Failure of building Rana Plaza - Case study
Failure due to overloading, poor soil stability, illegal construction, poor quality materials, design errors and inadequate design approach
2. INTRODUCTION
♦ Rana Plaza collapse was a structural failure that occurred on 24
April 2013 in Savar of Dhaka District, Bangladesh
♦ Also known as Savar building collapse
♦ Deadliest garment-factory accident in history
♦ The building contained clothing factories, a bank, apartments,
and several shops
♦ Owned by Sohel Rana
♦ 78% of country’s total export
♦ More than 4000 people working inside the building
2
3. BUILDING DESCRIPTION
♦ Opened in August 2009
♦ Eight-story building with ninth story under construction
♦ Rectangular in shape with glass façade entrance
♦ Two stair towers near the rear side
♦ 1st and 2nd floors rented by offices, shops and banks
♦ 3rd to 8th floor were rented by garment manufacturers
♦ Diesel generators were located at top floors
3
4. BUILDING DESCRIPTION [Cont.]
♦ Built on filled-up pond – weak foundation
♦ Cast-in-place concrete and steel reinforcement
♦ Simple design with flat slab supported by typical beams and
columns
4
8. CAUSES OF FAILURE
♦ Unsuitable land for multi-story construction.
♦ Use of poor quality construction materials.
♦ Loads placed on the building that were not within design
criteria.
♦ Poor regulation and enforcement of building codes.
♦ High demand within the garment market
8
9. CONCLUSIONS
♦ Building had structural integrity issues due to
→ Weak soil foundation beneath
→ Use of poor quality materials during construction
→ Increased loads due to additional floors
→ Change in occupancy type from the design
→ Roof top generators
→ Improper inspection and regulation of building system
9