Hyatt Regency Skywalk Collapse: Evaluation of the Box Beam Design

摘要

The Kansas City Hyatt had been open for year. It was a fast track project with its fair share of problems, but the final project produced a functional and attractive building. A Tea Dance took place in the lobby of the hotel on July 17, 1981, with an estimated 1,500 and 2,000 people in attendance. Shortly after the dance began the suspended walkways above the lobby collapsed. It would be remembered for its tragic deaths resulting from the most catastrophic structural failure in the United States. The collapse resulted in 114 deaths, more than 180 injuries, and emotional trauma to many more. It served as a wake-up call across the engineering and steel fabrication community. This paper will focus on the evaluation of the box beam to hangar rod connection and the structural analysis that should have been completed to check the design. First, results of the National Bureau of Standards load tests on exemplar connection will be discussed. Second, an evaluation of the weld that was used to connect the two C-channels will be discussed. Third, an approximate structural analysis of the box beam under the concentrate load of the hanger will be described. Lessons learned for structural engineers of all experience levels will be included. This paper will be helpful to engineers in understanding the importance of analysis of the crucial details of a connection that may appear rudimentary on the surface.