So this happened yesterday on the southside of B'ham. The story goes that a Uhaul truck struck a 60,000 lb pre-cast beam and knocked it off it's notch on the pre-cast column and landed on the truck, pinning 2 people inside. No one died. Three injured when truck collides with parking deck beam at Birmingham apartments Birmingham Fire and Rescue responded to Cortland Vesta apartments in the Highland Park neighborhood. abc3340.com U-Haul driver trapped in collapse of massive concrete beam in Birmingham high-rise parking deck The collapse was in the parking deck at Cortland Vesta apartments on Highland Avenue. www.al.com The pre-cast beam The Uhaul and aftermath - I just don't see any possible way that Uhaul hit that beam, knocked it down and had no more damage to the van body than it did. A Cat 349 with the bucket off the machine will struggle with 33,000 lbs. Lifting is different from hitting something on the side but 60k lbs? There is more to the story. I'd like to see the pre-casters shop drawings for the beam to column connection. Also why is there no warning signs for height restriction on the beam? It will be interesting to see the inspection and engineering reports for this accident.
Just like bridge beams, its just setting on that small pedestal on the vertical column, like a abutment . Nothing to keep it on there but gravity. Has to move with expansion and contraction is why its not pinned, and it doesn't look like its a structural member, just decorative. I can't believe that beam didn't flatten the truck occupants, but it looks like the beam fell more on the dash, than the cab, and that's what saved them. There's probably 'discreet" signage but its all on the outside of the building? Which only works if the driver of the vehicle can read the language that the sign is written in. I don't know how all the pakistani and eastern european drivers we deal with- ever get where they are going, because most don't know english very well.
I understand that but it takes a lot to move 60K lbs regardless of the connection/bearing and all it did was put a wrinkle in the aluminum van body? Now the news article said 60K lbs and we know how the news gets every thing right. On second look in the pic above the beam could be hollow? By the Grace of God no one was killed.
Had a roll off truck hit a railroad bridge with the rails up. Probably wasn't going 10-15mph when he hit it. Landed the whole bridge right behind the cab. Night job for the 175 ton crane to put it back up, at the company I was with at the time. Mass x movement. Wouldn't take a lot once you got it going. Difference between taking a sledge, putting it against something and pushing, and giving it a swing and hitting it. I doubt that is a hollow core beam.
What did it do to the roll off rails?
I never saw the truck, I lived a hour away from the shop and didn't help with any of it. Just heard all the whining from the guys that worked all night to set it back up.
The lack of damage to the aluminum van body vs the weight of the beam is the perplexing part.
Why is the wheel dented on the bottom?
Hit hard enough to bend it when the tire blew. Then the beam pushed the truck back as it bounced, until the top of the beam, came to rest against the vertical wall post to the drivers side of the uhaul. That's why the bend in the rim isn't on the bottom any more. Reckon that front of the uhaul was 2' off the ground when it first hit that beam, it had to be quite a ride.
I've said it many times. We have to pay and qualify to drive truck. Log books, pre trip, restricted hours behind the wheel and in service. But grandma and grandpa can jump in a tourbus sized rv and drive off into the sunset
The shocking part is that we even get to wonder how it happened. Nearly everything is caught on video these days.
Probably cameras on and in that building but I'd bet the lawyers have those sealed up.
I bet it's hollow also, look at the break, if it was solid I'd expect to see larger chunks spalled off. If it was 60,000lbs solid, and a hollow one was less than 20,000lbs, I can see that amount of damage on the van. It could be the damage to that corner looks a lot worse up close, like it crushed and sprung back. The end of the beam only had to slide 20" and lift a bit to keep sliding off the perch. If 30 tons had dropped from that height, it would have crushed the engine and tires flatter than that. Wouldn't surprise me if the drivers side of this comes out better than expected in court. Or maybe Uhaul and the building both accept their damages and realize neither wins in court?
Insurance companies are pretty good at avoiding court
The local UHaul is sort of fussy on renting the "big" trucks. I got one to move across town when I sold my house vs screwing with strapping everything down on my flatbed. Counter guy asked if I was sure I could handle such a large...... truck. I was trying not to laugh as I was imagining a budget porn... "ooohhhhh..... can you handle my masssive..........." (Sorry, 13yr old boy mind haha). Sure, I've been driving truck for near 20 years, I can handle a little box truck.
I drove a big box truck when my brother moved, other than the poor power and gas mileage it was easy. The first time I got out I hit my head on the box, won't be making that mistake again.
I did the same. I did that once on my Winniebango too.
From Google Street View. Clearance was posted.
Agree---That's about a 8 to 10 ton crush, had it been 30 ton it would compressed it right down. The other is moving weight to dead weight ratio--it would have been a little tougher to move at 30 with a 6 ton van--The frame work in the van box just isn't that tough. But it was just tough enough to move it. Those van bodies are built to the lightest spec's yet last 7 to 8 years. * The toughest part of a car/truck/van body----the bulkhead--right where that landed. Years ago A portable crusher came and cleaned up the impound yard for the towing/repair I worked for. I don't remember the size of the cylinders on that crusher--but huge, powered by a 6-71. He placed a 1966 Chrysler Newport in on top of two cars already crushed. He made the comment these are a tough one, strong bulkheads. It took some rocking the crusher plate but it finally drove the crankshaft through the upper engine block--all three cars became one no more than 4' tall.
Still surprised there is no signage from the 21st alley side.
At the risk of appearing dumb what purpose exactly did that beam and its partner serve if they were apparently not tied to the structure in any way.? Something to hang the Christmas lights on maybe.?
It was either ornamental, or it was put there to keep trucks out
That thougfht crossed my mind.
...and it worked.....
When I worked at the mall they had pipes hanging on chains at every entrance to the parkade. Just slightly high they'd swing out of the way. Too high you'd pull the pipe supports down. The supports were fairly short and bolted to concrete risers. Occasionally they'd get knocked down and have to be fixed. They were a decent design that shouldn't kill anybody who drove into one. Most of the time the vehicle just drove away, either because of embarrassment or so they wouldn't get fined. There would be some damage to the vehicle but it's insane to have a 10 to 30 ton concrete beam just sitting on a small support with no attachment at all. The U-haul truck should have had the box destroyed a couple feet back and the truck maybe stuck underneath requiring it to be towed backwards. It's quite amazing no one was killed. I'd think who ever engineered or approved that beam mounting could be found guilty of negligence. You can't fix stupid for driving into it but you should take appropriate steps if stupid happens. It would be interesting to hear what happens. Would be a whole lot more interesting if someone was killed. Wonder who would be held liable if the beam also fell on a parked car? It could have been a lot worse.
Yeah stupid engineering. No need for that over priced beam in the first place. If you can't pin it then add more purchase area, and block it in with something so it can not be slid off. Gee no big college engineering degree required for just simple logic. Hmm wonder if the engine was still running after the fact?
Stupid or no engineering? Even drilling a couple holes for lengths of rebar would have prevented the beam from falling. Wonder if "someone" forgot to secure the beam? There should be a lot more signs before the beam as well. A pipe hanging on chains before the beam would be a simple way to alert drivers before they crashed into the death beam.
Hope they got the U haul insurance policy.