The Washington herald., 1922-02-11
Insuring Building Safety.

y,
this latter quality is because it is badly in need o
revision. Let simplify the code. This will be a
start in preventing repetition of the Knicker-
booker catastrophe.
Exceeding this in importance, however
is the personal responsibility of architect and
builder. No who has not his heart in his
work work we'll for a protracted period Our
buildings must be reared to the accompaniment oi
, deep interest and close supervision.
- Thoughts Of this sort contained in val
liable editorial on the Knickerbocker crash in the
current number of the Engineering News-Record
1t is follows:
Reluctantly the mind accepts as real the
strange sequence of events revealed in the collapse
ID Of the Knickerbocker Theater in Washington. The
" circumstances of the tragedy unprecedented in
modern building construction, but, though deep
shadow OF the unexplained conceals the ultimate
moving causes, the course of the final catastrophe
is obvious to compel belief in spite of its strange
Once the facts accepted they utter certain
insistent warnings, which together with the great
toll of death, will make the Knckerbocker Theater
long remembered.
From the tangled remains of the structure one
may read that the building gradually wedged itself
apart during the four years since its erection. 1t
was strong enough to bear its loads, but it was
hrmsy and lacked bond under the peculiar condi-
tions of its plan and arrangement this fault led to
its destruction. That the final moment when il
- lost its conference and fell wreck-heap at a
time when the theater was occupied seems but the
evil play of fate.
$50 much can be learned from the ruins More
. will probably be determined. Why the ROOF
and walls wedged themselves apart remains an un-
answered question nor is it likely to be answered
by anything more positive than inference. The
. effects of expansion and vibration are not amen.
able calculation test, and it is these defects
that must be looked to the agencies of destruc.
r ton.
- Bolts and anchors to tie together the rooi
and walls would doubtless have prevented or post
. poned the collapse. But it will not do to writ.
down this statement blanket indictment and
record the simply one of negligence in plan
ming or building. Bolts and anchors have beer
omitted in other buildings, and though such prac
tce faulty, and more than elsewhere wa:
faulty in the Knickerbocker structure, yet it has
not previously been convicted by disaster. Care
fui designers have always braced and tied Their
structures securely, but far anchorage is con-
ccrned they did this more matter of prudence
than taught by failures.
Buildings, and above all roofs, have been re-
garded quite universally deadload structures ir
the fullest meaning of the term; structures devoid
of inherent possibility of shift or displacement
That view is seen to be wrong. In the Knicker
tally it is just wrong for many another building
Sound building practice must take full account o
the possible cumulative effect of slight motions
vibrations. 1t must look upon its structures a.
live-oad structures The emphasis placed upon thi:
view is the outstanding gain from the collapse.
mo alarm need be felt concerning ordinary
buildings because the Knckerbocker Theater col
lapscd without warning after period of satisfactory
service. The Knickerbocker was not ordinary
building. 1t involved quite exceptional conditions
at contained a main element of its structure
curved wall, long, thin wall lacking solidity and
mass, much broken by doors and windows and de-
void of s:ifenirg piers. Upon this wall the design
supported truss load of fifty tons. Entering
the wall at a sharp angle-another most remarkable
condition--the truss nevertheless was placed moi
upon slusre seat but upon directly in the face
OF the wall. In this combination even the normal
detection of the truss under the weight of the roo
introduced a canting effect and exerted a slieh,
push against the wall
There was, thus, initial disturbing force
By reason OF the curved wall and the skew truss
.--aring, expansion and contraction movements OF
wall or roof took on an abnormal importance Fur.
ther, perceptble tremor was set I'D by PASSING
street cars. The building contained an organ
whose notes may have been capable of setting ur
vibration, and seated in the roof framing il had
large motor-driven ventilating fans whose hummine
noise often was noted by spectators. 1t is from
these conditions that conclusions as to the eenesi.
OF the collapse must be drawn, for no other causa
tive factors have been discovered. And these con.
di:ions must be taken into account in judging Of
the relation of the case to the safety of other build
ings.
The precise weight of the several factors, and
how far they should have been provided for in tb-
original plan. will doubtless be among the sub;ec,.
OF discussion in the official inquiry But however
exceptional the present case, simple reference to
the inevitableness OF vibration and expansion in
buildings and to the possibilities OF imperfect bca,.