Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301994281 - Circle Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Baton Rouge Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 3:00 p.m. on February 29, 1999, Employees #1 through #7, of Bayou Land and Marine, were installing a concrete bottom and side wall of a north-south drainage canal. New sheet pilings were installed along the east side of the canal and partially on the west side, which still had some of the original ones in place. Longitudinal beams were erected along the sheeting and vertical members were placed approximately every 10 ft, with horizontal pipe struts spaced every 20 ft. The roadway was then built on top of the pilings. On February 19, 1999, the general contractor (GC) was back-filling a 54 in. pipe on the west side of the slum wall. The GC had to move the beams on top of the canal approximately 15 ft to accomplish this. The beams were replaced and secured in their original positions by the end of the day. On February 22, the GC checked the beams and mats before allowing a tandem dump truck on the bridge to bring in material to cover the pipe. The crane was then moved onto the bridge at the south end of the project, either on that evening or the next morning. On February 23, the GC moved some roadway and placed approximately 130 ft of mat, preparing the area for digging. The only actual work done that day was to pump water out of the canal section. On the day of the accident, the GC asked Bayou Land and Marine to use its crawler crane to pick up a bulldozer from one area, swing it around, walk it north above the canal, and set it down in the center of the canal. The crane operator picked up the dozer and walked it northward, suspended about 2 ft above the matting and with the boom at an approximately 70 degree angle. About halfway to its destination, the beams and the matting started to move. The bridge members collapsed onto the workers, and the crane and dozer crashed into the canal. Employee #1 was killed. Employees #2 through #7 were transported to the hospital, where Employees #4 through #6 were admitted for treatment.

Keywords: STRUCTURE MOVING, COLLAPSE, CANAL, OVERLOADED, CONSTRUCTION, STRUCK BY, BULLDOZER