[Robert A Cook PE]

"Hurricane force winds" might be a reference to the sudden wind gust from a 18-wheeler (truck trailer) going by 3-4 feet underneath the suspended panel at 70 mph: Of course, most of the time, the truck traffic is backed in the tunnel so 3 mph is a better speed estimate, but still.


IF that were the case however, then SIMPLE vertical bolts would immediately begin cracking and vibrating out from their holes by the repeated shaking of the 3 ton panels. So the designed failure was overbuilding (overspecifying) the PANEL load requirements by demanding they resist a repeated 70 mph wind gust, while designing the panel suspension bolts to resist a static simple vertical load.

Then of course, finding out that the installing crews didn't drill out the bolt holes deep enough ....

[jwalsh07]

Bad design, bad workmanship and greed. I just thank the Lord that they killed only one woman. It could have been much, much worse. And in fact will be unless they get competent engineers with no axe to grind crawling all over that architectural boondoggle.