Building Failures - Failure Case Studies in Civil Engineering - page 89

In addition, the investigation revealed that excessive deflection occurred
during the construction phase, significantly exceeding the design deflection. This
deflection was thought to indicate a potential problem. However, when this was
relayed to the engineer of record, after reviewing the information, he dismissed it.
This failure has been appropriately referred to as a “computer-aided
catastrophe.” It illustrates the false sense of security offered by the data generated by
computer analysis. This case serves as a lesson that computer software is a tool, and
not a substitute for sound engineering experience and judgment. Relying only on
computers for the design of increasingly complex structures, where the
reasonableness and thoroughness of the analysis cannot be ascertained, invites failure.
References
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Delatte, Norbert J. (2009). Beyond Failure: Forensic Case Studies for Civil
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Engineering News-Record (ENR). (1978a). “Space Frame Roofs Collapse Following
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Lev Zetlin Associates, Inc., “Report of the Engineering Investigation Concerning the
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