October 28th Structural Failures - An Engineer's Aspect

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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

October 28th Structural Failures

Engineering a structure in which someone will live, ride, fly, or work is a tremendous responsibility. Generally the first duty recognized by Professional and Chartered engineers is to the safety of the public. As with any profession, mistakes can happen. Unfortunately, in the case of engineering structures, a small mistake can prove to be fatal. Therefore, it is often instructive to study cases where mistakes were made in order to understand and never repeat the mistake.

October 28, 1892--Kentucky Bridge Falsework Collapses


The News. Frederick, Maryland, Friday, October 28, 1892.

Another Bridge Collapse.

PINEVILLE, Ky., Oct. 28.--The false work of a new bridge being constructed over the Cumberland river at this place collapsed and five men were thrown into the river, fifty feet below. E. H. Hickox, of Wymouth, O., was killed, and F. Chidsey, of Wymouth, O.; Arthur Wymand, of Brunswick, O.; Joe Haskins and H. K. Licklighter, of this city, seriously injured.


October 28, 1952--Brazilian Boat Collapse


The Charleroi Mail, Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Wednesday, October 29, 1952, Page 10.

Many Drowned In Collapse Of Boat

ARACAJU. Brazil, Oct. 29--(UP) - Thirty school children and two women teachers drowned yesterday when the bottom of the small boat in which they were riding to a picnic collapsed.


October 28, 1957--The Sugar Creek Bridge Collapse


Anderson Daily Bulletin, Anderson, Indiana, Tuesday, October 29, 1957, Page 1.

Bridge On County Route Collapses

A 57-foot steel bridge on the Madison-Hancock county line road, 2 1/2 miles southeast of Markleville, collapsed yesterday afternoon under a ready-mixed concrete truck owned by a Greenfield firm, and officials of Hancock and Madison counties will confer here next Tuesday to study plans for replacing the structure.

Reports of the bridge collapse were received yesterday at the weekly meeting of the Madison County Board of Commissioners.

Lester Sigler, county road supervisor, visited the scene of the bridge mishap yesterday afternoon. He states that the 57-foot steel span, estimated to be about 50-years old, apparently buckled at the center and collapsed under the concrete mixing truck, which fell into Sugar Creek. The truck overturned in the water and was damaged, but the driver escaped unhurt.

Sigler states that the center of the bridge fell into the creek, with its ends remaining on abutments.

County officials will meet with commissioners of Hancock County at Greenfield next Tuesday to study plans for both counties joining in building a new structure to replace the collapsed bridge. The cost may be from $30,000 to $35,000.

The Sugar Creek bridge is one of a number of old steel structures that have fallen recently under heavy loads.


October 28, 1959--Rome Apartment Building Splits



The Racine Journal-Times, Wednesday, October 28, 1959, Page 26.

THE CRACK OF "DOOM"--One split-level that nobody wants is this Rome apartment house that has cracked in half. Newly built, the structure housed 180 families, but more than half have moved out since the split occurred. The others step lightly and hope for the best while looking for another place to live. A recent building collapse in Italy killed 68 persons.

Image: Photo of cracked apartment building in Rome.

The back of the photograph reads, "Twenty-four families were evacuated from this block of flats in Rome, which is in possible danger of colapse, after being separated by a large crack through the centre of it."


October 28, 1981--Rain Causes Sacramento Store Roof to Collapse


The Daily Intelligencer, Thursday, October 29, 1981, Page 10.

Torrential downpour floods Northeast

"About a half-inch of rain caused a 4,000-square-foot section of the roof of a Sacramento, Calif., discount store to collapse Wednesday, officials said. The store was empty and no injuries were reported."


October 28, 1985--Rhode Island Supermarket Wall Collapse


The HAWK EYE, Burlington, Iowa, Monday, October 28, 1985.

Wall collapse kills 2

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (UPI) -- A wall collapsed at a supermarket under construction today, killing at least two people and injuring two others, authorities said.

The accident occurred at a Super Stop & Shop but a spokesman for the contractor, Carpionato Corp., had no explanation for the accident.

The names of the victims were not immediately known.

Another man was in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital and a fourth was taken to Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.

The store was being built by of Johnston.

Construction started a couple of months ago, he said.


October 28, 1989--Arkansas Pedestrian Bridge Collapse


Syracuse Herald American, Sunday, October 29, 1989, Page 14.

5 killed, 18 injured in bridge collapse

HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. -- A pedestrian bridge with as many as 50 people on it collapsed Saturday afternoon, killing five people and injuring 18, after some rocked the span back and forth, authorities said.

One other person was believed missing after the 50-foot-high, 200- to 300-foot-long steel suspension bridge fell into the Little Red River in north-central Arkansas, said Wayne Milligan of the Cleburne County Sheriff's Office.

Rescue crews, who used chain saws and cranes to remove the tangled remains of the 77-year-old bridge as darkness fell, found the bodies of three of the dead around 9 p.m., more than five hours after the accident.

There were 30 to 50 people on the popular bridge, including members of a church group in nearby Prim for their annual meeting and a Boy Scout troop, when the accident occurred around 3:40 p.m., officials said.

Coroner Dwight Olmstead identified the dead as Jason Wilhams, 16, of Muldrow, Okla.; Dana Waltman, 11, of Vancleve, Miss.; David Shane Warren, 13, of Mayfield, Ky.; Catrina Cotrell of Stratford, Okla., in her mid-20s, and Gayla Carlton of Prim. in her 30s.

--The Associated Press


October 28, 1999--Roof Collapses During Demolition of Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant


The JOURNAL-TRIBUNE, Marysville, Ohio, Friday, October 29, 1999, Page 10A.

Two killed in roof collapse at arsenal

RAVENNA, Ohio (AP) -- Two demolition workers died when a roof collapsed on them at a former military ammunitions building.

Joe Mayle, 40, of Canton, and Bill Duffy, 30, of Moundsville, W. Va., died in the accident at the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant about 4:15 p.m. Thursday, said Tom Decker, an investigator for the Portage County coroner's office.

Both men were trapped beneath concrete and steel, he said.

Jay Hooker, 43, of Moundsville, W. Va., suffered head cuts and was treated and released from Robinson Memorial Hospital, spokeswoman Jill Lewis said.

The collapse occurred while workers of Environmental Construction Inc. of Tallmadge were demolishing 12 buildings on the sprawling arsenal located about 20 miles east of Akron.

Firefighters scrambled across the collapsed roof and cut holes to check for anyone trapped, while others formed a bucket brigade to remove debris.

Vertical steel beams were supporting the roof when it fell. The sides of the building already had been taken down, said Mark Patterson, environmental coordinator at the arsenal.

He would not speculate about whether the beams gave way under the weight of the concrete or if something else triggered the roof's fall.

Ravenna Fire Chief Jim DiPaolo said two men on a scissor lift were going up to attach a cable when the roof came down on them.

But the cause of the roof collapse has not been determined, DiPaolo said.

Artillery and mortar shells were made at the 21,419-acre complex during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars.

The site has former ammunition assembly plants, storage buildings and landfills. It has been inactive since ammunition from the Vietnam War was deactivated. The Army Industrial Operations Command has been charged with cleaning up the remaining bunkers.


October 28, 2000--Richmond, Texas Construction Trench Collapse


The Indiana Gazette, Sunday, October 29, 2000, Page A-5.

Two killed in trench collapse

RICHMOND, Texas -- A construction trench collapsed on three workers Saturday, burying them in 14 feet of dirt and killing two of them. A third man was found buried up to his neck but alive.

Rescue crews were able to extract the surviving worker from the collapsed ground about seven hours after the section of trench caved in. He was hospitalized in critical condition Saturday night, and the extent of his injuries wasn't immediately known.

"He is lucky that he survived," Richmond Police Capt. George Paruch said.

Workers who rushed to the collapsed area and began digging through the rubble discovered the worker after hearing his pleas for help and finding his head protruding from the collapsed ground. The bodies of his two buried colleagues were located a few hours after he was removed.

The trench caved in at a construction site for a Home Depot hardware store in Richmond, about 25 miles southwest of Houston, Peru said. He said the trench--about 16 feet deep and about 10 feet wide--had been braced to prevent a collapse.


October 28, 2009--Queensland Deck Collapse


Seven hurt in balcony collapse
"Seven people attending a wake were injured when the deck on a Queensland house collapsed.

Seven people were taken to hospital after the incident at Morayfield, north of Brisbane, just before 1pm (AEST) on Wednesday.

Police Inspector Terry Borland said family and friends had returned from a funeral for a wake when a number of them walked on to the balcony, which collapsed.

Three of the injured were police officers who were off-duty at the time, he said.

The home is reportedly owned by a police officer and the wake followed her husband's funeral.

Insp Borland said the balcony mishap was a traumatic experience for the family.

"That's something they didn't need to cope with this afternoon," he told reporters.

About 15 people were on the timber deck, which was about three metres off the ground, when it gave way.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Community Safety said the balcony was attached to a high-set home in Ward Drive, Morayfield.

"Queensland Ambulance Service have transported seven patients to hospital," the spokeswoman said.

Two of the patients were transported to Redcliffe Hospital, one suffering minor back and neck injuries and the other with a possible fractured rib.

Another five people went to Caboolture Hospital, with minor cuts and abrasions.

Queensland Ambulance Service area director Richard Galeano said one corner of the balcony had broken away.

This caused most of those on the balcony to slide, rather than fall to the ground.

He advised homeowners with a balcony to have it checked by an engineer.

Archicentre, the Australian Institute of Architects' building advisory service, said about two per cent of timber balconies or decks contain potentially fatal flaws.

The incident comes almost a year after a Brisbane woman died in hospital after a balcony collapsed at an Ascot home."
Watch the News Video.


October 28, 2009--Ahmedabad Lift Collapse


Two workers killed in lift collapse

Ahmedabad, Oct 28 Two workers were killed and another seriously injured when a lift collapsed at the site of an under-construction power project near Mundra town in Kutch district today.

The lift collapsed due to a technical fault, police said.

Of the three construction workers who were in the lift, two -- Uttam Singh and Munna Tiwari -- died on the spot, while the third, Ashutosh Singh, received severe injuries and rushed to Bhuj Hospital for treatment, they said.
- (Agencies)
Oct 28, 2009