ORLANDO, Fla. — Bridges in Florida tend to look different than those across the country, including the bridge in Baltimore that was destroyed after a cargo ship crashed into it.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was made of steel and not designed to sustain the type of impact it did from the cargo ship.

That’s according to Country Boy Marine President Michael Williams, who has helped build bridges, seawalls, piers and even marinas over the past 25 years.

He knows measurements when it comes to marine construction and explains just how heavy a cargo ship, like the one that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge, can be.

“One of these cargo ships may weigh anywhere from 150,000 to 100,000 tons. Which equates maybe to 3 million pounds,” said Williams. “A ship moving like this a bridge is not going to stop it.”

In Florida, steel is typically not used.

“We have a really aggressive corrosion environment with the salt water. We try to stay away from the steel bridges,” said Williams.

Most bridges, and ones used for vehicles in the state, are made of concrete with reinforcing materials.

That not only helps with a life expectancy of a bridge, but helps with minimal needs to maintain, weather factors, and for durability.

“Pre-cast concrete piling, and bridge decks are decks made with precast members and all those members are placed individually,” said Williams. “Then there’s a deck slab put on there with rebar which ties them together.”

So, if a bridge were to see impact in Florida, for the most part just a portion of the bridge would fall, dependent on a lot of factors, including speed and impact.