Over the years, failures and collapses of steel bridges have occurred all over the world. The causes of these failures can generally be found in a combination of factors. Errors in design, construction, assembly, corrosion and fatigue phenomena and/or inadequate inspection and maintenance processes, among other factors, are often found in forensic analysis of the causes of such collapses.

The talk will address case studies of steel bridge collapses. Some of these cases, paradigmatic collapses, describing the causes that led to the partial or total failure of the structure. Finally, for each case described, the lessons learned will be presented.