Role of Professor Spenden: Assistant Attorney General advising the Board of Architects, Professional Engineers, and Land Surveyors on legal aspects of the investigation.
Focus: Gathering evidence and anticipating litigation.
Details of the Collapse
Cause: Failure of structural design and engineering calculations, specifically regarding steel connections of the bridges.
Professional Engineer's Misunderstanding:
Belief that he only needed to provide a basic design and had no further responsibility.
Lack of communication with other engineers and professionals involved.
Key Players Involved
Structural Engineers: Jack D. Gillum and Dan Duncan were responsible for the design and structural drawings.
Fabricator: Haven Steel (William Richie noticed issues during fabrication).
Architect: Herb Duncan also expressed concerns regarding aesthetics and safety.
Critical Design Flaws
Initial Design: Bridges intended to be connected by a single continuous rod.
Proposed Change: Split the rod at the fourth-floor bridge, which raised concerns about safety.
Lack of Calculations:
No calculations were performed to check the safety of the new design.
Dan Duncan assured safety without verifying calculations.
Miscommunication and Oversight
Failures in Communication:
Lack of clear communication about responsibilities among engineers and architects led to serious design flaws.
Reassurance to Owners: Engineers falsely reassured hotel owners that all steel connections were checked, which was not the case.
Legal and Professional Consequences
Findings After Investigation:
Administrative law judge rendered over 400 pages of findings.
Jack Gillum and Dan Duncan found to have violated Missouri’s Practice Act for Professional Engineers.
Licenses Revoked: Licenses of Gillum, Duncan, and their firm (GCE Consultants) were revoked.
Court Affirmation: Missouri circuit courts and Missouri Court of Appeals upheld the decision.
Lessons Learned
Importance of Communication: Structural engineers must communicate clearly regarding their roles and responsibilities.
Education Gaps: Potential failures in engineering education about legal obligations and responsibilities.
Public Safety Responsibility: Professional engineers must prioritize public safety in their designs and communications.
Aftermath and Rebuilding
Owner's Response: To restore public confidence, the hotel owner replaced the flawed bridges with new designs supported by columns extending to bedrock.
Structural Integrity Improvement: New design aims to be significantly more secure against potential disasters.