Harbor Cay condominium collapse
The Harbour Cay Condominium was a five-story flat plate residential development project in Cocoa Beach (Brevard County, Florida, United States) that collapsed during construction on March 27, 1981. Eleven workers were killed and 27 injured.[2]
| Date | March 27, 1981 |
|---|---|
| Location |
|
| Coordinates | 28°20′46″N 80°36′39″W |
| Cause | Errors in design and construction |
| Deaths | 11 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 27 |
| Harbour Cay Condominium | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Construction started | 1980 |
| Construction stopped | 1981 |
| Height | 18.5 m[1] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 |
| Design and construction | |
| Developer | Univel Corporation |
The building, being constructed by the Univel Corporation of Cocoa Beach, collapsed as workers were completing its framework by pouring concrete for the roof.[3] The accident led to more rigorous enforcement of engineering and construction codes in Florida and elsewhere.
Cause
The collapse was due to numerous errors in design and construction. The concrete slabs were only 8 inches (200 mm) thick and should have been 11 inches (280 mm) thick to satisfy the American Concrete Institute's Building Code minimum. The plastic chair spacers used to support the slab steel were 4+1⁄4 inches (110 mm) high (not high enough to match the design intent), which coupled with the thin slabs led to a very small effective depth.[2] Other design and construction errors, omissions, and deficiencies are identified in the Department of Commerce report, including issues with reshores and missing design checks for punching shear.
Department of Commerce report stated “The analysis showed that shear stresses in the slab at many column locations on the fifth floor exceeded the nominal shear strength. Thus, punching shear failure at one of the columns precipitated a progressive failure of the slab throughout the entire fifth floor.”
Charges
Two engineers, an architect, and two contractors were charged with negligence, misconduct and failing to conform to state and local building laws. Both of the engineers surrendered their license to practice engineering in the state of Florida, paid fines, and promised to never practice in Florida again; litigation against the architect and contractors continued.[4] According to Mike Thomas of the Orlando Sentinel on April 20, 1997, the local contractor, Univel, folded almost immediately. The senior developer, and the real money behind the project, contractor Towne Realty out of Milwaukee, agreed to a settlement out of court to avoid litigation. They have continued to develop properties to this day.
Actions
Florida Threshold Inspector requirements were enacted after the collapse. [5]
See also
References
- "Harbour Cay". Archived from the original on July 9, 2021.
- Delatte, Norbert, P.E., Ph.D., Assistant Professor (July 2003). "Harbour Cay Condominium, Florida". Case Studies in Failures and Ethics for Engineering Educators. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Archived from the original (html) on 2008-01-07. Retrieved 5 March 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Montgomery, Paul (March 29, 1981). "Two still missing in condominium collapse". New York Times.
- "Engineer in Building Collapse Gives Up His Florida License". New York Times. September 18, 1981.
- ""The Threshold Question on Threshold Inspections: To Whom Does the Threshold Inspector Owe a Duty?," ActionLine | Becker". 13 October 2020.
- Lew, H.W. (1982). Investigation of construction failure of Harbour Cay Condominium in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards.