Why Buildings Collapse
In 2021, Champlain Towers South – an apartment building near Miami – collapsed, killing 98 people. This film forensically examines what happened and asks: what went wrong?
In 2021, Champlain Towers South – an apartment building near Miami – collapsed, killing 98 people. This film forensically examines what happened and asks: what went wrong? And could more buildings across the world be at risk of a similarly catastrophic fate?
On 24 June 2021, Champlain Towers South – a 13-storey residential building in Surfside, Florida – collapsed in just 12 seconds. Fifty-five apartments were reduced to rubble, and 98 people lost their lives. What might have caused one of the worst building failures in modern history? There is still no official explanation. This programme examines what went wrong and investigates the implications for other buildings around the world, including those in the UK.
Emotional eyewitness testimony, tense bodycam footage from first responders, news archive footage and 3D CGI animations are used to piece together the definitive, moment-by-moment account of this disaster.
The programme explores the factors that might have led to the collapse – featuring case studies of other dramatic building collapses – and unpacks the science and engineering behind them. There are interviews with leading forensic engineers and the investigating engineer for the town of Surfside. The building was in urgent need of repair - did this play a role in its failure?
What lessons might we learn from this disaster? In Scotland, more than half of all housing is in need of repairs to critical elements, and tenements are crumbling in cities like Glasgow. How should we tackle the problem of our ageing buildings, and what technological solutions could we adopt to prevent a future tragedy?
Last on
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Series Producer | James Franklin |
Expert | Adrian Brugger |
Interviewed Guest | John Healy |
Executive Producer | Carlo Massarella |
Production Company | Windfall Films Ltd |
Broadcasts
- Tue 5 Jul 2022 21:00
- Fri 15 Jul 2022 01:15
- Sun 24 Jul 2022 18:00
- Thu 20 Apr 2023 21:00
- Tue 15 Aug 2023 20:00
- Wed 8 May 2024 20:00³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two except Wales & Wales HD
Featured in...
The Science Behind It All
Learn about amazing scientific discoveries and unravel technological mysteries.