The article “Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse” brought attention a famous case of failed structural design and engineering, analyzed the history of the building’s design and construction, and considered what is to blame for the accident that occurred. The Incident During a party in the lobby of a Hyatt Regency Hotel located in Kansas City, Missouri, the night of July 17th 1981, two suspended walkways collapsed after the connections holding them up to the ceiling failed. The box beams separated from
infamous as the collapse of two walkways within the Hyatt Regency Kansas City Hotel on July 17th, 1981. Because of a plethora of ethical violations and poor planning, over one-hundred people lost their lives, and another two-hundred were severely injured as the walkway was overloaded and crumbled under the addition of a large live load. At the time, this was the worst structural engineering failure in US history. A thorough investigation revealed fatal flaws in the design of the walkway which indicated
On July 17, 1981, several structures within the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri collapsed killing 114 people, and injuring 216 (McFadden, 2017). The most notable feature of the hotel was the lobby, which consisted of a large open space in the center of the first floor, surrounded by three elevated walkways suspended from the roof on the second, third, and fourth floors, and an open roof atrium. On the night of the disaster, a dance party took place in the lobby, consisting of about 1,600 guests
1981, the Hyatt Regency Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri hosted a dance party, which was held in the hotel’s atrium lobby. One of the atrium lobby’s defining features was the presence of elevated walkways that were suspended from the ceiling. About 1,600 people attended the event, mostly occupying the lobby floor; however many guests were either standing or dancing on the suspended walkways as well. Tragically, at approximately 7:05 P.M. a loud crack was heard as two of the walkways collapsed
Engineers possess jobs that require the utmost care and responsibility. Structural engineers have the responsibility of making decisions that affect the structural integrity of buildings, bridges, dams, et cetera. Engineers daily make decisions that affect the outcome of projects. The construction industry revolves around money; consequently, employers sometimes request engineers to overlook a certain aspect of their project that breaks certain building or city codes. This situation forces an engineer
“Seconds separated those who lived and died” (Licon, et al.). This is one of the many headlines following the collapse of the Florida International University Bridge that left six dead and another ten injured. A truly tragic event, comparable to that of the Challenger explosion and the Hyatt Regency Hotel walkway collapse. It has only been a few days since the bridge collapsed, but there is already accusations and blame being shoved around. The official investigation by the National Transportation
Gaulle Airport. The accumulation of noise in the airport, as well as the visual distractions surrounding each individual, proved to be the distraction of 20,00 people as dust floated down from the ceiling of Terminal 2E. No one expected the roof to collapse that morning at 7:00 a.m. The