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The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse

The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse. “The Worst Structural Disaster In the United States”. The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse. Dawn Williams – Background Timmy Velander – Design Mike Tillges – Walkway Collapse Andy Ungerman – Reasons for Failure

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The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse

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  1. The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse “The Worst Structural Disaster In the United States”

  2. The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse • Dawn Williams – Background • Timmy Velander – Design • Mike Tillges – Walkway Collapse • Andy Ungerman – Reasons for Failure • Ben Volkmann – Other Factors • Brad Tucker – Effects

  3. Background Of Walkway • July 1980 – Most Modern Hotel in Kansas City finished. • Consisted of 3 Buildings, 2 were connected by 3 walkways.

  4. Walkway’s Original Design • Box beams as intermediate supports • One hole at both ends of Flanges • Threaded single rod • -Hanger for 2nd and 4th floor walkways (3rd floor walkway was separate entity)

  5. Walkway as Constructed • 4th floor box beams: • -Ends had 2 holes • -Outer hole connected to ceiling • -2 lower rods went through inner holes to support second floor walkway

  6. July 17, 1981 • 7:05pm, July 17, 1981 • 2nd and 4th floor walkways collapsed. • Atrium filled with 1600 people during party • 2nd and 4th floor walkway dropped from hangers • 114 killed, 200 injured

  7. Why did this fail? Original Design As Constructed

  8. Reason for Failure • Original design: • Box beams of 4th floor walkway designed to only carry the load of itself • As constructed: • Box beam of 4th floor carried load of itself and 2nd floor

  9. Other Factors • Resonating vibrations from dancing and music • Greatly increased stress on box beams. • Kansas City Building Code required for walkway: • 100lbs/ft2 or 72,000 lbs for each walkway • Actual load day of tragedy • 9450 lbs (63 people @150lbs each) • Design Lacked Redundancy

  10. Effects • 114 killed, 200 injured • Lawsuits tallied more that $ 3 billion • Original design did not meet code, but might not have collapsed • Fault found with design engineers • Didn’t notice essential difference in 2 designs • Licenses revoked in Missouri

  11. “It wasn’t a matter of doing something wrong, they just never did it at all. Nobody ever did any calculations…. It got built without anybody figuring out if it would be strong enough.” • Patrick McLarny, attorney representing state of MO.

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