This project was completed to analyze a major maritime infrastructure failure, identify its root causes, and develop a risk‑control strategy using structured tools such as root‑cause mapping and FMEA. The goal was to demonstrate advanced capability in technical risk analysis, systems thinking, and practical mitigation planning.
On March 26, 2024, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after the containership Dali suffered two electrical blackouts and lost all propulsion and steering. With no ability to maneuver, the vessel struck Pier 17, causing multiple spans to fall and resulting in six fatalities among highway workers.
Methodology
The case study applied a multi‑layered analytical framework:
- Sequence-of-events reconstruction to understand the timeline leading to the collapse.
- Root‑cause mapping to trace technical, operational, organizational, and infrastructure failures back to their origins.
- Pre‑ and post‑loss FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) to quantify risk levels, identify high‑priority vulnerabilities, and evaluate the effectiveness of proposed controls.
The pre‑loss FMEA revealed high Risk Priority Numbers driven by weak controls, poor monitoring, and lack of redundancy. After applying improved controls—redundant pumps, automated breaker systems, IR inspections, and modern bridge‑impact protection—post‑loss RPNs dropped significantly.
This case study highlights how layered technical, procedural, and infrastructure failures can escalate into a catastrophic loss—and how targeted risk‑control strategies can prevent similar events in the future.
Read the full presentation below.