Quebec St Lawrence River Bridge
in Canada.
1899 Contract awarded to the Phoenix Bridge Co of Phoenixville, USA, to design and construct the steel cantilever bridge across the St Lawrence River.
1907 The south cantilever and anchor arm collapsed during construction. The bridge was demolished and the New Quebec Bridge was later built in its place.
A Royal Commission, headed by Henry Holgate, was appointed to determine the cause of the failure. The key finding of the Commission was that collapse resulted from the failure of the lower chords of the anchor-arm near the main pier, and that the failure of these chords was due to their defective design. P. L. Szlapka of the Phoenix Bridge Co was the designer responsible. The design was examined and approved by Theodore Cooper, consulting engineer of the Quebec Bridge and Railway Co.[1]