Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2013
Publication Title
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Abstract
On March 2, 1973, the Skyline Plaza apartment building in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia collapsed while under construction. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requested an investigation from the National Bureau of Standards [(NBS); now the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)]. The NBS team concluded that the most likely cause of the collapse was a punching shear failure of the 23rd floor slab. The two factors that contributed to this were premature removal of shores below the 23rd floor slab, and the low strength of the 23rd floor concrete in the area supporting the weight of the 24th floor slab. The engineer’s structural drawings required 2 full stories of shoring and 1 story of reshoring while a concrete slab was cast. The project architect and structural engineer were sued and held responsible, although their specific shoring instructions had been ignored. This case study reviews the available published information on the case to determine what lessons can be learned. The case is suitable for inclusion in variety of courses in the civil engineering and construction curriculum.
Recommended Citation
Schellhammer, J., Delatte, N., and Bosela, P. (2013). "Another Look at the Collapse of Skyline Plaza at Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia." J.Perform.Constr.Facil., 27(3), 354-361.
DOI
10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0000333
Version
Postprint
Publisher's Statement
© ASCE
Volume
27
Issue
3
Comments
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0919487. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.