Collapsing Buildings and Roadways

[Starr DiGiacomo]

 

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/world/asia/bangladesh-building-collapse.html?hp&_r=0

 

Published: April 24, 2013

NEW DELHI — An eight-story building in Bangladesh that housed several garment factories collapsed on Wednesday morning, killing at least 70 people, injuring hundreds of others, and leaving an unknown number of people trapped in the rubble, according to Bangladeshi officials and media outlets.... http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/world/asia/bangladesh-building-co...

 

So much happening under our feet.  Daily collapses of roadways due to the severe bow stretch, severe rains, crunching and land subduction all predicted in Zetatalk and all happening now.  Last week in Utah a fatal road collapse killed a 14 year old girl and injured 2.  It's painful to watch the planet crumble but we all knew it was coming.

Buildings collapsing.........a daily happening too.  With responses about what's causing all these happenings ranging from, rain, human error, poorly constructed, yada yada.....BUT, that's not going to fly with people much longer.  As soon as Planet X peers out at us from the sky, people will remember all the things that have happened up to this point and finally somehow, they will connect the dots.  Some will be in extreme denial, others will be so afraid and look for someone to take care of them, and still others will stand up and be counted and prepare as best we could.  There's no wishing this away, there's only pushing forward to a better tomorrow.  While our infrastructure crumbles around us we need to learn to be more careful, tread softly, kiss your kids, love with all your heart.  We are IN IT NOW.

I live in a house built in 1850 and it isn't falling down.  Age does not mean collapse. 

100-year-old building partially collapses in Malone

By: Rachael Paradis

A building in Malone that has been standing for more than a century will no longer be a sight in the town. The building on Route 11, well known to many in the community, collapsed overnight. While no one was injured, our Rachael Paradis tells us why the town is in a rush to tear it down.

MALONE, N.Y. -- Neighbors in Malone stood in surprise, took pictures and even shared stories of a once popular tavern that started to crumble early Monday morning.

County Legislator Billy Jones said, "It's an old structure, it was a structure that was obviously unsafe."

The tavern/hotel was built in the early 1900'. It has been closed to the public for about 15 years and was condemned six months ago.

Franklin County Emergency Services Director Rick Provost, "We're unsure what occurred last night at 3 a.m. What we do know is this building has been on our list of buildings with issues."

Jones said, "Old things fall down."

Police closed off part off Route 11 to traffic and to people, out of concern the rest of the building could fall down. Some in the community voiced concern over why this building, along with others like it in the area that haven't already been demolished. Officials say it comes down to money.

Provost said, "The high cost of abatement for these buildings really makes it tough for the county or the village to take those burdens on."

Jones, "We just have to come up with a plan to start taking some of these building down so we don't run into this problem going forward."

The demolition is only expected to take hours, but cleaning up the area is a different issue. Officials say it could be weeks before the site is completely cleared.

http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/551123/100-year-old-bu...

 

 LAKE ELSINORE: Water leak causes street collapse

 

10:00 PM PDT on Friday, July 22, 2011

By GENE GHIOTTO
The Press-Enterprise

Temporary repairs to a section of Joy Street in Lake Elsinore are in place today after a 1-inch water line gave way, causing 80 feet of the roadway to collapse and the asphalt to buckle.

The leak, caused by a 6 to 8-inch diameter tree root, was reported late Thursday in a line that leads to several duplexes on Joy between Machado Street and Riverside Drive, and behind Machado Elementary School.

Water service was restored to the 34 customers early Friday morning, said Greg Morrison, spokesman for the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.

Water district and contractor crews spent much of Friday removing the damaged asphalt on the southbound side of Joy and laying down a temporary patch. The road was opened in both directions by late afternoon.

"That way the road will be open completely for the entire weekend," Morrison said.

Crews will return Monday and trench from curb to curb to permanently repair the 1-inch line.

On Tuesday, a paving company will remove the patch, put down new base and repave one side of Joy, Morrison said. Work on the other side will take place on Wednesday.

"That way on Tuesday and Wednesday we'll be able to keep on

 

http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_spipe23.38e27e6...

Windhorst, Parsons Roadway Collapse: Cautious Testing Continues

County workers are testing for sinkholes but the work is proceeding methodically because of utility lines at the intersection, according to a Hillsborough County spokesman.

Several lanes at the intersection of Windhorst Road and Parsons Avenue in Brandon remained closed for the indefinite future as county workers tread carefully in determining what caused a section of the roadway to collapse July 19.

“We have to be really careful at that intersection because there are lots of utility lines in the area,” said Hillsborough County spokesman Patrick Murray. "We have a sewer line and a water line there and we have to make sure there are no other utilities, so we have to be careful drilling.”

At the scene, late afternoon July 22, barricades were seen at the intersection, with drilling under way.

Crew workers first believed a 16-inch sewage pipeline beneath the intersection might have caused the collapse of the 6-foot-square section of roadway on July 19, according to a county report.

But the sewer line was dug up and found to be intact.  Now the county is testing the intersection for sinkholes — but carefully, as Murray noted.  

Additional detours and lane closures are possible as crews dig up the line for inspection and any necessary repairs.

Motorists who must travel through the intersection are warned to expect delays.

http://brandon.patch.com/articles/windhorst-parsons-roadway-collaps...

Sewer collapse closes part of Lexington Road

At least one eastbound lane of Road near Etley Avenue and Cave Hill Cemetery will be closed during Thursday morning’s rush hour after a 48-inch brick sewer collapsed Wednesday evening.

Crews noticed a depression in the road before discovering the sewer had collapsed, and the area will be excavated Thursday morning, said Metropolitan Sewer District Executive   Bud Schardein.

He said it was too early to tell what caused the collapse, but age was a likely factor. That part of the sewer was built in the 1880s and could have been weakened from an unusually wet spring.

“With all the wet weather we’ve had this past spring, that has a tendency to undermine the mortar,” Schardein said.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110720/NEWS01/307200099/Se...

 

Road collapse might have killed Colorado family

Rebecca Martinez (2011-07-20)

CARBON COUNTY (wpr) - Engineers say a large section of Wyoming highway where four Colorado family members plunged to their deaths might have totally collapsed in a matter of minutes.

It had been raining for hours Monday night when local authorities warned the Constantinides family, among others, about potential flood conditions near North Brush Creek Campground around midnight.

Not long afterward, the family's van drove into a washed-out portion of Wyoming highway 130 and was swept about 75 yards down Brush Creek. Laurel Constantindies and her three daughters died.

The husband and father, Alex Constantindies, who had grown up in Laramie, survived and escape the vehicle. He and a passerby later rescued Carbon County Emergency management Coordinator John Ziegler, whose car washed out while he was trying to assist in flood protection efforts.

Ziegler said he was "very fortunate" to have survived.

Bruce Burrows of the Wyoming Transportation Department says engineers are studying what happened to the roadway early Tuesday morning. He says preliminary assessments indicate the creek swollen with rain and snowmelt may have undermined the roadway over some hours and then gouged a 25-foot-wide, 9-foot-deep hole in a matter of minutes.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wpr/news.newsmain/article/1/0/183...

Yunnan road test the opening day collapse resulting in four deaths and injuries

8, Yunnan” in the history of the most short-lived highway “a serious collapse destroyed sections of the site. After investigation, the highway there in time duration and other issues. Xinhua News Agency reporters Chen Hai and Ning She

Recently, Yunnan Province, Internet users post, said the new Xinping county secondary road test three estuary opening day collapse occurs, resulting in 2 dead 2 injured. Internet users have questioned this “the most short-lived highway” Why just fix it collapsed, was “too much rain” or “bad way”?

After the incident, Yunnan Provincial Department and the Transportation Department were dispatched to investigate a group of experts, the group that really belongs to all “natural disasters caused by heavy rainfall.”

collapse of the vehicle crash on

recently, Internet users “pass,” said Post, June 27, Xinping County of Yuxi City, three city secondary road test the opening of the estuary collapse occurred the next day, resulting in a vehicle passing through here turn under the cliff, killing two people died inside the car and two others injured, highway interrupted. For the cause of the accident, the local government is a single point of heavy rain caused by a natural disaster.

7 8, correspondent along the new road to the scene three, the road there are construction workers on the highway guardrail, drainage and other construction, from time to time some sections of earth and rock rolled down from the hills.

close to the scene of the accident, the construction set up roadblocks on the road side. In the new three road K25 +450 to K26 +480 road, the reporter saw a total of three road damage, including two collapsed, a surface crack. Road accident at the hillside, two-way four-lane have collapsed, a lot of rocks, soil and concrete was rushed into the street of the valley.

“red water collapsed roadbed”

Zhang Xinping County Department of Transportation Secretary BU has introduced three new roads through villages and towns in Xinping County 8 19 village committees, with a total mileage of 90 kilometers . Road along the fragile geology, disasters, floods and geological disasters have been more serious.

accidents mainly due to heavy rains led to a single point of soft roadbed, road ditches and culverts to be above the blockage, and finally the formation of water as a waterfall of impact, resulting in collapse of highway roadbed.

Bu there are rules that highway design, construction and supervision units are selected strictly in accordance with the bidding system, procedural compliance and found no serious design flaws, quality of construction or supervision of omissions.

collapse occurred Sections of the construction unit project manager Jiangzu Long introduction, the unit will subcontract work to the successful construction services company, the project head of engineering equipment and materials, and is responsible for management and technical guidance, service company only the labor force, which is not labor sub-subcontract, the state permitted by law.

he said, in strict accordance with design drawings for construction, engineering, quality is no problem, Lu Jisong soft infiltration and erosion is mainly caused by the floods.

no quality problems, experts say

afterwards, Yunnan Provincial Department and the Transportation Department were sent experts to the scene. The Group believes that: section of the incident transverse slope steep terrain, poor geological conditions, heavy rainfall increased the hydrostatic pressure, the formation of collapse, is a heavy rainfall-induced natural disasters.

Yunnan Provincial Communications Department who participated in the survey, experts say, from the survey of the situation, roadbed, retaining wall strength and so meet the requirements and found no quality problems.

subsidy investigation in time duration for the fight

accused of the most short-lived road not approved the first building, not the acceptance that the opening test

Reporter learned that the investigation, three new road opened in October 2009 to build, and design in May 2010 before the Provincial Communications Department has been approved, there is “not approved prior to construction” and “time duration” issue. Not hand over the road in case of acceptance of test traffic violations, and plans to be held on 30 June the opening ceremony, canceled after the accident.

construction personnel, three new road along the geological environment is complex, time is short, heavy task in building a post, Xinping shouted “make a big quick-drying 60 days,” the slogan of the progress of the projects Forced , post workers overtime work.

what makes engineering so catch it? Reporters learned that, in addition to travel to meet the requirements of the masses, more important reason is that for national road toll for the abolition of two grants. According to the policy, the new secondary roads shall be June 30 this year, opened to traffic, or can not enjoy the state’s two highway toll abolition of subsidies.

http://www.cnkeyword.info/yunnan-road-test-the-opening-day-collapse...

Details Emerge in Deadly Road Collapse

Cheyenne : WY : USA | Jul 20, 2011

 

Engineers say a large section of Wyoming highway where four Colorado family members plunged to their deaths may have totally collapsed in a matter of minutes. Bruce Burrows of the Wyoming Transportation Department says engineers are studying what happened to state Route 130 over South Brush Creek... FULL ARTICLE AT KSAZ

http://www.allvoices.com/news/9730810-details-emerge-in-deadly-road...

 

 

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/12/30/1874965/section-of-weraco...

 Friday, Dec. 30, 2011 Section of Weracoba Creek wall collapses; city working on repairs An 80-fooot section of the retaining wall siding Weracoba Creek on Cherokee Avenue has collapsed, but contractors are working on repairing the section before it threatens the roadway, according to the city’s engineering department.Farhad AliFarhani, design engineer for the city, said the city has not received an estimate for the work. The collapsed section is near another approximately 80-foot section that collapsed five or six years ago, AliFarhani said. The city monitors the aging walls of the creek, but sometimes cavities develop behind it and sections can fall in with no warning, he said.“This wall has been in there for years,” he said. “Now this wall has reached its limit in age and is gradually falling in. We inspect it and if we see something wrong before anything happens, we replace it. But sometimes due to unseen circumstances, they cave in.” If the collapse were left unrepaired, it could possibly threaten the stability of the roadway, AliFarhani said. But as long as it is repaired promptly, there should be no threat to the road.“We’re working to take care of this as quickly as possible,” he said.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Arima road collapses

Wednesday, December 28 2011

http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,152833.html

Members of the public using the Blanchisseuse Road in Arima will have to seek an alternative route as a road collapsed near Morne La Croix on Monday evening.

MP for the area Rodger Samuel said he believes the collapse was due to a leaking WASA pipe. He said an engineer from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure visited the area and noted that a 40 metre retaining wall will have to be built in order to “hold the road up”.

“The ministry of works would now be responsible for the road. In the meantime, if anyone has to get to the North Coast, they would have to pass through Maracas,” he said.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-12/21/content_14300349.htm

Factory building collapse kills 2 in N China

TAIYUAN - A cement factory building under construction collapsed Tuesday night in the northern province of Shanxi, leaving two dead and five others injured, local authorities said Wednesday.

The accident occurred at about 8:30 pm in the Xingyuan Cement Plant in Xiangfen county, sources with the fire brigade in Linfen city, which administers the county, said.

When the building collapsed, seven construction workers were atop the building. They fell and were trapped under a mass of iron bars, scaffolds and wood boards.

By 3:30 am, rescuers had pulled out five workers from the debris, and they were sent to a nearby hospital.

About three hours later, rescuers retrieved another two workers, who were pronounced dead at the scene, rescuers said.

An investigation into the accident is under way.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Dangerous Collapse at the City of David

http://settlementwatcheastjerusalem.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/cityof...

26/12/11

The Jerusalem Municipality closed the Mosque in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan today. No, it is not because of political reasons; it is because of a serious concerned to the public’s safety. There was a dangerous collapse at an archeological site underneath the building, and the Municipality wanted to make sure that nobody would get hurt. The works surrounding the collapse might take a few days before the mosque and the kindergarten (in it) will be reopened.

The Israeli Antiquities Authority has been conducting large scale excavations in Silwan, and has opened tunnels underneath the houses and the roads of Silwan. Hundreds of visitors walk through those tunnels every day to see the archeological site of the City of David, while above their heads thousands of Palestinians live their day to day lives.

It is not the first time that there has been a collapse in Silwan, at the Antiquities Authority’s excavations. On March 2010, at the same tunnel, another collapse occurred and the “Dangerous Buildings Department” of the Jerusalem Municipality opened an investigation. Around May 2009 there was also a collapse at a plaza near a school in Silwan under which there was an intensive excavation. The Municipality, again, opened an investigation. Also earlier in 2009 the stairs leading up the hill in Silwan collapsed, after a new excavation started under it.

The Jerusalem Municipality always acts after a collapse occurs. When we inquired whether the excavations had a construction permit, the Municipality explained that archeological excavations does not require any such permit. The meaning is that there is no inspection by the Municipality over the works that are done underneath the homes of hundreds of residents in Silwan. The Antiquities Authority, together with Elad Association (which is funding and initiating most of the excavations in Silwan) and the National Parks Authority are the ones in charge of the diggings.

Luckily today nobody was harmed at the City of David site. When I arrived, I saw a group of children and adults at the entrance to the compound. Usually, the route of their tour would go through the tunnel. Had they passed there few minutes before, at the moment of the collapse – there might have been a disaster. Had the collapse led to the collapse of the kindergarten in the Mosque on top of the tunnel, there might also have been a tragedy. In this, perhaps there is equality.

A group at the entrance to the compound not far from the tunnel

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Factory building collapse kills 2 in N China

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-12/21/content_14300179.htm

Updated: 2011-12-21 13:30

TAIYUAN - A cement factory building under construction collapsed Tuesday night in the northern province of Shanxi, leaving two dead and five others injured, local authorities said Wednesday.

The accident occurred at about 8:30 pm in the Xingyuan Cement Plant in Xiangfen county sources with the fire brigade in Linfen city, which administers the county, said.

When the building collapsed, seven construction workers were atop the building. They fell and were trapped under a mass of iron bars, scaffolds and wood boards.

By 3:30 am, rescuers had pulled out five workers from the debris, and they were sent to a nearby hospital.

About three hours later, rescuers retrieved another two workers, who were pronounced dead at the scene, rescuers said.

An investigation into the accident is under way.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2011/12/21/abandoned-building-collap...

ERIC SHELTON | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT Assistant City Engineer David Atkins, right, and Public Works Supervisor Robbie Dollar review the scene of a collapsed building on the corner of Homochitto Street and Duncan Avenue after an abandoned building collapsed Tuesday afternoon.

Abandoned building collapses

NATCHEZ — It had stood through years of storms, stress and neglect, but Tuesday afternoon the abandoned building at the corner of Homochitto Street and Duncan Avenue could stand no more.

Bystanders said the building began to emit a creaking noise before suddenly collapsing and falling into the street. The collapse happened during the 3 p.m. hour.

Natchez Public Works Director Robbie Dollar said the priority Tuesday was clearing the piles of busted bricks and moldering wood out of the roadway.

“We are just trying to open the streets and keep everything safe,” he said.

The building has been derelict for some time, and already appeared structurally unsound at the time of the collapse. For several years the structure has had a large hole in one of its walls.

Who was ultimately responsible for the building’s upkeep is a mystery at the moment, Dollar said.

“At this point, we do not know who owns it,” he said.

“It has been abandoned for many years.”

Finding out that information is going to be a priority, however.

“Tomorrow, we will find out who owns it,” Dollar said.

Alderman Dan Dillard said the city planning department has gone through a process of determining unsafe buildings, and he thought the building was on the list.

City Planner Bob Nix could not be reached for comment.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

1 dies in Tezpur porch collapse

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111225/jsp/frontpage/story_14925290.jsp

Tezpur, Dec. 24: A labourer from Boko in Kamrup district was killed and 14 were injured after the porch of an under-construction hotel building collapsed on Saturday evening near this town in Assam’s Sonitpur district.

Sonitpur deputy commissioner Tapan Chandra Sarma said one person had died in the the collapse, that occurred around 6pm. The hotel is 1.5km from Mission Chariali, which is 6km from this town.

“There were around 20 labourers, of whom one has died and 14 have been hospitalised. We have completed rescue operations, which were supported by army and police personnel. Police have started investigations,” Sarmah told The Telegraph.

Sonitpur superintendent of police A.P. Tewari said a probe had begun but preliminary investigations suggested that there was a mismatch between the support and load of the 20-foot by 30-foot porch that collapsed.

“Rescue operations were completed within half-an-hour. Five of the injured have been hospitalised but everybody is out of danger. We have registered a complaint but there is hardly anybody to talk to at the site. They seemed to have left the scene after the porch collapsed,” he added.

“Rescuers are using heavy equipment to sift through a pile of debris in search of anyone else who might have been trapped. The deceased labourer has been identified as Ayub Khan from Boko,” DSP (headquarters) Abdul Kadir Arif said.

Abdul Kalam, one of the injured labourers, who is undergoing treatment at Kanaklata civil hospital, said the porch collapsed because of the inferior quality of material used to build the hotel.

Anup Bhatta, superintendent of the hospital, said nine labourers had been released after being giving first aid while six had been admitted to the hospital. The condition of the six was stable, he added.

Sources said Himatsingka Pvt Ltd was constructing the the three-star hotel at the site for the past few years. “Last year, a fire broke out at the same hotel in which one labourer died and a few others were injured,” one of the sources said.

Three Mrityunjoy 108 ambulances from Tezpur town, Pachmile and Chariduar were rushed to the spot and several injured persons were taken to Kanaklata civil hospital at Tezpur, nearly 7km from the spot.

Three other army ambulances have also been pressed into service. The residents of the area also took some injured persons to hospital in private ambulances.

“Two JCBs were pressed into service by the Sonitpur district administration and army personnel and local people are also rescuing the people trapped under the debris,” the operations executive of Mrityunjoy 108 ambulance services in Sonitpur district, Ananta Saharia, told this correspondent from the spot.

No one from the Himatsingka Group could be contacted. Consultant engineer J.I. Khataniar said there were three factors that needed to be looked into an RCC building collapse — structural design and analysis, quality compliance of materials and workmanship.

“Public buildings have to be constructed under the provisions of the National Building Code of India,” he said. The NBC, a comprehensive building code, is a national instrument providing guidelines for regulating the building construction activities across the country.

The main idea behind the NBC is inclusion of a complete philosophy and direction for successfully accomplishing t

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://carrollgardens.patch.com/articles/photos-partial-building-co...

PHOTOS: Partial Building Collapse in Red Hook

Department of Environmental Protection sewer project undermines building, causes collapse

View of the collapse from Columbia St. and Degraw St. Credit Peter Saalfield

Photos

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8393853/man-trapped-beneath-two...

Man trapped under two collapsed walls

A construction worker is in a serious condition in Melbourne after two brick walls collapsed on top of him at a building site.

It is believed a 3m-high brick wall fell on the 42-year-old and then knocked into another wall, causing it to collapse as well.

The man was crushed beneath their combined weight.

Paramedics arrived in Caulfield North to find the man being helped by his workmates.

"Between us and his colleagues, it took 30 minutes to remove the bricks and free the man," said intensive care paramedic Rowan Harman.

"The 42-year-old suffered a fractured pelvis, fractured right leg, fractured ribs, a suspected collapsed lung and broken fingers."

He was taken to The Alfred Hospital in a serious condition.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/vijayawada/g...

Girl student dies in classroom collapse

• December 24, 2011

A 11-year-old girl student died of head injuries on Friday in Macherla town of Guntur district when sidewall of the school classroom collapsed on her as she was sitting in the classroom with another 60 students.

A 11-year-old girl student died of head injuries on Friday in Macherla town of Guntur district when sidewall of the school classroom collapsed on her as she was sitting in the classroom with another 60 students.

According to Macharla circle-inspector, Mr Mural-ikrishna, T. Priyanka, 11, daughter of T. Venka-teswara Reddy and Seet-amma was studying sixth class in the Vikas English Medium School located in the Little Flower School premises near the railway station road in Macharla.

The girl hails from Kotturu village of Macharla mandal and has been staying in the Little Flower hostel and studying in Vikas English Medium School. Both schools are covered with asbestos.

Two other students Konda Lingaraju and Mutyala Kameswari were slightly injured in the mishap. The parents and local residents alleged that negligence of the school management was responsible for the death of the girl. Though the education department denied permission to the Vikas English Medium School, it was being run with the support of Little Flower School.

Priyanaka is the only daughter of the couple. The girl along with other children attended a programme conducted by NGO in the classroom and died within minutes. The government hospital doctors declared she was brought dead.

The deputy district educational officer Ms Vijaya-lakshmi Bai inspected the school and ordered for cancellation of registration. She also recommended that criminal case be booked on the school management for gross negligence. The police said the school management erased the blood stains to hush up the clues and left after locking it.

Media persons were also denied entry into the school. MLA Mr P Ramakrishna Reddy consoled the parents of the girl.

The local residents said it is the second time that an accident occurred in the Little Flower School questioned why the education department is giving recognition and permission to run classes with poor construction and facilities.

Mandal education officer Mr Kamalakar Rao said they came to knew about the existence of the school only on Friday after the mishap occurred.