US bridges may collapse due to abnormal heat
Global warming could lead to the destruction of bridges in the United States, TASS reports
According to The New York Times, extremely high air temperatures and frequent floods – provoked by climate change – accelerate the destruction of bridge structures in the United States. Professor Paul Chinowski of the University of Colorado Boulder warned that, because of the heat, bridges can literally fall apart like toy houses, since the materials from which they are built are not designed to withstand sudden temperature changes. Experts assert that the main reason for the destruction of American bridges is the erosion of soil deposits near the foundations of structures. This process is aggravated by heavy precipitation associated with global warming.
As reported, some of the bridges in the United States, which were built before 1960, required repair even before the manifestation of climatic effects on the structures. A study has shown that global warming can lead to the destruction of a quarter of steel bridges in the United States by 2050.
In 2024, air temperatures in the United States reached record levels, and a significant part of the country's infrastructure was damaged due to the abnormal heat. In particular, the intense heat caused a bridge to break down in New York in July.
