ENGINEERING ETHICS

The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Walkways Collapse

Photographs taken by Dr. Lee Lowery, Jr., P.E., shortly after the collapse.

These photos have been entered into the public domain. You are welcome to use them without attribution.

Photo of walkway sections taken from second floor opening. Walkway sections have been moved from their original positions during the attempt to extricate those trapped in the wreckage.

Photo of intact hanger rods from 4^th floor walkway opening.

Photo of still hanging 3^rd floor walkway. Note the free-standing stairs from the 2^nd to the 3^rd floor in the background. With its columnless design, the stairs seem to be floating in air. The lobby was indeed a masterpiece of architecture and engineering, which had it been executed properly, would have provided its owners with profit and the public with a stunning atmosphere for years.

General view of the lobby floor, during the first day of the investigation.

Investigators photograph the hanger rods while standing in an aluminum platform designed to change burned out lights in the 5^th floor ceiling. Note that the channel beam sections have completely slipped around the supporting nuts leaving the rods, washers, and nuts completely undamaged. The large white material above the rod is fireproofing material. It was later found that the rods were also defective, in that the material used was of a lower strength material than specified. However, this deficiency played no part in the collapse.

Close-up photo of the hanger rod threads, washer and supporting nut. Note the deformation caused in the washer as the beam slipped around it.

Photo of one of the walkway cross-beams, lying on the floor of the lobby. This is one of the 4^th floor beams, as evidenced by having two bolt holes drilled through the beam. The 2^nd floor beams had a single rod hole.

Close-up of one of the 4^th floor beams.

Close-up of one of the 4^th floor beams.

Close-up of one of the 4^th floor beams.

Underside view of one of the 4^th floor beams.

Photo of 3^rd floor walkway connections from below. See above photos for overall view of the 3^rd floor walkway. Note that from a distance, the fact that the 3^rd floor walkway was also distressed was not apparent. Also, the fireproofing cover box has been removed at this time.

Close-up of third floor hanger rod and cross-beam, showing yielding of the material. The flanges have been bent significantly, and the webs are bowed out against the fireproofing sheet rock. It should be remembered that the 3^rd floor walkway cross beams were subjected to only half the loading of that induced in the 4^th floor beams. The distortion shown below was caused by only very light loading, mostly due to the dead load of the structure.