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Hyatt Regency Civl Failures Presentation

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8 views

Hyatt Regency Civl Failures Presentation

Uploaded by

abubakertaha123
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Civil Failure

Hyatt Regency
Walkway Collapse
By Taha, JV, Ian, Cyrus
What Will We Talk About

Introduction To The Incident What was the incident?

What Caused It How did such an incident happen?

The Aftermath What were the ramifications of the incident?

The Solutions What could have been done to fix it?


Civil Failures

01

Introduction
Cyrus
Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse
● The Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse was a
catastrophic civil failure that occurred on July 17 th,
1981, in Kansas City. As the name suggests, two
overhead walkways collapsed within the Hyatt
Regency which caused the deaths of 114 people
and left 216 people injured. The sheer number of
casualties was due to the fact there was a
gathering of 1,600 people for a tea dance

● This event was a tragic example of what civil


failures can do and the consequences they can
have on the lives of others.

● The immediate effects were clear, but the later


ramifications would cripple and hurt the
community surrounding the event.
Civil Failures

02

What Caused It
Taha
How Did This Happen
Mistakes Made:

● In the making of the Hyatt Regency Walkways


numerous crucial mistakes were made that led to
an ultimate consequence.

● One key point that led to this collapse was the


change made to the design of the walkways as
originally one set of rods was made for one
walkway, but another walkway was added below
that making the rod carry double the load it was
supposed to.

● These rods would later break during the collapse


due to the fact they were not designed to hold that
much. This also applied to the connections
between them.

● This design was also not properly communicated A detailed look at the original design
between all parties involved otherwise this could compared the change one.
have been prevented.
How Did This Happen

● This change was made to save costs on the


construction. Not only that but they had also sped
up the construction which cause other problems to
arise, and huge problems to be overlooked.

Summary of the Cause:

● The walkway collapsed was cause by people trying


to rush and save money on the construction on the
building that led to major changes being made,
causing numerous structural problems to arise
ultimately allowing for the failure to happen.
Civil Failures

03
The
Ramifications
JV
1. Loss of Life

 Deaths: 114 people died in the


collapse, making it one of the deadliest
structural failures in U.S. history.
 Injuries: Over 200 individuals
sustained injuries, many of them
severe, resulting in long-term physical
disabilities for survivors.
 Families: The loss devastated
countless families, leaving emotional
scars and financial hardships for
dependents of the deceased.
2. Community Impact

A. Infrastructure Damage

 The atrium of the hotel, a central event


space, was destroyed, reducing the
hotel's functionality and public
confidence in modern architectural
designs.
 The structural failure shook public
confidence in the safety of buildings,
particularly modern architectural
marvels with unique designs.
2. Community Impact
B. Socio-Economic Damage

Business Disruption:
 The Hyatt Regency, a key part of Kansas City’s
hospitality and convention industry, suffered
significant reputational damage. The hotel’s
operations were severely disrupted, impacting
tourism and local economic activity.
Economic Losses:
 The tragedy resulted in millions of dollars in lawsuits,
settlements, and reconstruction costs.
 Many local businesses and vendors who depended
on the hotel’s events for revenue were affected.
Healthcare Strain:
o Local hospitals faced a sudden influx of critically
injured patients, overwhelming emergency services.
o Long-term medical care for survivors created
financial burdens on families and healthcare
systems.
3. Legal and Industry Ramifications
Lawsuits and Settlements:
o Hundreds of lawsuits were filed against the engineering
firms, construction companies, and the hotel. The legal
proceedings brought intense scrutiny to professional
practices in architecture and construction.
o Settlements and judgments amounted to over $140
million (adjusted for inflation).

Regulatory Changes:
o Engineering standards and building codes were revised
nationwide to enforce stricter review processes for design
changes.
o Licensing requirements for engineers were tightened,
emphasizing accountability and ethics.

Education and Training:


o The disaster became a case study in engineering ethics
and structural design, influencing generations of
engineers.
Civil Failures

04

Solution
Ian
The Solution

The original design used continuous steel rods to


support the walkways, passing through the
atrium’s beams. This design aimed to ensure
stability and even load distribution. However,
during construction, changes were made. The
continuous rods were replaced with two sets of
shorter rods connected at the beam, creating a
joint that did not originally exist. The new design
required shorter rods to bear the load at the
connection points, which were not reinforced to
handle the increased stress. This change
significantly altered load distribution, placing
undue stress on the connections and beams. As a
result, the connections failed under the intended
weight.
The Solution

The hotel has since undergone various renovations


and refurbishments. A single walkway was re-
installed immediately after the disaster, but this
time supported by columns. Other than the third
floor now being left without a connecting walkway,
the lobby generally retains its original design. The
Hyatt Regency Hotel is now known as the Sheraton
at Crown Center.

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