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INSTRUCTORS: 
Matthew Fadden, Ph.D, P.E.
Andrea Shear, P.E.
Gary Klein, P.E., S.E.

Course Length: 2 hours

Sponsored by ASCE's Forensic Engineering Division

This presentation is “Part 1” of the short course originally presented at the 2024 Forensic Engineering Congress.

Part 2 is available for purchase here: Champlain Towers South Collapse Part 2: Identifying and Addressing Punching Shear Deficiencies in Flat Plate Construction

Purpose and Background

Champlain Towers South Collapse: Identifying and Addressing Punching Shear Deficiencies in Flat Plate Construction (1 hour 56 minutes)

This presentation provides a technical analysis of the Champlain Towers South collapse, focusing on forensic investigation findings. It examines the structural deficiencies in the original 1981 flat plate reinforced concrete design, particularly highlighting punching shear vulnerabilities at critical column locations. The investigation details extensive document reviews, site inspections, and material testing, revealing excessive concrete cover, inadequate reinforcement placement, and additional unaccounted-for loads from later modifications.

Advanced structural modeling and hand calculations confirm that key columns were under-designed for punching shear, with demand-to-capacity ratios exceeding safe limits. The presentation also explores the role of progressive collapse mechanisms and the implications for future structural assessments and policy changes in Florida.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of these sessions, you will be able to:

• Explain the structural deficiencies that contributed to the Champlain Towers South collapse, with a focus on punching shear failure in flat plate construction.
• Identify key investigative methods, including document review, site inspections, material testing, and structural modeling, used to assess the collapse.
• Describe the effects of excessive concrete cover, inadequate reinforcement placement, and additional loads from modifications on the building’s structural integrity.
• Analyze the implications of the collapse for future structural assessments, forensic investigations, and policy changes in Florida’s building codes.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are assessed and achieved through passing a 10 multiple choice question post-test with at least a 70%.

Who Should Attend?

• Structural engineers
• Forensic engineers
• Traffic engineers
• Materials engineers
• Construction engineers

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

This course is worth 0.2 CEUs/2 PDHs. To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 365 days of the course purchase.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]