Platform Collapse - Winnipeg

[dik]

on the news

"'I heard a cracking noise': 16 children, 1 adult injured in platform collapse at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar"

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/i-heard...llapse-at-winnipeg-s-fort-gibraltar-1.6421235

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So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[Sym P. le]

 

[Sym P. le]

From CBC News

Boy injured in walkway collapse during field trip may be permanently disabled, parents say in lawsuit

The last time the walkway was inspected was in 2006, and the last time it had been repaired was in 2004, a city spokesperson said at the time.

I guess structures subject to weathering require periodic inspection/evaluation prior to collapse.

 

[hokie66]

Yes, prior to collapse is much preferable.

 

[LittleInch]

A wooden structure open to the public not inspected for 16 years???

That's utterly unbelievable.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[DanKile]

Looking at a 360 shot in the fort from before tells me that repairs have been done more recently than 2004. Some of the support beams and corbels have been replaced within a few years of 2017. I don't know how long it takes wood to turn grey, but I think it is less than 5 years.

Link to the 360 Google Maps

 

[Sym P. le]

Yes, fully half of them or 7 of 15 +/-.

The one that failed (center) was not repaired. I wonder if this is a case of kids finding the weak point and playing on it.

 

[Sym P. le]

Ants and freedom of information requests.

Maybe it was rotten and fell down. Lets call it as it is. Ineffective inspections and maintenance budgets / tour protocols that gather vulnerable patrons into clusters on rickety platforms.

CBC

 

[dik]

With brown rot (aka dry rot) you can lose a substantial part of the strength without apparent damage.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[jayrod12]

From what I've heard, there were more than a few locations where the large diameter wood posts were hollow due to rot from the inside out.

 

[Sym P. le]

There certainly could be challenges to inspection protocols but deck collapses are far to common and we struggle to educate ourselves on the hazards, and they keep repeating.

The structural components in this structure are not hidden in any way. From the photo, it certainly appears that the support beam rotted through and the bolted corbel against the wall came down with the structure. The log elements are pressure treated green but the dimensional support beam is greying with age. One beam is visibly sliding off the corbel. Why weren't these beams positively connected to the structure?

The Fort was two weeks into the season (after winter shutdown).

 

[dik]

That usually happens while trees are still alive. When a tree is 'injured' it sends extractives above and below the site of injury as well as into the annual ring on the inside. These extractives are to 'prevent' decay. The living tree can suffer 'rot' conditions and the extractives try to prevent damage to the 'live' wood. That why trees can be hollow. The extractives protect the living wood and the 'dead' wood in the middle can 'rot'. It's a little trickier than that, but that's a simple expanation.

If the tree is dead... any part of it will rot... not just the middle.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik