Public Building Ceiling Collapses:
When it comes to ceilings, we take our safety for granted both at home and in public spaces. The chances of actually being a victim of a ceiling collapse are incredibly small; however, it does happen.
In many cases, a building inspector could have alerted the property owner of possible concerns with the soundness of the plaster ceiling system, if:
and
Unfortunately, buildings are usually inspected only when they are bought, or after an accident has occured.
Furthermore, when it comes to older plaster ceiling systems and their safety, most building inspectors:
The following incidents could have been averted by having had the ceiling system inspected at regular intervals by a knowlegable building inspector or engineer.* Following inspection, proper remediation steps could have been taken to prevent the sometimes tragic, always expensive, consequences.
Officials from the non-profit Associated Community Talents say it will be a few months before it opens again. It's scary to think of the true tragedy it could have turned into since adults and children had been watching an Easter performance hours before.'
'You may have seen the photo in The News Journal, showing part of the damage of the ceiling collapse at The Everett Theatre. Here's another look:
'The students loved performing there,
but parents knew not to sit under the balcony because of the ceiling’s instability.
Three years later, a portion of the ceiling
did indeed collapse in the empty theatre
hours after a performance.'
Ceiling Collapse: April, 8 2004
'A 500- to 600-square-foot section of plaster and metal lath, a wire mesh material, crashed down 20 minutes into Monday's bargain matinee showing of "Garden State," forcing injured and frightened moviegoers to stagger out through clouds of dust and debris.
Some 29 people were injured, and three were taken to Marin General Hospital for treatment of head wounds, but none of the injuries was believed to be serious.
Investigators said it was just lucky that most of the moviegoers were in the raised section in the back of the theater, away from where the heaviest chunks fell. Thomas Ahrens, Mill Valley's chief building official, said the debris included huge chunks of heavy plaster and strips of lath 30 inches wide and 12 feet long.
The ceiling, he said, was being held up by bent nails, which after more than a half century gave out.
"I don't figure anybody has touched that ceiling since before World War II," Ahrens said. "It simply let go of the attachments that were holding it up, and this thing just peeled, like peeling paint, and fell to the seats below."
There are much better ways to attach a ceiling today, Ahrens said, but pounding a nail halfway down and bending it over was standard procedure in the 1940's''
'Following a period of renovation that cost more than $7.5 million, the Metropolitan Center re-opened in 1980 as the preferred Boston venue for touring Broadway productions - a status it enjoyed until a ceiling collapse in 1982 threatened to shut the historic theater down.'
'The theater at 159 S. Main St. has been closed since April 30 when a 4- by 10-foot section of plaster fell during a Saturday night performance...In the next two weeks, scaffolding will go up inside the theater.
Besides a fresh coat of paint on the ceiling, "(theater-goers) won't be able to tell the difference when it's all said and done," Boeckman said. "It is a tragedy because people were injured and a historic theater lost its ceiling," she said.
Additionally, the ceiling collapse made some theater-goers question safety.Nevertheless, she said: "The reality is, when it opens, those questions won't be there anymore."
'This theatre was about to renovate when in 1986 while screening the film "Psycho III" the ceiling collapsed. Fortunately, no one was injured'
'The historic theater on High Avenue has been closed since early this year when a construction firm working on a water sprinkler system discovered badly deteriorated trusses in the building's roof. Subsequent investigation revealed that the theater's ceiling was at risk of collapse.'
Park Place Congregational Church, Pawtucket, RI. c. 1928 Ceiling Collapsed Dec. 31, 2008
'John Hanley, the city's building inspector, arrived on scene shortly after the accident to investigate.
He said he was surprised the ceiling came down like it did, since there were no signs of water damage and there were no outside forces, like a dance floor.
"It appears that it was the age of the ceiling," Hanley said. "It went unnoticed because there was a ceiling installed underneath it....the building is 70- to 80-years-old.'
Marytown Chapel Ceiling Collapse c. 1929
The Great Hall at the Hartwood Mansion Ceiling Collapses
This was a plaster over metal-mesh system, attached with nails. A properly remediated ceiling would not have collapsed, unless it had suffered excessive water damage.
'I believe that it is important to note that there were absolutely no signs of any water damage or deterioration of the ceiling joists what so ever. The ceiling failure was catastrophic in that there was no signs that the ceiling was about to collapse. I can recall that we had a series of 90 degree days in a row and it was extremely dry. Upon inspection of the failed ceiling we noted that the nails that fastened the metal lath only penetrated into the ceiling joists about ¼ inch and they were not serrated but smooth.'
Tom Donatelli, Public Works Director of Alleghany County, PA. at the time of collapse in 2005.
Hartwood Mansion Great Hall Ceiling Collapse
Saint Mary's Nativity Catholic Church c. 1907 Joilet Ill. Ceiling Collapse Dec. 31, 1941
On December 31, 1941, the parish church experienced a major disaster with the collapse of the church ceiling, causing extensive damage. Through the generosity of parishioners and various parishes of the area, major work was completed in restoring the worship facility.
St. Malachy's Church, Phil. Pa., c. Ceiling Collapse, 1997
The goal of the concert is to begin raising the $300,000 that will be needed to restore the historic St. Malachy's organ. The organ suffered damage in a 1997 collapse of the church ceiling. For years, dedicated volunteers have worked to clean, repair and restore the organ, but the $300,000 will be needed to fully return the organ to its original glory.
Historic Fort Snelling Officers' Quarters, St. Paul Minn. c. Ceiling Collapse July 19, 2007
Some general questions answered regarding this incident:
What type of ceiling is it? The ceiling is constructed of plaster on metal lath.
What caused the ceiling to fall? The connection of the nails to the wood failed.
What is the nature of the repairs? Smooth nails originally used to attach the plaster lath to the
wood trusses will be replaced with a stronger alternative.
Is there structural damage to the building? No. The portion that fell was a ceiling. T
The basic structure of the buildings, including the roofs
and walls, are sound.
Babylon Junior/Senior High, Long Island, NY. Ceiling Collapse
' "The weight of the inch and half plaster ceiling caused it to collapse," said Best-Laimit. "It will be replaced with a lighter suspended ceiling." The original framework remains intact. '
"The engineers blamed the collapse on 'the installation of successive ceiling layers over the years and loss of bond between the nails that secured the original plaster ceiling to the wood ceiling joists."
Sewanhaka High School, Hempstead, Long Island, NY c. 1927 Ceiling Collapse Mar. 7, 2003
"Inspectors went in and upon an investigation made a determination to evacuate the building," she said. "There was no visual evidence of ice, snow or water in the classroom."
Witnesses said they heard an original ceiling begin falling onto a drop ceiling in the classroom until it eventually broke through, bringing ceiling tiles and other debris with it.
Ceiling Collapse at Sunshine Elementary. Ceiling Was Installed in 1930.
Type: Plaster Over Metal Lath, Secured with Smooth, Small Nails.
*Consultation and Remediation Services
If you are the owner or superintendent of a public building and are concerned about it's safety, please contact Estate Plaster, Inc. We can work with a building inspector or engineer, who may not know about this issue, and direct him/her in regards investigation.
In addition, Estate Plaster Inc. also offers consultation services, that will:
identify the type of plaster ceiling system
document any observable indications of progressive failure
make specific recommendations for remediation (in cooperation with a structural engineer)
arrange for and oversee the remediation process
For more information, Contact Us at 336-327-5523.
Cross: Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety;
Conclusive Statement Regarding Ceiling Safety
This and other similar reports demonstrate a concerning trend of progressive collapse mechanisms in public buildings where there is a high probability of casualties in the event of failure. In each case there has been a fault, or a combination of faults, in the design, selection or installation of fixings, and a lack of appreciation of the magnitude of the dead loads from acoustic ceilings. These would have been compounded because it is not usually possible to inspect the fixings after installation. The danger of falling ceilings is not new; there is old cinematographic legislation that was brought in because of failures with lath and plaster ceiling fixings. The Home Office document ‘Recommendations on Safety in Cinemas 1955’, and which is still relevant says: “Ceilings shall be in such a condition as not to cause a danger to persons visiting the premises”.
Preservation North Carolina
North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office