It happened on a much smaller scale in New Orleans around 2010, when people began 'deconstructing' old frame houses, disassembling them and recovering usable lumber instead of just knocking them down and carting away the splinters. Some of the more industrious crews removed all the wall sheathing before tackling the roof. ... whereupon all the studs starting leaning, and the intact roof sort of twisted its way to the ground, breaking all the studs, and the roof.
It looks like the Newark crew didn't even bother to remove the air conditioners and other heavy crap from the roof before starting to weaken the walls.
Maybe our elementary schools need to teach a unit on building deconstruction, building from an admonition to 'start at the top'.
Teaching such a thing in high school would be a waste of time; the intended audience may not get there, even with all the dumbing down that's been going on.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
