Collapse

The Tacoma Narrows is a narrow strait located in Puget Sound, Washington, between the Olympic Peninsula and the mainland. It connects the southern end of the Sound with the southern part of the Kitsap Peninsula. The strait is known for its scenic beauty, with picturesque views of the surrounding landscape.

The Narrows are also known for the fierce winds that frequently swirl over the choppy seas below.

In 1938 engineer Leon Moisseiff was tasked with designing a bridge that could cross the narrows providing a vital transportation link between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula.

The bridge was a marvel of engineering at the time, with a main span of 2,800 feet (853 meters) and two slender towers rising 425 feet (130 meters) above the water. The roadway was suspended from massive cables that extended from the tops of the towers and connected to the bridge deck. The design allowed for a graceful, curving profile.

However, shortly after its completion, the bridge gained notoriety for its unique and unsettling behavior in windy conditions. The bridge exhibited significant vertical movements, or "galloping," which led to its infamous nickname, Galloping Gertie. The motion of the bridge became a spectacle, attracting curious onlookers who would travel to witness the phenomenon.

On November 7, 1940 strong winds began to whip through the strait, and the bridge started oscillating violently. As the wind intensified, the bridge succumbed to a phenomenon known as aeroelastic flutter.

The bridge's main span started to twist and sway uncontrollably, creating waves that rippled along its length. Despite the efforts of engineers to stabilize the structure, the destructive forces proved too powerful. Finally, after only four months of operation, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed into the frigid waters below.

In the aftermath of the collapse, it was determined that several factors, many of which were previously unknown had led to the bridges collapse.

The Sampoong Department Store, in Seoul, South Korea, collapsed on June 29th, 1995. It also occurred due to numerous factors. But unlike the bridge, engineers knew about all of them. They just chose to ignore them.

Leading up to the 1988 Summer Olympics, Seoul experienced a boom in development. Because of bans against international contractors, almost all of the buildings erected were designed and built by South Korean companies. The boom in projects, combined with the relatively limited amount of engineering and construction companies, most building went up as quickly as possible due to the huge number of backlogged projects.

The original plans for the Sampoong building called for a four-story apartment building. During construction however plans changed to instead create a large department store. To do that several concrete support columns had to be cut away to make room for escalators, and a fifth floor was added to be used as a roller-skating rink.

As a result of the mid project changes, the original design firm quit the project due to structural concerns, and the Samppong group used their own resources to complete the project. The building was completed in 1989 and opened to the public on July 7, 1990.

In order to maximize retail space, the concrete support columns were reduced to 24 inches thick, instead of the original 31 inches. They were also moved further apart. Both decisions resulted in significantly more weight being put onto each column.

The fifth floor (the one that wasn’t supposed to be there) had a heated concrete base. That was accomplished by a 1.2 meter pipe running hot water through the concrete. That feature greatly increased the weight and thickness of the fifth floor.

To top the building off, three 15-tonne air conditioning units were added to the roof directly above column 5E. Shortly after installation cracks began to appear on 5E. The cracks worsened when the roller rink plan was scrapped and replaced by a health club including a swimming pool.

By April 1995, just five years after opening, cracks began appearing in the ceiling of the fifth floor. Samppong responded by moving all of the merchandise and stores from the top floor to the basement.

On the morning of June 29th 1995, the number of cracks on the fifth floor increased dramatically. An emergency board meeting was held whereupon Chairman Lee Joon opted not to evacuate the building because the number of shoppers was abnormally high, and he feared missing the revenues. Civil engineers were invited in to assess the damage. The cracks were now over 10 centimeters wide, and they deemed the building’s collapse was now inevitable.

Lee Joon again refused to evacuate the building. At 5:00 PM the fifth floor ceiling began to sink. Employees at that point closed off access to the top floor. When cracking sounds began coming from the fifth floor at 5:52 workers finally took matters into their own hands and began sounding alarms to evacuate. It was unfortunately too late. At 5:57 the air conditioning units crashed through the fifth floor. They then overloaded the already strained fifth floor and it buckled and collapse onto the floor below and as the support columns gave out the south wing of the structure pancaked into the basement.

There is much to be learned from the Samppong disaster. Don't Overload Debt and Expenses: Similar to overloading the floors with excessive weight, overloading yourself with debt and unnecessary expenses can strain your financial well-being. Maintain a balanced budget, avoid unnecessary debt, and live within your means to ensure financial stability. Prioritize Safety and Compliance: Neglecting safety protocols had severe consequences for the Sampoong Department Store. In personal finance, prioritize safety by establishing an emergency fund, obtaining adequate insurance coverage, and adhering to legal and ethical financial practices. Conduct Regular Assessments: Just as the building's structural weaknesses went unnoticed, neglecting to assess your financial situation can lead to unforeseen problems. Regularly review your financial health, evaluate your debts, assets, and investments, and make adjustments to stay on track towards your financial goals.