2 - Modern Steel Construction

Quake, Cont.
structures, some damage was also
observed to newer unreinforced
masonry structures and relatively
modern concrete-frame structures.
Among the latter was the Newcastle
Worker's Club, in which 10
people were killed. The other two
fatalities were caused by collapsing
awnings in a neighboring district.
Newcastle Worker's Club
The central business district of
ewcastle sustained the heaviest
damage. The most catastrophic failure
was the ewcastJe Worker'S
Club, where a section built in 1972
collapsed.
The Worker's Club was really
two buildings: an older, unreinforced
masonry section and a
newer (1972) non-ductile concreteframe
section. The newer building
was four stories tall, with parking
STEEL NEWS
Dmm'gl' at Newcastle
T AFE Col/"8e weiud,'tI
malllj fallt·" para/Jets and
!'>Om£' tie/all/mated wall ..
alUt .. Iu'llr rracks.
below grade. It was constructed as
a concrete "waffle" slab supported
by square concrete columns at approximately
20 fect on center. The
roof was corrugated metal over
wood purl ins and steel trusses.
The concrete waffle slabs and the
concrete block retaining wall that
failed were heavily reinforced,
which may have caused a brittle
failure mode. Also, the large reinforcing
bars that were used left Iit-
tie room for grout in the concrete
block cells.
The collapse appears to have
started in the basement with the
failure of the load-bearing retaining
wall. This failure caused the
supporting columns to fail, pulling
down the western edge of the
building. The roof. spanning clear
from the west to the cast side of the
building, collapsed entirely, leav-
Continued on page 16
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