| Case Name |
An accident of the fall of the Toki Messe sky bridge. |
| Pictograph |
|
| Date |
August 26, 2003 |
| Place |
Bandaijima, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture. |
| Location |
Toki Messe. |
| Overview |
At 20:20, August 26th, 2003, there was a phone call from Sado Kisen Co. to Bandaijima Redevelopment Office, Development Division, Bureau of Port and Airport Development, Niigata Prefectural Government. The information said that there was a fall at a part of the sky bridge between Niigata Convention Center and the multilevel car-parking tower. No one got injured or died in this accident. |
| Incident |
The Toki Messe opened May 1st, 2003, but only 5 months later, at 20:20, August 26th, 2003, the sky bridge in the Toki Messe suddenly fell down. |
| Sequence |
August 26th, 2003.
There was a phone call about the accident from Sado Kisen Co. to Bandaijima Redevelopment Office, Development Division, Bureau of Port and Airport Development, Niigata Prefectural Government.
Niigata Prefectural Government ordered Niigata Bandaijima Sougoukikaku Co. to see the accident site.
Staffs from Prectural and local Government were gathered.
Press information was distributed to the press.
August 27th, 2003.
The governor gave commentary.
There was an inspection by Niigata east Police office and Niigata east fire station.
An investigation team for the Toki Messe sky bridge accident was set up in Bureau of Port and Airport Development.
August 30th, 2003.
The first floor of the Bandaijima car park (a multilevel car-parking tower) re-opened.
August 31st, 2003.
The second floor of the Bandaijima car park (a multilevel car parking tower) re-opened.
September 1st, 2003.
Whole floors of the Bandaijima car park (a multilevel car-parking tower) re-opened.
The Toki Messe sky bridge Accident Investigation Committee started to investigate.
The first meeting of the Toki Messe sky bridge Accident Investigation Committee was held.
The chairman of the Toki Messe sky bridge Accident Investigation Committee gave commentary.
September 6th, 2003.
The second meeting of the Toki Messe sky bridge Accident Investigation Committee was held.
September 9th, 2003.
There was an inspection by the Niigata prefectural Police.
September 19th, 2003.
A recovery team was set up in Bandaijima Redevelopment Office, Development Division, Bureau of Port and Airport Development, Niigata Prefectural Government.
September 30th, 2003.
A midterm report about the Toki Messe sky bridge accident was distributed.
October 20th, 2003.
The Toki Messe sky bridge Accident Investigation Committee disclosed the information.
January 16th, 2004.
The tenth meeting of the Toki Messe sky bridge Accident Investigation Committee was held.
September 3th, 2004.
The committee distributed the final reports about the questionnaire for the recovery of the Toki Messe sky bridge accident and traffic of pedestrian and car.
October 5th, 2004.
A meeting of the study team about the reinforcement of the Toki Messe sky bridge was held. |
| Cause |
By considering the scene of the accident, the direct factor of the accident could be one of following three factors.
1) The failure of the fixing concrete of the diagonal rod.
2) The failure or buckling of the chord on the steel frame.
3) The flexure fracture of the PC floorboards or the failure of the line of PC steel for pressure bonding. |
| Response |
After a phone call about the accident from Sado Kisen Co, at the same day, the prefectural government ordered Niigata Bandaijima Sougoukikaku Co, which manages the site, to see the accident site and ensure the safety around the accident site. The prefectural government also sent staff to the accident site. The next day, an investigation team for the Toki Messe sky bridge accident was set up in Bureau of Port and Airport Development. Whole floors of the Bandaijima car park (a multilevel car-parking tower) re-opened from September 1st. |
| Countermeasures |
On August 28th, 2003, Niigata prefectural government set up an investigation team for the Toki Messe sky bridge accident in Bureau of Port and Airport Development to consider the way for recovery and to clarify the factors of the accident. On September 1st, 2003, Niigata prefectural government also set up the Toki Messe sky bridge Accident Investigation Committee to ensure the transparency and objectivity of the cause clarification process, and to decide the way for recovery.
The Niigata prefectural government set up the study team about the reinforcement of the Toki Messe sky bridge to obtain the technical instructions, advices and objective assessments for the design from the professionals who have advanced knowledge. This is because the sky bridges in front of the atrium and bay side needed to be reinforced for the adequate safety. |
| Knowledge Comment |
The structural safety should be achieved with economic efficiency, construction efficiency, environmental friendliness and visual beauty.
The promoter should secure the sufficient period and the materials for the design, construction management and installation. Moreover, the promoter should have a working environment where the designer, site manager and installation workers can communicate deeply with each other. Especially, in the case of construction of the comprehensive and unique structure like Toki Messe, the promoter should check the adequacy of the installation result by hearing the professional's opinions. It is important to make a system so that the designing and construction management are implemented under the technically responsible group, and to ensure the safety by the investigation commission which includes professionals. |
| Background |
Niigata prefectural government decided to construct a center of international exchange at Bandai Island. Then, the Toki Messe project started in 1992 and the Toki Messe opened on May 1st, 2003. The Toki Messe was constructed at the Bandai Island at the mouth of the Shinano River and has an exhibition hall, a conference hall and an atrium in the tower. The sky bridges are not only access ways between each facility, but the urban corridors over the Shinano River for strolling along the water front. Moreover, the silhouette of the Toki Messe is the core of the new landscape of the whole island.
The sky bridges have contiguous beams with random spans to obtain rooms for car lanes on the ground level. The sky bridge has a plane truss structure that the steel frames, as the upper chord member, are unified with the PC floor boards, as the bottom chord member, by the bundle member and slinging rods. At the center of the span, there is no bent so the slinging structure is also used.
There was a clear sky without strong wind on the accident day. |
| Scenario |
| Primary Scenario
|
Organizational Problems, Poor Management, Poor Concept, Poor Strategy or Concept, Organizational Problems, Poor Staff, Misjudgment, Narrow Outlook, Non-Regular Action, Change, Failure, Large-Scale Damage, Malfunction, Poor Hardware, Damage to Society, Social Systems Failure, Damage to Society, Change in Perception
|
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| Sources |
http://www.pref.niigata.jp/kowankuko/gateway/messe_jiko/
|
| Number of Deaths |
0 |
| Number of Injuries |
0 |
| Physical Damage |
There was a fall at a part of the sky bridge between the Niigata Convention Center and the multilevel car parking tower. |
| Consequences |
The new public building's sudden fall by its own weight gave citizens the big shock. It is thought to be important to clarify the responsibility of the designer and the site manager. |
| Multimedia Files |
Fig2.The Toki Messe sky bridge
|
| Field |
Civil Engineering
|
| Author |
KUNISHIMA, Masahiko (The University of Tokyo)
MIURA, Tomohide (The University of Tokyo)
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