David AlexanderUniversity College London

High-Rise Building Disasters

The Towering Inferno is a rather silly, inaccurate film:it is sobering to see it turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

1974 2017

High-rise building disasters –my practical introduction to the field

Pirelli Building, Milan(32 storeys),1958-2002

• a fully-engineered structure

• reinforced concrete or steel frame

• NFPA: >6 storeys (25m); underwriters: >9 st. (36m)

• higher than longest aerial ladder

• a single high-rise could contain 50,000 people.

What is a high-rise building?

• total or partial collapse of building

• collapse of façade or glass on exterior

• foundation failure

• damage to interior fittings.

Risks - earthquake

• collapse of exit stairs*

*Forsyth-Barr bldg, Canterbury, NZ, 17 st. 1989

• racking (swaying distortion)

• loss of window glass (racking, ballisticimpact, wind pressure, faulty installation)

• wind and water damage inside the building.

Risks - hurricane

• O

• O

• O

• O

• O.Risks – explosion,structural collapse

Ronan Point,Newham(22 storeys), 1968

South Tower, WTC(110 storeys), 2001

• In the absence of fire-retarding materials,design and mechanisms, fire will rapidly climbthe building, either internally or externally..

Risks - fire

• stairs and stairwell design: fire-protected

• floors, columns, interior fire-walls of4-hour, fire-resistant construction

• vertical window spacing limitsability of fire to spread up outside

Fire protection – design and construction measures

• lifts return to lobby when alarm activates.

• automatic pressurised sprinkler systems

• water pumps and wet stand-pipe systems

• air conditioners vent smoke from building

• back-up electrical systems

• ‘smart’ alarm systems (addressable, transmitting).

Fire protection – safety systems

• trained fire wardens and deputies on each floor

• regular fire drills for all building users

• maintenance detects poor workmanshipand removes flammable materials.

Fire protection – human systems

Evacuees followbehaviour patternsdictated by familiarity andpast drills.

Arnold et al. 1982

Disaster response andemergency planning procedures

High-risebuildingincident

emergencyresponse

the Las Vegasmodel

• specific alert procedures

• triage point at one exit: emergencyvehicles and equipment directed here

• specialised triage tags for victims

• secondary triage point for lightly injured:buses to get them there

• pre-designated transport routes to hospitals.

At the scene...

• burns and pulmonary units needed

• specialised, ingegrated disaster and EMS plans

At the secondary treatment centre...

• specialised emergency and triage plan.

At the receiving hospitals...

• mass-casualty facilities and plan

• specific coroner's autopsy arrangements

• plans for notifying next-of-kin and identifying bodies.

At the mortuary...

The London temporary mortuary

“Here in the 1930s the Notting Hill Group Ministryfostered remarkable housing solutions that have

produced good affordable homes for generations.”

To save money, the richest borough in the land housedsome of its citizens in acutely dangerous conditions.

Emergency response across London is not uniformly good.

In the UK, there is deep, highly politicised resistanceto the introduction and prosecution of safety measures.

Security seems to be more important than safety.

Whose lives matter?.

Grenfell Tower

Thank youfor listening.

Powerpoint available onm.slideshare.net/dealexander