Steve Kurtz, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, will provide a structural engineering analysis of the Champlain Towers collapse 12:20 p.m. Friday in Hugel 103 and via Zoom. Lunch will be provided. RSVP.
The collapse of the condo took less than 12 seconds and killed 98 people, left dozens without a home, and shocked the nation. In the wake of this disaster, many were left wondering how a 12-story building could collapse just 40 years after construction.
Prof. Kurtz studied the original design drawings and created computer models to help explain the issues. He will point out design flaws, evidence of poor construction, and poor maintenance that contributed to the collapse. Using simple demonstrations to explain the issues, this talk will make it easy for engineers and non-engineers to understand what happened.