The Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse - Kansas City, Missouri 1981

About this episode

The episode explores the tragic Hyatt Regency skywalk disaster, detailing its causes, survivor experiences, and the impact on engineering standards.

Discover the tragic and complex story behind the deadliest structural collapse in U.S. history up to 2001 — the 1981 Hyatt Regency skywalk disaster in Kansas City. Join Megan and Mindy as they delve into the events, survivors' stories, engineering failures, and the haunting legacy that still echoes today. Main Topics Covered: The construction, architecture, and design flaws of the Hyatt Regency Hotel The night of the collapse: timeline, chaos, and rescue efforts The investigation, legal fallout, and changes in engineering safety standards Survivor stories: trauma, heroism, and community impact The ongoing legacy and memorial efforts to honor victims Key Investigative & Technical Resources National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Investigation Report : The definitive government investigation (NBSIR 82-2465) detailing the structural failure mechanism. Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) Case Study : Detailed engineering analysis of the connection failure. ASCE Library (Vol 16, No 3) : An analysis of the structural failure and the faulty redesign. UNT Digital Library - NBS Investigation : The full text of the official NBS report on the collapse. Online Ethics Center…

People in this episode

Hosts: Megan Owens, Mindy Johnson

Topics covered

• structural collapse
• engineering failures
• survivor stories
• legal fallout
• community impact
• memorial efforts

Keywords

• Hyatt Regency
• skywalk disaster
• Kansas City
• structural failure
• engineering ethics
• survivor stories
• legal investigation
• community impact

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, ASCE Library, UNT Digital Library, Online Ethics Center at UVA, University of Florida Library

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