Posted on 10/12/2019 8:02:07 AM PDT by Meatspace
Removed the shoring too soon.
Was that because the concrete was still wet or because the floors consisted of incomplete formwork?
I'm posting it here so that folks can start "chewing on it"...
Meanwhile I'll look up folks whose comments are incorporated, so that I can credit them -- and add a few observations & comments of my own...
Right now, I'm going to search for more images and videos...
Have fun!!
TXnMA
They sure look like concrete.
Was the concrete too “uncured” to make much dust?
You forgot the red arrow pointing to just anything and marking it “Trumps fault”.
“The union workers were often rude and arrogant. But let me tell you something. To a man they were all competent and skilled craftsmen. They knew what they were doing.”
My dad and I build spec houses back in the 90’s. We used a local union brick masons company because the brick job was always done right.
Now those guys drove me nuts. We paid for materials. The workers would mix up a drum full of concrete at 2:50, they left at 3:00 sharp leaving -wasted half a batch of concrete. Would drive us nuts
But as you said it was always superior workmanship, superb coin corners etc
Had a non union crew do block for basement for us. So out of square and unlevel it had top be torn down and redone.
WE had amish do framing and trim work a+++
My dad was a builder years ago - had just two carpenters and all the other stuff was subbed out. They were really good, and even in the lean Jimmy Carter years my dad would find odd jobs for them to keep them on his payroll so he wouldn’t lose them when things picked up. I’m not sure if they were union or not, but I asked them what they would do if the brick layers would strike my Dad’s project would they honor it. “Heck no - your dad treats us great. That’s why I have a big pick-up - so I can just plow through their lines!”
Several years ago I worked at a site that was built by the union and to serve as a source of income for the carpenter’s union. A 12-story condo building. Seems that somebody forgot to put a dab of sealant at the end of all the tension rods in the concrete. They started rusting. They spent a million bucks trying to fix it, and then ended tearing the entire building down. It was only 8 years old!
I use that example in stressing to my kids that no matter how small or menial the task - there is probably a really good reason to do it, and do it well.
That is a great graphic — thanks for doing it. Check out www.residencesathrhneworleans.com for pretty cgi renderings of the design. As you would expect from the collapse photo, the two upper floors were intended to have extensive full height, nearly continuous glazing (probably to capture views for restaurant/club spaces or ultra fancy suites. Concept: glitz on the cheap, with light structure and an inexpensive facade.
Thoughts just from the graphics:
1) a risky design solution on the upper floors for architectural effect. “Designed for progressive collapse like WTC” is dead on. At least the perimeter of the WTC was made of massive steel elements, rather than studs and dryvit.
2) risky execution, probably to push a schedule, by putting up steel decks and pouring slabs on the two upper floors, using temporary shoring, rather than building the permanent structure first.
3) inexperienced project management with a poor sense of scheduling thought they could cheat physics and Murphy’s Law. (Or more scary, they weren’t thinking at all).
4) it’s terrible that someone was killed and many injured. It’s likely a cruel blessing that this failure occurred before the building was loaded and occupied.
Some specific event no doubt triggered the collapse (a crane slamming a load of materials or some slub knocking out temporary shoring by accident, or a temporary post punched through a concrete deck never meant to bear a point load), but pending further evidence, I’d wager on a synergy of stupid just waiting for disaster to find opportunity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP4tbb8omHc
This is a drone view. At various times you can see loads on the remaining top floors.
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