How tragic. You'd think these idiot club owners would have learned something about using indoor fireworks after the incident in Rhode Island a few years ago.
It certainly was a tragic disaster that is all too common in crowded facilities with pyrotechnics that are notoriously unpredictable and administered. It seems it was more of a administrative failure to allow functions and not a structural or professional problem.
From my experiences, Brazil (actually Brasil) is very progressive in engineering and general design parameters. The last time I was there to give a structural and architectural design one day seminar for a college for an estimated 300 attendees, there ended up being 500 with the extra 200 in a separate room watching on TV. Most were registered professionals and a good percentage were students. This was not is a major city (coastal about 500,000 population).
Later, I went to Sao Paulo, the largest city in the Americas, and saw the projects under construction and talked to the engineers, I was in awe at the quality and controls of the way to work with and owner/developer on large projects of 10 to 20 buildings of 10 to 22 stories and make sure they were guaranteed to be built properly and economically. The materials were pre-approved and identified (color coded) when produced and the inspection avoided the archaic "clean-outs" for masonry and they used remote TV cameras to periodically inspect the construction. All mortar was to a higher spec (the highest required for the entire project) since they used a single automated plant for the site and higher strengths than needed were not detrimental. All grout was centrally batched since grout strength was not critical and full grouting was not allowed since the engineers wanted to control the behavior and rigidity of the 20 story 6" loadbearing structures.
After talking to the engineers that designed the projects, I made the err of asking what codes they used. They said "We use your current codes, but we use them better" since they were trained using the basics of masonry design from Southern California from the 1960's and 1970's and the threads remain.
After looking at my photos weeks later, I saw many things that I did not appreciate then. I found a shot with an elevation of the plans color coded for the strength of the units that was posted on the over-sized prints used there, since they are done to insure that everyone can understand even if they cannot read.
It was an engineering experience, but when is comes to rock concerts and visual displays everything is possible and money talks everywhere.
Dick
Engineer and international traveler interested in construction techniques, problems and proper design.
Thanks, Dick... sorta my experience... but, based on limited exposure. They were right up there with concrete design, but, don't know what codes they used other than information from the ACI...
Its just sad and tragic either way. It just doesn't seem like a good idea to me to have pyrotechnics inside any crowded building. All kinds of thinks can send a crowd into a panic even if there isn't a fire. They should just use that kind of stuff at outdoor concerts. I'm trying to think of any other kind of show that uses pyrotechnics and for at least the moment I can only think of the music business.
Pyrotechnics aren't a big problem if you follow the IBC (I know, it's not REALLY international), since the fire protection provisions do not allow exposed foamed plastics (RI) or combustible building materials. But, just as happens here outside of jurisdiction, poorly-policed areas attract businesses that don't want to follow the rules voluntarily. This has been happening in night clubs since Coconut Grove in 1942, despite a tremendous improvement in the minimum standards. The problem here can also come up when "one-time" events, like raves, happen and there is no fire marshal or building official involved.
As structural engineers, we typically work for/with architects who deal with the FPE guys (a field in which I also have a degree and many years experience), making sure fire doesn't quickly spread beyond its origin and that adequate exits are available.
...one of the causes of death... from the BBC, "The US government is shipping emergency medical supplies to Brazil to treat survivors of the deadly nightclub fire that killed 236 people last week.
Many are suffering from exposure to cyanide gas released in the blaze, the Brazilian health ministry said.
Officials say 119 people remain hospitalized after the fire at the Kiss nightclub in southern Brazil. Brazilian doctors have said cyanide was among the toxic chemicals produced when fire consumed the soundproofing foam on the club's ceiling, contributing to the high number of fatalities.
Brazil's health ministry urgently requested 140 of the cyanide-treatment kits containing the medicine hydroxocobalamin, a health ministry spokeswoman said.
A source told Reuters the medicine, which is not available in Brazil, was due to arrive on a commercial flight Saturday morning and would be immediately dispatched to hospitals in and around the city of Santa Maria.
"These people are pretty sick," the source said. "The treatment has to get there pretty quick."
Also Friday, a judge in southern Brazil ordered 30 more days of detention for the owners of a nightclub and band members accused of starting the blaze with an outdoor flare that ignited overhead soundproofing.
The flammable synthetic foam caught fire and within minutes spread toxic fumes throughout the venue."
