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News ArticlesInvestigators look into deck collapseSource: Rockford Register Star, Story by Carrie Watters ROCKFORD The second-story deck was 12 feet long and 6 feet
wide. Two cars would not fit on the deck, but it was built to hold
as much weight. What went wrong City officials and apartment owners must determine why the deck gave way. Chicago authorities are doing the same thing. Rockford 's accident happened about 10 minutes before a deck with as many as 50 people on it collapsed, killing 12 people at a party in Lincoln Park. Hampton 's deck should have been able to handle 2,880 pounds, as required by Rockford 's building code. Twelve people at 200 pounds each still would be below the weight capacity, although experts said the weight must be dispersed evenly. John Slack, local developer and majority owner of Hampton Properties, said the deck was constructed to standards tougher than local code and should have withstood 100 pounds per square foot or about 7,200 pounds. A design professional, as required by state law, was hired Monday to investigate the accident. We try to build everything to a higher standard, Slack said. We 're taking every precaution to find out the cause. Although victims were placed on stretchers, none was seriously injured. Six of the eight victims complained of foot and ankle injuries, according to a Rockford Fire Department report. Rare occurrence Longtime fire and building inspectors cannot remember the last time a deck collapsed in Rockford. A 20-foot chunk of concrete from a deck fell at Machesney Park 's Bay View Apartments in March 2002, but no one was injured. Karen Shady, who lives in a first-floor apartment at Hampton Meadows, joined other neighbors who gathered at the scene when emergency vehicles entered the complex. She still wonders what happened. It just came completely off. There 's nothing left on the side of the building, Shady said. With the Fourth of July weekend days away, officials are reminding people to use common sense. If it 's standing room only, I'd get a little concerned about structure, Rockford Deputy Building Director Kevin Ciabatti said. The Hampton Meadows ' building and deck were constructed 12 years ago. It was inspected for the final time in January 1991 with no inspections since, Ciabatti said. That's usual procedure. Apartments are inspected during and at the end of construction. It's up to owners to maintain structures, Ciabatti said. Slack owns numerous higher-end apartments, including Hampton Courtyard and Hampton Ridge off Sandy Hollow Road and Hampton Crossing on Newburg and Mulford roads. The Hampton Meadows Apartments off Bell School Road boast elevated decks for second-floor tenants and a patio for first-floor tenants. The Fire Department's report highlighted that one side of the deck was nailed to the building with regular nails. Slack said nails are used with bolts to secure the decks to the building. Ciabatti said he saw attachment devices when he inspected the building Monday. Mike Pfieffer, vice president of codes and standards development with the International Code Council, said attachment to a building often is the weak link. He advises deck owners to find out a deck 's load capacity, check its stability and look for rotten or splintering wood. His advice to party-goers was: You don't want to load up a deck so that it looks like a dance floor in a discotheque. |
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For Lateral Loads, you need a Lateral Anchor!
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