This structure is rated for typoon and earthquake and built on a man-made island. France has neither natural disasters and their terminal fell down.
Posted on 05/23/2004 12:23:09 AM PDT by dennis1x
..Looks like it was "value-engineered" to death..
Possibly; I'm thinking more along the lines of some last-minute construction glitch. This happens a lot; and in order to maintain schedule, the construction people will often ask for design relief in some way, or a design modification.
That's what happened when the overhead walkway at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City collapsed, and a lot of people got killed. A quick design mod that inadvertently weakened the supports.
I wouldn't think a engineering mistake this big could have gotten through in any design of a structure carrying people. International practice calls for safety factors on the order of 3; it's hard for me to believe that any big firm would consciously hang itself out like that, cost pressure or not. One big lawsuit can destroy the firm. I really lean to something that happened on-site during the construction. We'll see.
It'll be interesting to find out what really happened.
This is France. It's Bush's fault. Blame American arrogance and ignorance. If only Bush had ratified Kyoto.
I think you're on to something: 1) Support bolts were weakened by acid rain.. 2) Global warming caused over-expansion.. 3) The enormous weight of obese American tourists..
Possibilites are endless :)
This structure is rated for typoon and earthquake and built on a man-made island. France has neither natural disasters and their terminal fell down.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.