Just like Dacarbudhuq Bridge failure, Laforuug bridge also failed on similar grounds: poor design related to missing field data coupled with deficient or non-existent local supervision.

The following are the main reasons supporting this fact after I paid a site visit on 20 September 2025.

Berbera Corridor bridges are constructed to take traffic across body of flowing water and therefore must be safe to carry out this task. Using accurate field data is important to avoid design faults. During data collection on design stage, engineers responsible to prepare work drawings must collect comprehensive data from the field to assist fair assumptions.

As the project was a national asset, building drawings must be issued to the concerned local engineers to view and comment on how the bridges will be constructed before the project is implemented.According to my collection, building drawings were not made available to local engineers. This has undermined or totally eliminated their supervisory role.

It is fundamental to construct abutments on either end of bridges. The abutments will maintain the link ending the road and starting bridge structure. The abutment act like a retaining wall to hold huge selected soil fill acting as integral part of the road. No water from the river is allowed to penetrate the wing walls which are directing water to go under the bridge. Under no circumstance will river water be allowed to break through wing walls and attack the fill protecting the abutment wall.

The bridges were constructed in the middle of rivers and erosion was eminent on either end of the two abutments facing upstream.

In both Dacarbudhuq and Lafaruug bridges, the concrete slab between any two piers has fixed and free end. This is evident from the slab still hanging on to the fixed end while the other end is on the ground unable to disengage and show excellent bond.

Though it was not possible to determine the pier foundation type, some signs indicate the foundation is an isolated spread footing.

My personal opinion is as follows:

Given the apparent similarities of Dacarbudhuq and Lafaruug bridges failure, all the bridges constructed under the Berbera Corridor contract need to be thoroughly inspected by competent national engineers.

The national agency concerned need to engage competent local engineers with deep sense of nationalism who have relevant field work experience to supervise the repairing process.

Hold the contractor and the project designer take full responsibilities to fix all repair works as well as the cost of traffic disturbance during the period of repair works.

Prepared by:

Jama Abdi Samater, B.Sc -Civil Engineering (Univ. of New Hampshire USA); P. Engineer (Canada)

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