TECHNICAL PAPERS
May 1, 1995

Dynamic Force Effect on Collapse of L'ambiance Plaza

Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 9, Issue 2

Abstract

All the technical papers written about the April 23, 1987, collapse of L'Ambiance Plaza, Bridgeport, Conn., have treated it by static-analysis methods. It was established that a 12-ton jack was used just prior to the collapse to plumb the building; however, no one attempted to link the dynamic load generated by the force of the jack to the dynamic vulnerability of the lift-slab structures during the construction stage. This paper is an attempt to show that the dynamic vulnerability of the lift slab, combined with the dynamic load such as the one generated by the 12-ton jack, could have caused the dynamic instability of the structure, which led to the collapse.

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References

1.
Cuoco, D., Peraza, D., and Scarangello, T.(1992). “Investigation of L'Ambiance Plaza building collapse.”J. Perf. of Constr. Fac., ASCE, 6(4), 211–231.
2.
Heger, F. J.(1991). “Public safety issues in collapse of L'Ambiance Plaza.”J. Perf. of Constr. Fac., ASCE, 5(2), 92–111.
3.
Hurty and Rubenstein. (1964). Dynamics of structures. Prentice-Hall, Inc, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
4.
Masih, R. Y. (1987). “The possible reasons which caused the collapse of L'Ambiance Plaza in Bridgeport, CT.”Abstracts, 14th Annu. Meeting of Soc. of Engrg. Sci., 54.
5.
Masih, R. Y. (1994). “Stability of lift slab structure during construction stage.”Proc., 1994 Struct. Cong., ASCE, Atlanta, GA, Vol. 1, 271–277.
6.
Masih, R. Y. (1944). “Computer model pointing to dynamic instability of lift slab structures.”Proc., 1994 First Cong. on Computing in Civ. Engrg., Vol. 2, 1832–1838.
7.
Moncarz, P., Hooley, R., Osteraas, J., and Lahnert, B.(1992). “Analysis of stability of L'Ambiance Plaza lift-slab towers.”J. Perf. of Constr. Fac., ASCE, 6(4), 232–245.
8.
Poston, R. W., Feldmann, G., and Suarez, M.(1991). “Evaluation of L'Ambiance Plaza posttensioned floor slabs.”J. Perf. of Constr. Fac., ASCE, 5(2), 75–91.
9.
Scribner, C. F., and Culver, C.(1988). “Investigation of the collapse of L'Ambiance Plaza.”J. Perf. of Constr. Fac., ASCE, 2(2), 58–79.

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Go to Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 9Issue 2May 1995
Pages: 129 - 136

History

Published online: May 1, 1995
Published in print: May 1995

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Rusk Masih
Assoc. Prof., Univ. of Connecticut, Avery Point Campus, Groton, CT 06340.

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