Structural-safety Structural-safety incorporating CROSS and SCOSS Structural-safety incorporating CROSS and SCOSS Alastair Soane November 2011 Ronan Point 1968 Milford Haven 1970 SCOSS CROSS • collects data from public sources on failures • collect confidential data on concerns • consider whether unacceptable risk exists • provide comments in relation to these concerns • publishes Alerts • maintains a data base of reports and publications • help to influence changes to improve structural safety • promote a positive attitude to learning from experience Confidential reporting Sponsors Supporters • Institution of Structural Engineers • Institution of Civil Engineers • Health and Safety Executive • UK Bridges Board • Highways Agency • British Parking Association • Department of Communities and Local Government • DRD Northern Ireland • Local Authority Building Control • Scottish Government Building Standards Division Pyramid of risk fatal incidents HSE or other authorities injury precursors CROSS incidents normal operations diagram courtesy of ASRS Precursors should be reported internally and can be reported to CROSS Operating system Reports • reporting from firms encouraged influence and change analysis and comments newsletters and data base • reports are confidential • identities are removed • analysis and comment by expert panel Reporters Examples from building control 29 defective submissions 14 12 10 dangerous 10 – 9 from sole practitioners 8 – 13 from small practices 6 – 5 from medium sized practices – 2 were from “top” practices 4 2 0 material steel timber masonry concrete Reports by sector demolition 2% appointment 2% design 22% operation 29% construction 45% Fig. 1 Reports by sector Blind bolts • Steel frame collapse • Staircase collapse imported products • Winch failure on offshore rig British Waterways 8 tonne counter weight hidden fixings Pre-stressed tanks cable corrosion Acoustic Ceiling Collapses fixings Public art not enough engineering Proprietary roof system 2011 more data needed failure at support River Crane bridge scour SCOTCROSS • fatality due to falling masonry in 2001 • legal recommendation for a survey • started August 2005 – completed August 2007 • 1,186 reports from 25 LAs • 12 injuries from falling debris • abundance of statistical data Masonry façade degradation form of construction, age, and weathering Typical concerns Figure 3 Decaying stonework Figure 2 Unsafe pediment Figure 5 Cracked stonework age and weathering Figure 4 Dangerous slates Distribution of reports 200 January 2007 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Aug- Sep- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun05 05 05 05 05 06 06 06 06 06 06 Jul06 Aug- Sep- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun06 06 06 06 06 07 07 07 07 07 07 Jul07 Snow load collapses 2010/11 depth of ice and snow Water ballast for temporary structures Concrete ballast reliance on nonstructural components Wind turbine in Wyoming February 2011 -48 degrees C LPS structure demolition 2010 lack of robustness Exploding concrete unexpected chemical reaction Degradation of 1960s MSCP form of construction, age, salt, lack of maintenance Timber frames during construction acceptable risk? Structural-safety International • Engineers Australia close to joining the scheme • Co-operation with ABC Meldpunt in Holland • BCA in Singapore are interested • Malaysian authorities have made enquiries • CEBC are planning an EU wide defects reporting system and are monitoring CROSS • concept is for an International Group of organisations who run similar programmes to share information through a common data base. Twente stadium roof 2011 bracing incomplete Cologne records office collapse of adjacent cut Results from CROSS • BSI and CFA review of fixing standards • CIRIA review on major events in construction safety • Highways Agency have embedded CROSS procedures • DRD Northern Ireland have followed suit • Evidence submitted to Building Regulations for England on robustness and other matters • Scottish Government’s review of hazards from older buildings • BSI looking at snow loading • BSI looking at shear concerns in concrete Birmingham TV screen 2006 inadequate temporary structure Ground supported stage structure Indiana Stage roof 2011 SCOSS current top concerns • Falsified documentation • Quality of some imported steel components • Temporary stage roofs • Bolted fixings • Robustness • Fire and construction methods Benefits • Learn from the experiences of others • Source of practical information • Identification of pre-cursors to failure • Tool for influencing regulations and codes • Potential for avoiding or reducing failures • Economically sound • Ethically sound The programme depends on receiving reports from individuals, firms, and regulatory bodies. You can participate by sending concerns in confidence to: www.structural-safety.org