, very importantly, communication.