Piling Heavy Steel might have caused Boston Building Collapse

Preliminary investigations led to the conclusion that a heavy load of steel, perhaps rebar, placed on the unfinished 12th floor of the high-rise apartment tower on Stuart Street might have led to the precipitous Boston building collapse that injured three people last week. A Boston Fire Department spokesman said that the metal decking and beams of the 12th floor collapsed under the weight of the materials. Our construction collapse injury lawyers note that the debris crashed through several other unfinished floors before finally coming to a halt on the fifth floor, the highest floor to have a poured concrete surface.

The general contractor on the site, John Moriarty & Associates of Winchester, Massachusetts, reportedly has a total of $44,283 in OSHA fines for 21 safety violations dating back to 2005. (bostonherald.com, 3/21/14)

The initial post by our construction collapse injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC on the subject of the sudden building collapse in Boston had mentioned that construction materials piled in the unfinished building might have led to the collapse. Workers piling construction materials for their convenience in incomplete and inadequately supported areas is actually a common contributing cause to partial and total structural failures in buildings under construction.

The Boston high-rise collapse accident demonstrates the critical importance of properly calculating loads, adequate bracing, and strong connections between supporting structural members. Building experts often warn against loading building floors and roofs under construction with building materials and equipment because they could drastically overload the supporting structures past their intended live and dead loads. But it remains a common practice in the construction industry and a frequent cause of injuries and fatalities.

OSHA prepared a report , Structural Collapses during Construction, Lessons Learned, 1990 – 2008, by Mohammad Ayub, P.E., S.E., to identify the major causes of construction collapses and injuries in order to try and prevent them in the future. The report concluded that:

80% of structural collapse accidents were due to construction errors, and
62% of the accidents related to steel structures like scaffolds and platforms.

Specific causes of partial and total collapse accidents included:

• Placement of unplanned additional “dead load” over single and double tees;
• Inadequate temporary connections of structural members;
• Placement of construction materials over roof members;
• Placement of brick loads on different tiers of scaffold framing that overstressed the frames and caused the scaffolds to collapse;
• Formwork support systems that were under-proportioned for both the horizontal and the vertical loads; and
• Concrete masonry wall designs that were inadequate for the loads placed on them both during construction and upon completion.
• Despite the mounting statistics and evidence of the danger of the practice of piling construction materials in partially-completed buildings, the overwhelming convenience provided by the dangerous practice leads to its ongoing use.

Learn about your options for winning fair financial compensation after you’ve been injured in a construction collapse

Contact our construction collapse injury lawyers at 713-807-9500 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule a free, no obligation initial legal consultation. Our dedicated construction collapse injury lawyers know building codes and inspection requirements as well as how to spot weaknesses where poor building techniques or materials led to structural failure. Employers are responsible for ensuring a safe working environment for their workers. Part of that obligation includes properly training workers in safe building practices, and ensuring that safety rules and procedures are known and followed.

Our knowledgeable investigation after a structural collapse injury could help you pinpoint the precise causes of the collapse as well as the proper parties to hold financially accountable for your needless injuries. Contact us today; we’re here to help. The law firm of Denena Points, PC has a 14-year track record of helping clients succeed in their injury claims against builders, manufacturers, and other negligent parties.