Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
(OP)
Anyone know what kind of structure this was? Not much detail, except that it apparently had a "green roof".
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2015/05/1-person-trap...
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2015/05/1-person-trap...





RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
I was there back in late 2001 whilst it was (had) gone through PT repairs due to corrosion. It is a flat plate structure with rectangular columns. Not sure if corrosion of tendons has plagued the structure over the last 10-15 years.
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
B2 and GR level parking repairs cost projections in 1999 $ exceeded $3M for tendon repairs.
There is an adjacent apartment/condo building too. I think it was framed with similar construction.
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
Looked like some significant landscaping was being undertaken on the upper 'green' level at the time of collapse.
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
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RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
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RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/68efdca819741a3355...
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
"We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us." -WSC
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
By way of follow up on cause, this from Washington Post: Link
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
For a parking structure - assuming a 50 psf live load - with a 1.6 safety factor over a 0.75 phi factor for shear - only about 107 psf ultimate capacity.
For general over-design in shear (engineer's fudge factor of say 1.3) we get a "fall down" capacity of 140 psf.
That only equates to about 21 inches of dirt loosely laid at 80 pcf.
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RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
JAE, I think the level which fell first, and pancaked onto the next, was always a landscaped roof.
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
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RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
Source: Link
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
I wonder what depth of soil/moisture they originally designed it for?
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RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
Indeed. And a large CAT excavator to the top-middle of photo too.
RE: Collapse of carparking structure, Watergate, DC
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