Yet another balcony collapse 1

[SwinnyGG]

In addition to sloping balconies away from buildings, providing sufficient internal reinforcement, etc etc, I'd suggest not putting 18 people on a balcony designed for 6.

Seriously, 18 people?

 

[JohnRBaker]

Biginch, you know that you can edit your own entries for about 24 hours after they're posted. And you can also delete your own posts.

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[BigInch]

Got it. That time it was a back button that got in the way before I got lost and I didn't realize that the first post had been submitted until now. I deleted it. Thanks.

 

[IDS]

In addition to sloping balconies away from buildings, providing sufficient internal reinforcement, etc etc, I'd suggest not putting 18 people on a balcony designed for 6.

I'd suggest that if a balcony will hold 18 people, not designing it for 6.


Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[msquared48]

Then, too, there's the wine, the music, and the Hyatt Regency effect...

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[LittleInch]

Where did 6 people come from??

The balcony which collapsed was bigger than the ones just to the right in the main photo, but about 5m wide by about 1m deep. you can easily get 18 people on something that big. See photo below - the one is similar to the balcony two over.

I read somewhere else they balcony was designed for double the weight of the number of people on it, though I suspect that was based on a UDL. Hence the issue with, I imagine, most people actually standing/ leaning against the outside railing( the hyatt regency effect mentioned above) producing higher loads on the joint. Add in potential for dancing and its a recipe for disaster, especially with such a poor joint design.

The smaller balconies do actually look like they have "drooped" and water marks visible on the outer edge....



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[allgoodnamestaken]

As someone who has spent a lot of time on his > 20 stories up balcony, these stories always hit hard. Worst part is that it seems like this could have been done decently without a great increase in cost.

 

[JAE]

I would imagine that all the other balconies are most likely very unsafe as the construction of all of them are probably similar.


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[LittleInch]

All good names - I would have a real good look at the join between the balcony and the main building...

And see if you can get a structural drawing.....



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