Investigation of the Public Infrastructure Failure - Coursework Example

INVESTIGATION OF A PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE Name Professor Institution Course Date Structural failure in Sampoong Department Store collapse Introduction The collapse of the Sampoong Department Store which, took place on June 29 in the year 1995 resulted from a structural failure. The building was located in South Korea in the Seocho-gu district of Seoul. The structural failure that led to the collapse of this building is considered to be the one that has resulted in the largest disaster in the history of South Korea where there were 502 deaths and 937 deaths. The construction of the collapsed building took place in 1987 over a piece of land whose previous use was a landfill. The initial design of the building was a five floor residential apartment but was later changed to become a large store. The completion of the building took place in 1989 and its operation began in 1990 where it attracted about 40,000 users daily (Coppola, 2011). Problems with the asset management system which led to the failure There were several problems associated with the system of asset management which led to the failure of the Sampoong Department Store. These included the emergence of cracks which were noticed in south wing’s ceiling in the fifth floor of the building. These cracks appeared in the Sampoong Department Store building in April 1995. However, there was not proper asset management to deal with the problem of emerging cracks. During the period when the cracks were witnessed, the system of asset management for the Sampoong Department Store building made limited and ineffective responses. This resulted in dramatic increase in the number cracks within the building to the extent that the managers were prompted to shut down the air conditioning system within the building. The upper most floors in the building was also closed and prevented from further usage (Cobin, 2001). The other problem associated with asset management system was the failure of the management to close down the entire building once the dramatic increase in the number of cracks was evident. The management failed to issues orders in relation formal evacuation from the building. This failure led to the creation of additional problems since there were so many people using the building every day. Other flaws in the asset management system that made significant contributions to the occurrence of the failure and eventual collapse included the poor foundation whose construction was done on top of a previous trash dump. There was also an addition of slabs of concrete against the design requirements. The structure of the roof was damaged following the relocation of the air conditioning unit. The failure also resulted from the use of salt in the concrete mixture. That mixture facilitated the deterioration of the steel components that were used in offering strength and support to the building thus exposing it to imminent collapse (Katō, Kawata and Pitman, 2006). Cost of the failure The structural failure which led to the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store was associated with several cost including safety, financial, as well as inconveniences among others. The financial cost associated with the failure was approximated at US $215 million including the property that was damaged. The other aspect of the cost of failure experienced during the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store was the loss of 502 lives while 937 individuals sustained various forms of injuries ranging from severe to minor injuries. The deaths and injuries experienced brought about cost in terms of safety and inconvenience (Cobin, 2001). Maintenance and monitoring routines for the asset prior to its failure There were several maintenance and monitoring activities that were performed on the Sampoong Department Store asset on routinely basis prior to its failure. This involved the occasional monitoring of the structure by the facility manager. Other monitoring operations were usually conducted by the security personnel who led to the identification of the emerging cracks. During a routinely monitoring exercise, the security personnel going round the building heard some strange sounds. Upon further monitoring and detailed investigation the personnel noticed certain cracks on some of the columns of the Sampoong Department Store building. There may be routine monitoring and maintenance operations carried out in the building prior to its failure but they would not be deemed adequate. The inadequacy came about because some of the maintenance and monitoring operations were not carried out on a regular basis as it ought to have been done. In addition, there were no serious repairs even when flaws and signs of failures were identified. For instance there were no meaningful repairs done on the building in relation to the cracks that were identified (Katō, Kawata and Pitman, 2006). Changes in environment that may have led to a failure It is suspected that changes in the environment around which the Sampoong Department Store building was standing may have also contributed to its failure. Building structures are generally made using a rigid steel structure covered by materials which are expected to protect it from adverse weather conditions. In this case, the Sampoong Department Store building was surrounded an environment that adversely affected the materials used in construction. Changes in the environment around the building interfered with the compression-resisting ability of the concrete covering the steel skeleton. Harsh environmental changes around the building also had significant contributions in bring about the failure when all other factors are considered. The adverse weather conditions led to the destruction and weakening of the steel skeleton and structure within the building and this led to the crushing of the building. The crushing involved the upper floors of the building descending slowly into debris (Coppola, 2011). Where the asset was within its life cycle at the time of failure The point at which the Sampoong Department Store was within its life cycle at the time it collapsed can be associated with the timeline of events that preceded its collapse. These timelines date back to the time at which the construction of the store was completed in 1989. One year later, the building became operational and it was opened to public use. Four years after the completion of its construction, the building was at the point of preventive maintenance within its life cycle. In this case, the preventive maintenance involved the repositioning of the three units of air conditioners within the floors of the building where they were installed on rollers that were later placed on top of the roof. The preventive maintenance stage within the building’s lifecycle also involved the forcing down of the main columns that were used in offering support to the building structure. Two years later, the Sampoong Department Store building was at the point of repair maintenance within its life cycle. This stage involved attending to cracks that were sustained by the building on the columns at the fifth floor. It is at this stage of the Sampoong Department Store’s life cycle that it experienced failure (Cobin, 2001). Past rehabilitation work that had been done on the asset Professionals and experts in the civil engineering industry inspected the structure of the building and raised concerns in relation to the collapse of the building which was imminent at that time. According to the outcomes of the inspection and investigation, it was found that there was no past rehabilitation work that had been done on the asset. It is indicated that at the time of collapse for the building, there was an ongoing examination of the slab by the facility manager (Katō, Kawata and Pitman, 2006). Suddenly, there were vibrations associated with the operation of the air conditioner through the cracks which led to the collapse. The floor and the concrete columns opened up and loud bangs emanated from the upper floors. Investigation that took place post-failure The post failure investigations on the collapsed building involved the formation of a committee that was led by an engineering expert who was also a university professor. The post-failure investigations carried out immediately after the collapse indicated that the foundation of the building was poorly done and it did not the requirements according to the acceptable standards. Further, the ground on which the foundation of the building was laid appeared to be unstable and investigations indicated that it could also have contributed to the failure. Post failure investigations conducted on the rubbles indicated that the concrete mixture content did not meet the required standards. That was because it became clear that sea water was used in the concrete mixture with cement (Katō, Kawata and Pitman, 2006). The poorly mixed concrete was the one used in providing reinforcements to the walls and ceilings. Further investigation indicated that the construction of the building took place under an incorrect application of technique and procedures used in flat slab construction. Ideally, the area that surrounds the columns should have reinforcements in order to support the load. In the case of this building, it was found out that the thickness of the columns used was so small that it was possible for them to punch the slab through. However, the investigations conducted established that the plans of the Sampoong Department Store building indicated the dimensions of the concrete columns as 60 cm in diameter which was much lower than the required diameter of 80 cm. According to the outcomes of the investigation, there was insufficiency in the amount of steel that was used in reinforcing the concrete columns (Coppola, 2011). This insufficiency led to a considerable reduction in the expected strength of the building. It was also determined that there were certain additional installations that contributed to the failure of the building. These installations involved cutting into the steel and columns that offered support to upper floors consequently leading to a further reduction of their diameter. The reduction in diameter for the columns led to the concentration of the load on a small area under the support of the slab resulting into a slab puncture. Finally, the investigators identified and revealed the direct cause associated with the failure and collapse of the building as the air conditioning units at the rooftop. The asset manager in the building admitted that there were cracks noticed on certain parts of the roof, these cracks later led to the destabilization of the surface that was supporting the weight of the building and suddenly it collapsed. According to an account from the survivors, every time the air conditioner was operational there was the radiation of the vibrations from the air conditioner through the cracks that grew and widened to the extent that they reached the supporting columns. This trend in cracking went on for two years until the air conditioning units were shut off completely. The trend continued to the extent where the damages suffered by the building were irreversible and it finally gave way through collapsing (Katō, Kawata and Pitman, 2006). Conclusion In conclusion, there are suggestions for changes and improvements that would have led to a successful prediction of a failure event and subsequent prevention. The management system in this case should have involved thorough monitoring and evaluation of the building commencing upon the completion of its construction. This would have played an important role in the identification of signs of failure in good time to avoid loses and damages. The other suggestion of changes and improvements in the asset management system would be immediate and effective response in addressing the flaws and signs of failure within the building to avoid its collapse. References Cobin, J. M. (2001). Building regulation, market alternatives, and allodial policy. San Jose: Authors choice Press. Coppola, D. P. (2011). Introduction to International Disaster Management. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Katō, N., Kawata, M., & Pitman, R. K. (2006). PTSD: Brain mechanisms and clinical implications. (Springer e-books.) Tokyo: Springer. Read More