40 Years Ago Today was a bad day to be at....

[TimMc]

The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Sunday Tea Dance.

One Of The Deadliest U.S. Accidental Structural Collapses Happened 40 Years Ago Today

The condo building failure in Surfside, Fla., is reminiscent of the July 17, 1981, collapse of two elevated walkways at the Kansas City, Mo., Hyatt Regency that killed 114 people and injured over 200.

www.npr.org

Had the original design been followed this failure would not have happened.

edit ps:

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[SteveB]

I well recall the design, originally as support rods passing thru the catwalk, somebody changed that to a set supporting the catwalk, then a 2nd set off the catwalk to the structure below. Nope.

 

[egilson1]

I use this all the time to explain sheer in truss when loading near your suspensions.

 

[JChenault]

I well recall the design, originally as support rods passing thru the catwalk, somebody changed that to a set supporting the catwalk, then a 2nd set off the catwalk to the structure below. Nope.

Actually it was more than that. The catwalks were 8% heavier than calculated, and the structure was under engineered.
from the National Bureau of Standards report “ the ultimate capacity avpctually available using the original construction detail would have been approximately 60% of the expected connection designed in accordance with the specifications of the Kansas City Code”

 

[cbrandt]

This is such a landmark that it is a standard event to study in intro to engineering classes. We spent a couple days on this one back in college going over all the failures in planning and communication.

 

[egilson1]

it's also strange why they used C channel to form he box beams and not an actual box beam, which would have avoided the weld bead at the same places as the rod holes.

 

[TimMc]

I recall (perhaps incorrectly) that the steel supplier made order errors and to not delay construction, use of immediately available materials was 'engineered' in a very hasty manner.

That recollection could be wrong, but enough of it sticks to the wetware that I think it's largely right.

 

[dvsDave]

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This is NOT good for my productivity, I'm now hooked on the Practical Engineering youtube channel. really good stuff.

 

[Jay Ashworth]

This story was where I got Grady Hillhouse from Tom Scott; stayed with him ever since.

 

[Jay Ashworth]

And in 2007, I stayed in that hotel for the Robert A Heinlein Centennial, held at both ends of the Habitrail.

Didn't think about it til a couple days in.