Building+Failure+Cases

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// "You can fix anything if you think hard enough." // William LeMessurier In discussing the Citicorp Tower problems with students at MIT.

**Building Failure Case Studies**

Aircraft Impacts - Accidental

 * Empire State Building (1945) (AE 537 2010)
 * [|40 Wall Street]- (May 20, 1946) - Available for Case Study Contribution

Air-supported Roofs

 * BC Place Stadium- Vancouver (2007) AE 210 Wiki 6
 * Minneapolis Metrodome(1981, 1982, 1983) Original Case Study Contribution Available for Case Study Contribution -
 * 2010 Collapse update at Building Failures Forum
 * Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Roof Snow Collapse of 2010 (AE 537-11 Kostick)
 * Silverdome - Pontiac, Michigan Partial Collapse due to snow (1985)
 * UNI-Dome - University of Northern Iowa (1975 initial deflation)

Collapse During Construction

 * Bailey's Crossroads - Skyline Plaza (March 2, 1973)
 * Binishell Domes (AE 537 Hubben)
 * Chicago Post Office (1993) AE 210 Wiki 9
 * Coca Cola Plant Roof Truss Collapse - Manila, Philippines (May 15, 1996)
 * @FC Twente - De Grolsch Veste - Stadium Roof Collapse (July 7, 2011) [|Enschede] , Netherlands (AE 537 2015 - MacDonald)
 * David L. Lawrence Convention Center Truss Collapse (2002) - AE 210 Wiki 14
 * 2000 Commonwealth Avenue - Boston (Jan. 25, 1971)
 * Harbour Cay Condominiums (March 27, 1981)
 * L'Ambiance Plaza (April 23, 1987)
 * US Post Office 61 Ft. Roof Truss Collapse - Lisbon, Maine (1995)
 * New York Coliseum(1955) - AE 210 Wiki 8
 * Rosemont Horizon Arena (1979) AE 210 Wiki 13
 * San Antonio UHS West Parking Garage Collapse - (February 14, 2011) (AE 537 2012 - Li Jiang - In Progress
 * Tropacana Casino Parking Garage (2003) - AE 210 Wiki 10
 * Union Carbide Building - Toronto (Sept. 6, 1958) Union Carbide Building (AE 537 2012 - Rupert - In Progress)

Collapse During Renovations, Alterations and Demolitions

 * [|Minard Hall Facade Collapse], North Dakota State University (December 22, 2009) - // Available for Case Study Contribution //
 * 22nd & Market Street (Salvation Army Building), Philadelphia, PA Demolition Collapse (AE 537 2013 K. Sliwinski)
 * 22nd and Market Philadelphia - External Article Demolition adjacent to the Salvation Army Thrift Store (June 5, 2013) -

Construction Accidents

 * Construction Accident Overview (AE 537 2012 - Liu)

Corrosion

 * Algo Centre Mall Collapse, Elliott Lake, Ontario ( June 23, 2012 ) (AE 537 2013 R. McDonald)
 * Carpenter's Tower PT Slab Deterioration- Seattle, WA (April 2010)
 * University of Virginia Historic Balcony Collapse (May 18, 1997) (AE 537 2014 - Brown)
 * West Berlin Congress Hall (1980) - AE 210 Wiki 1

Crane and Scaffold Collapses

 * 'Big Blue' Crane Collapse - Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (AE 537 2010)
 * Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas - Painter Scaffold Failure (June 1997)
 * John Hancock Center (Chicago) Suspended Scaffold Collapse (AE 537-11 Dalrymple)
 * 4 Times Square Scaffold Collapse - Condenast Building (AE 537 2010)
 * 303 East 51st Street NY Tower Crane Collapse (March 15, 2008) (AE 537 2013 M. Niu)


 * UT Dallas Arts & Technology Building Construction Crane Collapse (July 7, 2012) Starter Article Available

Decks, Balconies, and Stairs

 * State College, PA Balcony Railing Failure
 * Vermillion, SD Balcony Collapse (April 2010)

**Demolition Accidents and Errors**

 * DeGeorge Building- Unexpected Collapse During Demo - Travis Street - Houston, TX - June 10, 1953

** Computer Modeling Errors **

 * @The Role of Computers & Information Technology in Building Failures (AE 537 2015 - Terreno)

Mixed Framing Systems

 * Terminal 2E at Charles de Gaulle Airport (2004) - AE 210 Wiki 4
 * Available for Case Study Contribution

** Concrete Structures (CIP) **

 * Dolphin Towers Condominiums - Transfer Slab Failure (June 2010)
 * Rana Plaza Building Collapse - Garment Manufacturing (May 9, 2013) Savar - Bangladesh: //Worlds Deadliest Accidental Building Collapse (//AE 537 2014 Schwier)
 * Preliminary / suspected causes: Poor Construction, code violations, three unauthorized floors constructed, heavy manufacturing equipment added.
 * Review of current information:
 * @Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center, Silver Springs, MD (2010) (AE 537 2015 - Snider)
 * Sampoong Department Store - Seoul South Korea (1989)
 * Versailles wedding hall collapse disaster (May 24, 2001)

Precast Concrete

 * Precast Concrete Element Failure Patterns, Highlighting the Beam Collapse at Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal, Airside Building (Aug. 14, 1990) (AE 537 2015 Jewoola)
 * Pittsburgh International Airport, Short Term Parking Facility - Available for Case Study Contribution

Steel Structures

 * Kansas City Hyatt Regency Walkways - AE 210 Wiki 11
 * @Magic Mart Store, Roof Collapse, Bolivar, Tennessee ( July 2, 1983) (AE 537 2015 A. King)
 * Save-On-Foods, Station Square, Burnaby, BC (April 23, 1988)
 * @Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium Roof Collapse (June 2009 and February 2013) (AE 537 2015 Aumiller)

Wood Structures
 * Available for Case Study Contribution

Earthquake Related Failure Cases

 * Performance of Precast Structures under Seismic Loading (AE 537 2014 Poff)
 * California State University Parking Garage (Jan. 17, 1994)
 * Imperial County Services Building Collapse (1979 - El Centro) (AE 537 2013 - C. Coakley)
 * @Washington Monument Evaluation & Restoration (August 23, 2011) (2011 Mineral Virginia Earthquake Damage ) (AE 537 2015 - Noss )

Earthquake Lessons Learned - Buildings

 * 1940 El Centro Earthquake (1940 Imperial Valley Earthquake) Available


 * 1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake Available


 * 1960 Chile Earthquake Available
 * 1964 Alaska Summary (March 27, 1964) (AE 537 2012 - Zheng)


 * 1971 San Fernando (Sylmar) Earthquake Remembered Available for full case study
 * @1979 Imperial Valley Earthquake, Southern California ( October 15, 1979) (AE 537 2015 - Park)


 * 1985 Chile Earthquake Summary & Lessons Learned (AE 537-11 Pfund)
 * 1985 Mexico City Summary & Lessons Learned (AE 537-11 Trujillo)
 * 1989 Loma Prieta, California Earthquake - Summary / Lessons Learned - (AE 537 2010)


 * 1994 Northridge, California, Summary / Lessons Learned - AE 210 Wiki 18
 * 1995 Kobe, Japan Earthquake Summary / Lessons Learned (AE 537 Cooper)
 * 1999 Kocaeli-Golcuk & Duzce-Bolu Turkey Summary & Lessons Learned - (AE 537-11 Tennant)


 * 2010 Haiti Earthquake (January 12) Summary / Lessons Learned /Damage Assessment (AE 537 2010)
 * 2010 Chile Earthquake (Feb. 27) Summary / Damage Assessment (AE 537 2012 - Li)
 * 2010 Canterbury, New Zealand Earthquake (Sept. 3) - Summary / Damage Assessment - (AE 537-11 Vandersall)
 * 2011 Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake (February 22) - Summary / Damage Assessment - (AE 537 -11 Behm)
 * CTV Building Collapse – Christchurch NZ Earthquake (February 22, 2011) (AE 537 2015 - Jaskowiak)
 * 2011 Japan Earthquake & Tsunami
 * 2014 Napa California

Environmental

 * New York State Office Building, Binghampton, NY, PCB Contamination
 * Santa Fe Courthouse Contaminated Soil Construction Delay, Sana Fe, New Mexico -(2009)

**Ethics & Standard of Care**

 * **Citicorp Center** - New York City (AE 537 2010)

Expansion and Movement

 * David L. Lawrence Convention Center Expansion Joint Failure / Loading Dock Floor Collpase (Feb. 5, 2007)
 * Wilkins AFB Warehouse, Shelby, OH (1955) and Robins AFB Warehouse, Macon, GA (1956) - Available for Case Study Contribution

Geotechnical / Foundations

 * Expansive Soils Failures Overview (AE 537 2012 - Saunders)
 * @Cologne City Archives Collapse (March 3, 2009) Cologne, Germany (AE 537 2015 - Valentine)
 * Ocean Tower Condominium, South Padre Island, TX, (Dec. 2009 Settlement & Controlled Demolition of New Building) - Available for Case Study Contribution
 * Lotus Riverside Block 7 Collapse (June 27, 2009) (Shangahi, China) (AE 537 2015 - Tauber)
 * Fargo Grain Elevator (1955) - (AE 537 2010)
 * Minard Hall Facade Collapse (Dec. 27, 2009) (AE 537-11 Theide)
 * Pier 34 - Heat Nightclub, Philadelphia (May 18, 2000) (AE 537 2012 - Rutherford)
 * Residential / House Settlement - Expansive Clays, Shrinkage in Droughts, etc.
 * Overview of the Causes and Remediation of Sinkholes (AE 537 2013 S. Porter-Gill)
 * Transcona Grain Elevator (1913) - AE 210 Wiki 5
 * Tower of Pisa - AE 210 Wiki 7

Hurricane / Tornado / High Wind

 * Joplin, Missouri Tornado Disaster (May 22, 2011) - (AE 537-11 Dipaolo)
 * Hurricane Katrina - Overview & Lessons Learned (Landfall: Aug. 29, 2005) (AE 537 2012 - Wychock)
 * Louisiana Superdome Roofing Failure in Hurricane Katrina- 2005 (AE 537-11 Progar)
 * Moore, OK E5 Tornado Summary (May 20, 2013) Available
 * Galveston, Texas Category 4 Tornado of 1900 - Available for Case Study Contribution
 * Greensburg, Kansas F5 Tornado, May 4, 2007 - Starter Info: National Geographic Photo Gallery - Available for Case Study Contribution

Historic & Preservation

 * Assessment & Repair of Deteriorating Historic Italian Buildings (AE 537 2014) (C. Klatman)
 * Structural Evaluation of Historic Buildings (AE 537 2012 - Molongoski)


 * Cape Hatteras Light Station - Preservation and Relocation (1999)
 * Darlington Apartment Building Collapse (1904)
 * Elks Lodge Building Collapse, Clinton MO (2006) - Available for Case Study Contribution
 * Fallingwater - Restoration and Structural Reinforcement (AE 537 2010)
 * Majestic Theater, Pittsburgh, PA (1922) - Available for Case Study Contribution
 * Trinity Church - Preservation and Restoration, Boston, MA (AE 537 2014 Dastalfo)
 * United States Capitol Dome - Condition Assessment and Restoration (AE 537 2010)
 * Washington Momument - Evaluation & Restoration - (Pre-2011 Earthquake work)

=Industrial Accidents / Collapses=
 * Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Explosion & Fire

=Legal Issues in Failures & Forensics=
 * Economic Loss Doctrine applied to Construction

Long-Span Structures
(Also refer to: Stadiums & Arenas )
 * Dallas Cowboys Indoor Practice Facility Collapse - //Fabric Roof// (May 2, 2009) (AE 537 2012 Stremski) **Update / Revisions**
 * Link to the NIST Draft Report (NISTIR 7636) Here
 * See also this July 2012 Update. According to AP Builder knew of problem over a year in advance.
 * Related Structure - [|Concerns Raised over Capacity of Texas A & M McFerrin Athletic Center]


 * Cover-All Building Systems Inc. Safety Warnings on Product Lines
 * Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA - //Fabric Roof Panel Failures// (August 1995)
 * Hartford Civic Center (Jan. 18, 1978)
 * Kansas City Kemper Arena (June 4, 1979)
 * King Dome - Seattle, WA - Roofing, Waterproofing & Ceiling Tile Failure (1993)
 * Montreal Olympic Stadium (Multiple failures including fire, tower and roof damage in 1980's, falling concrete slab in 1991 and Fabric Roof Failure in January 1999.
 * SkyDome - Toronto - Acoustical Sound Tiles / Panel Fall Failure (June 22, 1995)

Concrete Materials, Mixes & Testing

 * Concrete Cracking: Overview of Types and Causes (AE 537 2012- Interval) //In progress//
 * Concrete Performance (AE 537 2012 - Nasser) //In progress//
 * Testwell Concrete Testing and Records Falsification Claims - NYC (Oct. 2008)

Masonry - Brick, Concrete & Stone

 * Overview
 * @Deterioration of Lime-Based Mortar Joints (AE 537 2015 - Fogle)

Steel, Welds, and Metallurgy

 * Bolt Connection Failure Due to Metal Fatigue (AE 537 2012 - Nguyen)
 * @Overview of Lamellar Tearing Failures and Representative Case Studies (AE 537 2014 - Brandmeier)
 * Lamellar Tearing Overview and Failures Cases (AE 537 2012 - Moyer)
 * El Paso Civic Center Lamellar Tearing Failure (AE 537 2014 - Jiang)
 * Hancock Tower Chicago - Lamellar Tearing Failure (AE 537 2014 - **Brandmeier Temporary** )


 * Atlantic Richfield Towers, Los Angeles, CA (Lamellar Tearing) - **Available for Case Study Contribution**
 * @Wolftrap Performing Arts Center - Weld Failure (January 1985) Fairfax, VA (AE 537 2015 Barlow)

Wood Defects and Treatment

 * Overview

Near Collapses & Stability Concerns

 * Pigeonhole Parking Garage - Cleveland (1956) - **Available for Case Study Contribution**

Parking Garages - Various Causes

 * Algo Centre Mall Parking Garage / Mall Roof - Elliott Lake, Ontario (June 23, 2012) Available: See Starter Article [|More info and photos / video] Read More
 * Centergy Parking Deck Collapse, Alanta, GA (June 29, 2009) (AE 537 Borden 2012)
 * Pittsburgh International Airport Parking Garage Precast Double T Structural Defects (1998) (AE 537 Chavanic 2012)
 * Prospect Towers (News Article)- Hackensack, NY (July 16, 2010) - **Available for Case Study Contribution**
 * Rego Park Shopping Center - New York, NY (June 11, 1997)

Progressive Collapse

 * Hotel New World Collapse (Lian Yak Building) (March 15, 1986) (AE 537-11 Kayat)
 * Progressive Collapse Overview (AE 537-11 Brunnet)
 * L'Ambiance Plaza (April 23, 1987)
 * Ronan Point (May 16, 1968)

Snow Load - Roof Collapse

 * See Also: Roofs - Collapse & Performance Failures


 * Snow-Induced Roof Failures and Prevention Methods (AE 537 2013 A. Stangl


 * Bad Reichenhall, Germany - Ice Rink (2006) AE 210 Wiki12
 * Blacksburg VA High School - Gymnasium Collapse (2010) (AE 537 2014 - deVries) See Roanoke.com site for Background
 * @Canton Metropolitan Skating Rink Roof Collapse (February 15, 2015), (AE 537 2015 - Aumiller)
 * Katowice, Poland - Trade Hall Roof Collapse (2006) (A. Aggarwal)
 * Knickerbocker Theater Collapse (January 28, 1922) - (AE 537-11 Kijak)
 * Knickerbocker Theatre Background Article - [|See Washington Post Article]


 * Skenderija Center - 1984 Olympic Skating / Hockey (February 12, 2012), Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Available See Starter Article
 * ILT Stadium Southland Collapse (September 18, 2010) [|Invercargill, New Zealand] - Available See Starter Article
 * **Other Snow Collapse Cases or Storm Summaries:**
 * Weiss Furniture Warehouse Collapse, Derry Township, PA (March 2010)

Temporary Structures

 * (Stages, Platforms, Show Rigging, etc.) **
 * Overview of Temporary Structures Failures in Construction (AE 537 2013 X. Yuan)
 * Temporary Structures Failures: Overview & Case Studies (AE 537 2012)
 * @Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse (August 13, 2011) Starter article
 * Bluesfest Stage Collapse (Cheap Trick Concert), Ottawa (July 17, 2011) Available - Starter Article

Terrorism and Attack

 * Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing (Oct. 23, 1983) (AE 537 2012 - Kleinosky)
 * Khobar Towers Bombing ( June 25, 1996) (AE 537-11 Rose)
 * Murrah Federal Building (April 19, 1995)
 * Pentagon 9-11 Attack (Sept. 11, 2001)
 * World Trade Center - WTC 7 (Sept. 11, 2001)
 * World Trade Center Bombing (1993) - AE 210 Wiki 2
 * World Trade Center Towers 1 & 2 (Sept. 11, 2001) (AE 537 English)

Sample Pages for Workshop & Teaching Purposes:
 * Wiki Workshop 1
 * Wiki Workshop 2
 * Wiki Workshop 3
 * Wiki Workshop 4
 * Wiki Workshop 5
 * Wiki Workshop 6