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Garage Collapse

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Well, the journalist sure managed to get pictures of not much.

Regards,

Mike
 
DerChad,

It looks like a punching shear failure around the columns.

 
Sure looks like a classic flat plate punching shear failure. The steel around and through the columns looks to be quite low.

The caption says that a roof collapsed, and the floor we are looking at has at least another level above. The floor may have collapsed due to the upper level falling on it. The asphalt topping on the collapsed slab may or may not mean that there were previous problems with the slab which may have been covered up, and in so doing added dead load. Just speculation, would be interesting to know more.

Wonder what the "10km" on the column meant.

 
Looks like there is a speed bump at column 4, which with the passage of time might caused cracks in slab, salt penetration causing rebar corrosion.
 
Having worked in Montreal several years ago, specializing in the rehabilitation of reinforced concrete structures, including parking garages, it is quite possible that chloride penetration, corrosion of the rebar and resulting delamination of the concrete may have contributed to the collapse. Might not be the only contributing factor, won't know until investigation is complete. It is a tough environment with the amount of salt used on the roads in winter.

I have seen several parking garages in various cities across the country where extensive 'potholes' in the concrete (delaminations) had been covered over by the maintenance crews with an asphalt topping to provide a smooth driving surface .... without repairing the concrete!!

The 10km on the columns would refer to the speed limit in the garage ... 10 kilometers/hour.
 
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