Idaho Hangar Collapse: Employees Raised Concerns on Hangar Structure Before Fatal Accident

Before the collapse that occurred in Idaho, workers had already expressed concerns regarding the structural difficulties that were present in the building. Thus, several people were killed and injured due to this tragedy.

(Photo : Unsplash/Danist Soh)

Concerns Over Construction Site's Beam Before Collapse

According to police investigations, some employees voiced their concerns to the building's supervisor the day before the partially constructed and privately owned hangar on the Boise Airport premises collapsed on January 31. At the airfield, Big D Builders, a contractor located in Meridian, constructed the hangar for Jackson Jet Center. The hangar was 39,000 square feet or 3,623 square meters and cost $8.1 million.

As mentioned, the project utilized equipment and operators from Inland Crane of Boise. The supervisor of that organization informed law enforcement that they had operated a crane on multiple locations of this nature, and the 'bowing' of the beam appeared strange to him. The supervisor also reported the concerns to Craig Durrant, one of the co-founders of Big D Builders and one of the three victims of the catastrophe. The supervisor informed Durrant that he relayed the concerns to authorities and contacted an engineer.

On the other hand, in an interview with the police, Dennis Durrant, who also owns the business, stated that the beams could be bent. Official police documents indicate that they initiated communication with the manufacturer due to the inadequacy of the frame mounts. Dennis Durrant noted that an engineer gave them directions on fortifying the building.

After speaking with the engineer, Craig Durrant reportedly informed the crane manager that the frame was in good condition. According to the police interviews, this was because workers had fastened straps to the beams. Alternatively, they attempted to support the roof by installing more beams.

The Durrant brothers were reportedly in the middle of the compound when they heard heavy pounding noises. Instead of running for the fence, Dennis Durrant reported to the authorities that the building fell in a matter of seconds, resulting in the death of his brother. Mario Sontay Tzi, who was 32 years old, and Mariano Alex Coc Och, who was 24 years old, were both construction workers who were also killed in the collapse.

Also Read: 8 Ways to Safeguard Your Construction Project from Fraudulent Activities

Importance of Aligned beams in construction

Beams made of steel are the structural support system of a building. Since the integrity of a structure can be compromised by even the slightest misalignment in its installation, the beam's precision is an essential component that cannot be compromised. Accordingly, the weight of a building's floors, ceilings, and roofs is supported by beams, which transfer the load to the structure of a vertical load-bearing component. Larger and heavier beams, referred to as transfer beams, are frequently utilized to transmit the support load and handle the combined weight of stacked walls.

Moreover, understanding the ideas of fundamental physics and engineering statics is necessary to design or dimension beam architecture. Therefore, an engineer specializing in structural engineering must have the expertise and be well-prepared to examine the loads acting on a beam, quantify the forces and stresses acting on it, and select the material, size, and shape appropriate for the beam.

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