Collapse of Masonry Wall under Construction in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, October 28, 1985

摘要

Results from a study to determine the cause of the October 28, 1985 collapse of a masonry wall under construction in Pawtucket, RI are presented. The wall was a 60 ft-3 in. long, 23 ft-6 in. high partially reinforced concrete masonry wall supported by wooden braces. The study included: inspection of construction plans and specifications; review of construction records and eyewitness accounts recorded immediately after the collapse, as well as testimony from OSHA inspectors and local building officials who visited the site a short time after the collapse; examination of photographs taken by OSHA inspectors and police investigators; analysis of meteorological data; and a stability analysis of the collapsed wall. It is concluded that the collapse was probably caused by a gust of wind which exerted lateral forces which exceeded the lateral-load capacity of the wall and its supporting wooden braces. Contributing factors were the lack of grout in the masonry cores which contained the steel reinforcement dowels and the inadequate anchoring of the dowels in the foundation.