Parking Garage Collapse Injures Two Workers

A partially built parking garage collapsed in February at University Hospital in San Antonio, injuring two construction workers, one critically.  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is conducting an investigation on the collapse.  Emergency air horns alerted 120 other workers, who fled from the collapsing structure, according to MySanAntonio.com. The garage was being erected near the intersection of Medical Drive and Wurzbach Road at the time of the construction accident.Zachry Vaughn Layten is the company overlooking the construction project, which is part of a $900 million expansion at University Hospital.“The garage project is shut down until we have completed an independent analysis of what happened—and can be assured that it won’t happen again,” said Mike Webb, vice president of facilities development and project management for the University Health System.Observers of the construction accident reported hearing two loud crashes.  Jeff Johnson, Project Executive for Zachry Vaughn Layten, says that 12 to 15 concrete columns collapsed in the construction site accident.  They apparently crushed downward, and then caused the garage to collapse onto it, which would explain why witnesses heard two crashes.  The columns were approximately 6 to 7 stories high.One board member from the University Health System asked Webb if he thought they were pushing too fast on the expansion project, trying to get it done on time.“We’re moving as fast as we can, as safely as we can,” Webb replied.Officials will not have a clear answer as to the cause of the construction accident until some of the debris is able to be cleared.“When today’s failure occurred, Development Services Department immediately dispatched its building inspections supervisor to the site in order to determine the cause of the failure,” said T.C. Broadnax, San Antonio Assistant City Manager. “DSD has indicated that a failure of this nature is either a failure in structural design or it is a failure in the construction process.  At present, they do not know if it was a design or construction failure.”“There is no one person who knows what caused this,” Webb continued. “That is why we’re bringing out the forensic engineers.  We don’t want to speculate and put things out there that may be rumors.”

Closing Arguments Bring Tears in Construction Accident Civil Trial

On April 8, Travis County District Judge Scott Jenkins heard final arguments in a civil trial involving a construction accident, which lead to the wrongful death of three workers.  The scaffold collapse occurred on the University of Texas’ west campus in Austin, where the workers were erecting a condominium. A scaffold collapse lead to the death of the workers.The widow of deceased worker Raudel Ramirez Cervitos, as well as the two children he left behind, traveled from Mexico to attend the trial.  The mother of deceased worker of Joel Irias Cervitos made the trip from Honduras to attend.Judge Jenkins offered is condolences to the victim’s family members and mentioned losing a son of his own three years ago.  Jenkins and the family members began to tear up in the emotional closing arguments.“The one thing that helped us heal is to love, is to love more,” Jenkins said. “I hope you’re able to do that.”Lawyers representing the families of the victims argue that the scaffold—that American Mast Climber designed—was built without an inspection from a safety engineer. Investigators determined that a rusty bolt had given out on the scaffold prior to its collapse in the construction accident.Greater Metroplex Interiors was the other third party company contracted to work on the construction project. American Mast Climber claims that Greater Metroplex Interiors misused the scaffolding.  Greater Metroplex Interiors and another third party company working on the project, Andres Construction, agreed to a $2.8 million settlement with the families.