Church Steeple collapse, New London CT 11

[GPR_Tech]

Tall stone Center steeple collapsed on historic 1850s Church in New London CT

https://www.wfsb.com/2024/01/25/church-collapses-new-london/

 

[Sym P. le]

Big issues were already being addressed using thru bolts as far back as 2013: Google Maps

 

[GPR_Tech]

Church collapse drone aerial view

https://youtu.be/vF7BpqowrNI?feature=shared

 

[hokie66]

Not just the steeple, most of the church collapsed.

 

[ALK2415]

What do mean of thru bolt, are they PT "Post-tensioned" Rods ?

 

[dik]

My experience is not normally PT, but they may have a slight load on them...

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[dik]

I'm just glad it wasn't Sunday morning...

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[GPR_Tech]

Yes, the steeple fell into the church’s roof bringing that down as well as part of one of the side walls.

 

[MintJulep]

I think the video showing the collapse was taken from about here.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/UKPVkH35ietdG8NfA

From that viewpoint, the steeple is falling to the left, which drops it on the roof.

 

[LittleInch]

The collapse video shows the tower falling near vertically for about half it's height until it stops and then falls over.

So a loss of integrity / blow out of the stone structure.

Will be interesting to see how the tower section was built and supported.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Debirlfan]

I'm just glad it wasn't Sunday morning...

Yeah, and they fed the homeless there every morning. I think that was in the rear (newer) addition, but still, even people walking past...

This is about five miles from me. If I hear any interesting local chatter I'll post.

 

[ALK2415]

To you all, after OP permission, do think PT anchors should be utilized for such kind of old buildings ?
cost effective and fast remedies
i have link for the Italian engineer who done multiple buildings like above "collapsed" one :

Link

 

[Murph 9000]

I think the video showing the collapse was taken from about here.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/UKPVkH35ietdG8NfA

From that viewpoint, the steeple is falling to the left, which drops it on the roof.

You were pretty close. I believe it was taken from the car park access road (off Gov Winthrop Blvd) between the concrete car park and red brick building. The small penthouse structure for the stairwell, to the right of the steeple, gives a good identifier for more specific correlation of the images.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/swP6wJ96ayTbT2Ww6

The car park seems to have an interesting history of structural deterioration, near collapse, and underspending on maintenance as well. It's possible that may have improved in recent years, but there are articles out there showing it being shored up with wonky pit props (since replaced with steel), unpermitted repair work, and talk of significant cracks and spalling; with derelict elevators. It also seems to have been purchased from the city in questionable circumstances, prior to it being allowed to deteriorate.

 

[dik]

I've done a lot of work with historic masonry, and one word comes to mind 'caution'. Try to understand what you are trying to do and how to accomplish it. Rarely are the high stresses of PT stuff necessary and they can create a huge problem if used inappropriately. Part of the problem is that the deformation is often time related and it may take huge forces to move things back to where they were. You may never be able to.

My first experience, over 40 years back (when I was a rookie, I never considered my self as one), I was looking at correcting floor slope in an 1900ish concrete building. The design was more than adequate, but over the years, the floors had creeped. I thought that by jacking the floor up, and bonding a topping to it, this could be corrected. I no longer recall the load, but it was either 12k or 14k at mid span and the floor didn't move a gnat's hair. I'd never considered the floor was a 'flat' or jack arch. It wasn't going to move.

That building had another feature; it was the first time I had encountered 'bundled' reinforcing. One of the concrete beams had bundled bars. They were placed as a bundle, they still had the wires tying them together with the stamped metal ID tag. Somebody forgot to separate them.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[Sym P. le]

The video appears to show the steeple fall back onto the roof of the sanctuary, consistent with the debris. I would look for a loss of structural integrity along the north side of the steeple support, the line between the steeple structure and the sanctuary. Obviously an opening is required to move between the steeple structure and the sanctuary. Although there would be openings on all four sides the sanctuary opening could be on a grander scale and the roof line intersection above invites water ingress issues. As I noted earlier, interventions were already implemented to contain the steeple structure, and of note, along the north/south axis.

Would it be to much to expect that unnecessary loads such as bells were previously removed from the structure?

From Wikipedia

Video line of sight

 

[dik]

I'm a bit surprised that there was no indication of structural duress.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[Debirlfan]

I'm seeing claims locally that the steeple has been leaning for months or more.

https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...utosvvcw9YtncqoCL7hnkF_uQ1BBWOw7g&oe=65B9D093

 

[GPR_Tech]

Photo of the steeple leaning back towards its roof long before the collapse.

 

[ALK2415]

May be it is a settlement issue ?

about the PT-retrofitting process, see attached

 

[ALK2415]

following paper confirms the proposed method
also done for historical buildings

Link