Hanger collapse, enough with the snow already!

[Mitchell Andrus]

OK, OK.... We get it. You can squish us like a bug. Could you let us get the expensive toys outta the way first?


From AOPA's newsletter:

The first of two winter blasts on Feb. 6 collapsed the roofs of three hangars next to Dulles Jet Center at Dulles International Airport. Jets inside appeared to be in rotation for liftoff after the building collapsed on their tails.
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[Baxter Smith]

Several roofs in the area including the entire roof of a local elementary school cafeteria have collapsed this week. Luckily school was cancelled that day.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I had a warehouse building quote from a company back east one time, and it came back suprisingly low. I was asking questions, and when they found out that I live in Nebraska, the price nearly doubled. The roof load requirements where so much higher out here. I wonder how many of those buildings where built, never expecting a real snow storm.

[Dennis Peacock]

Ouch..!!! That's going to be expensive to fix. :eek:

[Curt Harms]

Ouch..!!! That's going to be expensive to fix. :eek:

If it's JUST the tails it may not be TOO bad as Gulfstream & Hawker parts & labor go. The real kicker comes if the structure where the engines attach is damaged. I'd still not like to be their insurance carrier.

[Al Wasser]

I did a career in natural resource management. If there is one thing you learn it is that the forces of mother nature are awesome. Some are subtle like a drought and others are in your face like hurricanes and major snow or rain events. If all that snow gets rain on it the flooding will be very serious.

[Art Mulder]

So I'm a bit puzzled. These are professionally managed buildings. And I would therefore think that the building/property manager would KNOW what the snow loads are (or should have at least looked it up this week, given the weather) for their buildings, and have taken some action to mitigate things. Did the snow really dump that fast? :confused:

[Mike Wilkins]

HBO Sports recently did a segment on the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys training facility, in which there were several severe injuries. Including putting one of their coaches in a wheelchair. Traced the problem to the construction of a similar building and the questionable load ratings. The attorneys are lined up with paperwork in hand.

[Curt Harms]

So I'm a bit puzzled. These are professionally managed buildings. And I would therefore think that the building/property manager would KNOW what the snow loads are (or should have at least looked it up this week, given the weather) for their buildings, and have taken some action to mitigate things. Did the snow really dump that fast? :confused:

It's unusual to get anywhere near these snow loads in that part of the world. They probably should have known but it wouldn't be surprising if they didn't. Given the hot air generated in D.C., you KNOW there was some snow to have that much accumulation:D.

[Mitchell Andrus]

So I'm a bit puzzled. These are professionally managed buildings. And I would therefore think that the building/property manager would KNOW what the snow loads are (or should have at least looked it up this week, given the weather) for their buildings, and have taken some action to mitigate things. Did the snow really dump that fast? :confused:

2 wet, heavy snowfalls within a week. I have a feeling the building was over-insulated or the heat just wasn't cranked high enough. Snow sat and didn't leave between events, this makes a 70 year snowfall build on a 40 year snowfall... too much.

Let the lawsuits begin.
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[Jim Becker]

Ouch...that was an expensive snow storm!

[Curt Harms]

I subscribe to an Email newsletter. I just noticed this:

Dulles Jet Center Vows To Rebuild
Dulles Jet Center–which is now closed after three of its four 40,000-sq-ft hangars collapsed on February 6, succumbing to the weight of more than 32 inches of snow–plans to rebuild at its site on the west side of Washington Dulles International Airport. David Landow, who owns the facility along with his father Nathan and brother Michael, told AIN, “We are presently closed for all business [hangar and ramp] while repairs are made to Hangar D and the Flight Services Building [terminal building] and while plans for the reconstruction of the damaged hangars are prepared. We will reopen in phases, but no estimate yet on when that will start to occur.” The roofs of Hangars A, B, and C collapsed completely, while Hangar D suffered structural damage but remains standing. No Dulles Jet Center personnel were injured in the mishap, but 14 business jets–Gulfstreams, Bombardier Globals and Dassault Falcons–were crushed by structural beams. According to industry sources, all of the damaged aircraft are write-offs, with damages for the jets estimated at more than $300 million. Nathan Landow wasn’t able to put a dollar figure on the damage to the facility itself, but when the 160,000-sq-ft hangar complex opened in late 2006 it was estimated to have cost $60 million to build.


I'd say that's expensive!

[Craig Summers]

How much ya wanna bet they will add snow melting equipment to the roofs of the new hangars? :cool:

Luckily no one was hurt.

[Jim Mattheiss]

Somewhere I have a photograph (pre-digital) of a Firetruck in a similar position. The roof on the relatively new Belvedere NJ firehouse collapsed in a snow storm.

The legal battle between the township/contractor/engineer was just beginning when we happened by weeks later. They hadn't touched ANYTHING yet.

That snow is heavy stuff when wet . . .

Jim

[Craig Summers]

I was just reading one report (http://www.thekathrynreport.com/2010/02/dulles-airport-hangar-roof-collapse.html) that they brought in a local forensic engineer


Allyn Kilsheimer, founder of KCE Structural Engineers in Washington, D.C., has assessed the damage at the center. He said nearly 20 jets were in the facility at the time of the cave in, and that some planes looked to be complete losses. To get the planes out, he said work will start later this month to "deconstruct" the center. He said he had no estimates yet on much it will cost to rebuild the facility.

In addition, since some jets had already left the area for Miami, Kilsheimer said the damage could have been worse.

"Lucky it was the Super Bowl weekend," he said. "Because there could have been even more planes in there."

Allyn was one of the principal forensic engineers of the ill fated Kansas City skywalk collapse, and is known for taking on the tough engineering jobs around DC. His normal design engineering drawings include architectural renderings of how the Steel structure interfaces with other parts.

Also, the liability is primarily with the design engineer of record (until death), as long as the steel fabricator followed his design. If the steel fabricator changes it, or gets another engineer to stamp thier shop drawings, then the fabricator is part of the suit. Which happened in the Kansas city incident.

I'm wondering if the beams or connections gave way first. Looks like an interesting corrugated design of the beams, like a modified pre-engineered building design.