Flawed Design, Lax Oversight Led to ‘Astounding’ Miami Bridge Collapse

The N.T.S.B. blamed engineers for a faulty design — and the state for poor oversight — in the collapse of a new pedestrian bridge that killed six.

The cracks were 40 times as large as the maximum considered acceptable in a reinforced concrete bridge, Mr. Sumwalt said. Yet none of the many parties involved in building the structure recognized the gravity of the problem.

“To have a failure like this is astounding,” said Bruce Landsberg, the N.T.S.B. vice chairman.

He called the nearly 19-month review by the agency “one of the most complicated reviews I think we’ve ever done,” in part because of the bridge’s unusual design. Most pedestrian bridges are simple steel structures, but the university, a public commuter school, had planned to build an emblematic bridge that would become a new landmark.

Munilla Construction Management, which is based in Miami, has changed its name to Magnum Construction Management and has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

“This is the first time in our over three decades of operation that we have ever experienced anything like this tragic accident,” the company said in a statement.

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