---

"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

Click Photo to visit Building Failures Forum for Failures News, Recent Blog Posts and Weird Failures

---

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

---

Design, Detailing, Construction & Procedural Errors

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)

Material Deficiencies

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)

---

---

---