Yet another balcony collapse
Yet another balcony collapse
(OP)
See the link below as the original one was updated.
If you click on picture and zoom you can see that it just looks like the frame of the balcony was just bolted into the skin of the building.
Reports that 18 people were on the balcony when it collapsed. Any French speakers might be able to get more info?
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If you click on picture and zoom you can see that it just looks like the frame of the balcony was just bolted into the skin of the building.
Reports that 18 people were on the balcony when it collapsed. Any French speakers might be able to get more info?
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.





RE: Yet another balcony collapse
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/16/balc...
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
Where did you see an indication of reinforcement in the concrete? I can't even tell from the picture whether the balcony was concrete or not.
It looks like whatever the construction of the balcony slab, it was essentially a "cantilever" with a pinned connection at the building. The rods, anchors, whatever...just pulled cleanly out, or corroded away at the face of the wall...hard to tell from the picture.
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
With 18 people on that little thing you wouldn't need any corrosion. I don't see how you could fit 18 people on that.
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
There are short stubs of something which I assumed was reinforcement wire protruding from the wall where the upper balcony was attached. There are no such little wires on the lower balconies. I'm still not 100% convinced whether this wall is brick or concrete, but the fractured parts look like concrete. There's a reason why I'm not structural!
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
You may be correct about those wires. But they seem to be just from the bottom, which wouldn't be helping much anyway. The top is in tension.
My guess is that the wall is concrete, and the balcony was concrete. The balconies were built last, not with the internal floor. How they were attached is...poorly. Maybe drilled in anchors, which were assumed to do a lot more than they did. And no keying into the wall for shear.
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
Live through the advert and then about 1:30 into the video they have close up of the failed sections.
There appears to be a very thin single mesh holding it all together. Looks like the standard water in behind the slab joint rusting the mesh.
Reminds me yet again that I have never like balconies where I can't see the connection braces.
Also don't go out there with lots of people on it.
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RE: Yet another balcony collapse
Thanks LittleInch.
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
This was just a failure waiting to happen that was driven by Architecture... again.
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
--
JHG
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
RE: "driven by architecture"... I'm not a structural guy, nor do I really care about defending architects. But just from the "little I know of concrete and steel" standpoint, that structure seemed woefully inadequate; regardless of complications from moisture. No?
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
Always slope balconies away from the building.
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
Seriously, 18 people?
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
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RE: Yet another balcony collapse
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
I'd suggest that if a balcony will hold 18 people, not designing it for 6.
Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services
http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
The balcony which collapsed was bigger than the ones just to the right in the main photo, but about 5m wide by about 1m deep. you can easily get 18 people on something that big. See photo below - the one is similar to the balcony two over.
I read somewhere else they balcony was designed for double the weight of the number of people on it, though I suspect that was based on a UDL. Hence the issue with, I imagine, most people actually standing/ leaning against the outside railing( the hyatt regency effect mentioned above) producing higher loads on the joint. Add in potential for dancing and its a recipe for disaster, especially with such a poor joint design.
The smaller balconies do actually look like they have "drooped" and water marks visible on the outer edge....
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RE: Yet another balcony collapse
RE: Yet another balcony collapse
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RE: Yet another balcony collapse
And see if you can get a structural drawing.....
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Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.