Kentucky Bourbon crashes 5

[BridgeSmith]

Properly braced, it doesn't take a very big timber to support 40 kips.

Seeing what portion of the structure was involved in the initial collapse, I suspect a shear diaphragm failure of some sort. The fact that it was being repaired at the time, makes that more likely in my mind. Diaphragm members (walls) that prevent racking seem to be commonly overlooked components of structural systems.

 

[msquared48]

8x8's or 10x10's depending on the species and bracing...

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[JedClampett]

Ditto of dheng. There's probably thousands of structures in the US that were repurposed for something else, and maybe something else after that.
An 8 x 8, properly installed, using good details can carry a heck of a lot. But if it's 30 feet long, a little bit crooked, slightly rotten and unbraced at the top, that capacity is much less. This looks like a structure that was built 80 years ago, maybe for something else, that someone decided to use as the whisky aging warehouse. They put in some hand built racks and stated putting barrels on them. When those got full, they added some more.
This is perfect justice. They skimped on engineering (and maintenance), lost a bunch of valuable product, and will absorb a nominal fine for killing fish. No one was killed. Maybe we'll have a category in ASCE 7 or the Kentucky Building Code on whisky storage that they can ignore in the future.

 

[cranky108]

Just thinking out loud, but if you wanted to build a wood storage building to store OAK barrels, what type of wood would make since?

Then again maybe not, as there could be a shortage of that type of wood.

And just how many bracings are needed for something that size (the size I don't recall was stated?

Maybe the building was just properly aged (to failure).

 

[BridgeSmith]

If you're suggesting they should have built the storage building out of oak, cranky, that would be pricey. Plus, we don't know if it failed due to a lack of strength of the materials, inadequate bracing, inadequate connection hardware, or something else. It could have been made with steel, but if the members aren't connected properly, it would still fall down.

 

[Brad805]

I am curious how the installation of a permanent plumb bob (2:38min+- of video) to monitor the building lean will play out with their insurer. That suggests knowledge of a problem. Latent defect clauses will be another thing I would be looking at in the terms of the agreement. I sure hope some poor engineer was not involved in the repair. Looking at the access to review the structure, and the mould that seems to grow on everything makes me cringe just thinking about taking on such an assignment.

 

[ornerynorsk]

If I understand correctly, 20,000 barrels were involved in the first collapse, and 9000 more on the second collapse. At 53 gallons per barrel, granted they are not completely full, that is a lot of dollars of product that some $h!tbird on the board of directors is going to have to explain why better warehouse construction and maintenance were not a good idea. Liquor industry is the absolute king of what some people like to refer to as "greedy corporations". I don't know of another industry that could get away with something like this. Thank goodness nobody got hurt or killed. This is a swift kick to their collective groin and will hopefully make them wake up.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[BridgeSmith]

"If I understand correctly, 20,000 barrels were involved in the first collapse, and 9000 more on the second collapse."

It was 9000 in the first collapse (see the link in the OP). I haven't seen what the total was, but you're right that it's a huge loss that should spur some changes. The potential for harm to employees may lead to stricter requirements for those types of structures by OSHA, if employees work in them.

Edit: The story linked in the OP says the building stored 20,000 barrels.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Hah! They'll weather this just fine by taking the insurance payment as well as enjoying the price hike since it's now a more rare item...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[dik]

and, they have a dozen buildings likely constructed in the same way... do they upgrade them? or, are the buildings uninsureable?

Dik

 

[BridgeSmith]

I would expect the insurance company (if it was insured) will require inspection of any other buildings they insure, and any necessary upgrades, in order to continue insuring those other buildings.

 

[PEDARRIN2]

The federal and state (KY) government require alcohol producers to carry insurance on any produced product which has not had excise tax paid yet. Excise tax does not get paid, usually until it is bottled. Each barrel contains about 55 gallons, likely at around 150 proof. At $13.50 federal excise tax per proof gallon (gallon at 100 proof), each barrel has ~$1,200 of federal excise tax. State tax is about half that. So each barrel is worth ~$1,800 in taxes. So, if half were damaged (29,000/2), that is $52,000,000 in potential taxes that went into the soil/rivers.

 

[BridgeSmith]

Well, it was 20,000 barrels that were housed there, but still a huge chunk of tax revenue. If just the taxes are potentially in the tens of millions, imagine the loss in sales revenue. They better hope those barrels are sturdy!

 

[ornerynorsk]

Mark my word, Sazerac will do a special bottling at a premium price on any of the salvaged hooch . . . and people will pay it. Not sure how good of stuff this will end up being, with all the sediment and crud that got churned up in each barrel. I don't see how you could filter out that dregs flavor without taking the caramel color too. Barton Kentucky Avalanche 1792 1791-1/2!

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[hpaircraft]

CNN: Leaking bourbon from the Kentucky distillery accident killed hundreds of fish, state says

 

[cranky108]

I can't say the Liquor industry is worse than the oil and gas industries. Just better respected.

 

[byrdj]

Bourbon battered fried catfish!


the article says a 1000 MINNOWS

 

[BridgeSmith]

With losses of saleable product potentially in the tens of millions of dollars, I doubt the $25,000 per day fines for water contamination are even a blip on their radar right now.

 

[HamburgerHelper]

Reminds me of the Dublin Whiskey Fire of 1875. A river of flaming whiskey flowing through the streets, 2 feet wide and 6 inches deep. 13 people died. Not one due to fire.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/off...y-ran-through-the-streets-of-dublin-1.2743517

Are they still going to try to salvage as much as they can or is it now too much of a fire hazard? I would not want to be near that in case it went up in flames.

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If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.

 

[dik]

I would think that they could salvage a large part of it... no adjacent structure to come down on your ears... if no open flames, I would think it would be a minor fire hazard... have pumper trucks ready just in case.

Dik