Lessons Learned from Two Elementary School Collapses during the May 20, 2013 Moore Tornado

The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF5) tornado that hit the city of Moore, Oklahoma on May 13, 2013 caused over $2 billion in damages and tragically claimed the lives of 25 individuals. Briarwood Elementary School and Plaza Tower Elementary School were both subject to extreme damage due to the May 13, 2013 tornado. As a result of this damage seven fatalities occurred at the Plaza Tower Elementary School. This large loss of life and extensive building damage at both schools warranted a forensic engineering investigation. The goal of this investigation was to determine if structural damage and fatalities could have been reduced. To evaluate the failures and failure mechanisms that were observed in both schools, with the purpose of determining structural inadequacies and proposing design, fabrication, and construction practices to create a more robust system. This investigation identified numerous shortcomings that might have reduced the structural damage and potentially the loss of life. The findings of the forensic investigations and a discussion of the structural shortcomings are presented in this paper.