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Building Collapse in South Dakota

Building Collapse in South Dakota

RE: Building Collapse in South Dakota

Hope they find the guy who got trapped :/

Wonder what caused the collapse? They were replacing architectural elements like ceiling tiles but didn't have structural submitals to do anything structural... With only two people trapped and no deaths there must not have been many people in the building either... No wind, earthquake? Mystery

RE: Building Collapse in South Dakota

(OP)
Conflicting information. The city says they had not received any submittals for structural demolition. The paper reports the previous owner saying the construction crews were taking out a brick wall and replacing it with a 2x4 wood wall.

Anything is a guess at this point, but the longer this goes on the less chance the guy in there will survive. Temps around 30 there today.

RE: Building Collapse in South Dakota

Maybe non-load bearing wall?

RE: Building Collapse in South Dakota

"All I know is they were taking down the old brick wall and replacing it with a two-by-four wood wall,"

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RE: Building Collapse in South Dakota

(OP)
They just recovered the body of the construction worker that was trapped. Prayers to the family.

RE: Building Collapse in South Dakota

I know of a building in the next county. Typical 3-wythe brick constructed building. The old walls work without reinforcing because they are so heavy the wind never causes tension on the tension face of the wall. But the guy renovating the building simply tore out all two floors leaving the brace points at only the roof and foundation. I think he got into financial trouble and the city shut him down. I'm not sure if things have resumed or not. But I also heard he never got a demo permit. Obviously he was changing the unbraced length of the wall but to me what was more scare was only having some old rafters at the top which were probably just laid into the brick tying it all together.

I hope they find what caused the building to collapse so whatever mistake was made in South Dakota is repeated somewhere else.

Prayers to his wife and kid. Geesh just terrible.

John Southard, M.S., P.E.
https://www.pdhlibrary.com/

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