Mckenzie Baldner & Ke Lillah Slingluff

CE 416/ CE 516
Project
Date Submitted: 24May2021

Structural Engineer who presented the case: Scott Jin & Mohammad Ayub
Date of Presentation: March 2012
Case Title: Collapse of a Mobile Crane at the National Cathedral Site in Washington, D.C.

a. Describe what happened, the location, date, and other available pertinent
information..

A 500 ton crane collapsed on September 7, 2011 at the National Cathedral in

Washington D.C. The crane was working to repair recent earthquake damage
and fell amid heavy rain and thunderstorms.

b. Describe what, in your judgement, may have contributed to the failure

A major contributor to the collapse is the failure of the alarm and automatic
shutoff system. As discussed below, the automatic shutoff valve could have
prevented the positioning of the crane that caused the collapse. The data logger
does not record the activation of either the alarm and shut off system nor the
bypass switch, so it is unknown whether they were activated. While the crane
operator claims no alarm was heard nor was the bypass switch necessary to
continue operation of the crane, activation of the bypass switch by the operator
remains the most likely cause of the collapse. It is far less likely but perhaps
possible that the alarm and shutoff system was damaged during operation of the
crane, possibly by the inclement lightning.

c. If the case was investigated and reported by a forensic engineer, briefly describe
the reasons for the failure as observed by the engineer’s.

The crane fell as a result of operating at two low of an angle with too long of an
effective radius. The crane was not loaded at the time of collapse, rather the long
boom and jib lengths and angle toward the ground produced a significant
overturning moment at the foundation.

The radius of the load at the time of collapse was 344 feet, beyond the largest
recommended radii listed on the crane operation manual. This positioning
occured after the crane operator noticed multiple lightning strikes near the jib of
the crane. Rather than wait for the hydraulic system to retract the jib, the operator
moved the boom to an angle of 68 degrees, well outside the operational limit,
and the jib to nearly horizontal. The weight of the jib and rigging produced an
overturning moment of nearly 8,000,000 ft-lbs, larger than the 7,980,000 ft-lbs
stabilizing moment produced by the fully deployed crane foundation.

1
 An alarm and automatic shutoff valve should have been activated once the crane
was positioned outside the proper operational limits, in this case when the boom
angle dropped below 75 degrees. A bypass switch can override the automatic
shutoff system, allowing the crane to continue operating. The crane operator
attests that no alarm was sounded nor was the bypass switch used while the
crane continued to operate for nearly ten minutes outside the acceptable
threshold.

In addition to the self weight of the crane, there were moment effects from both
wind forces and settlement beneath the crane. Massive settlement from eroded
voids under the pavement occurred under the foundation mat of the crane during
collapse, with an estimated settlement of 2-3 feet. The subsurface investigation is
still ongoing, but it was determined that its contribution to the collapse is
negligible. High wind speeds also contributed to the overturning moment but
were also found to be negligible compared to the weight of the crane.

d. Describe what you learned from this failure and its forensic investigation.

This case hinged on the testimony of the crane operator and his assertion that he
did not hear the alarm system, encounter any resistance from the automatic
shutoff system, and therefore did not activate the bypass function. It is most likely
that all three of these things occurred, but since this data was not recorded the
truth will never be known. It is the duty of the courts to judge the veracity of the
testimony, but as engineers we must assume it is true and investigate all other
possibilities. It is also amazing that an inspection of the three aforementioned
systems was not conducted after the collapse. This would rule out their
functionality as a possible cause of collapse.

e. Describe other engineering design situations where potential failures may be

prevented by utilizing the lessons learned, and how you may use the lessons
learned in your future design practice.

The omission of the shutoff system bypass button activation by the data logger is
an expensive oversight. If these systems were recorded by the data logger, the
unambiguous truth about this failure could be ascertained. In today’s data driven
world, it seems foolish and almost negligent to omit these systems from
permanent record. To ensure this does not happen during future operation, the
data logger should be made to record both the activation of the alarm and shutoff
system, as well as the operation of the bypass switch. Additionally, the data
logger could ensure that these systems are both functioning properly when
starting use of the crane. Finally, a camera could be placed in the cab of the
vehicle to create a visual record of the operation of the crane.