Photos of buildings with heavy damage

February 21, 2018

Photos by Eduardo Fierro.


Fig. 1. 5-year-old construction collapsed at 1st-2nd floors. Light concrete frame with masonry infill.	Fig. 2. Partial collapse of unreinforced rubble stone retaining wall.	Fig. 3. Landslides on slopes around Port-au-Prince. Many rubble or unreinforced masonry retaining walls failed.



Fig. 4. Downed utility pole due to landslide. Power lines and transformer down with oil and PCBs leaking on roadway.	Fig. 5. Overview of devastation of hillside shanties. Landslides may have contributed to collapses near center of photo. Construction at upper right on wider terraces appears intact.	Fig. 6. Presidential Palace in Port-au-Prince. Much of first floor still intact with windows unbroken. Complete collapse above first floor.



Fig. 7. Presidential Palace. Building E-shaped in plan. Very light reinforcing evident in failed columns near entry.	Fig 8. Street scene showing collapse of downslope buildings at left. Buildings at right all intact.	Fig. 9. Close-up of inadequate reinforcing in columns at top floor in recent construction.



Fig. 10. Collapsed corner building and structures on either side intact.	Fig. 11. Collapsed corner building: close-up of smooth hairpin reinforcing 1bar.	Fig. 12. Collapsed corner building: undersized smooth bars.



Fig. 13. 5-story confined masonry building: collapse due to soft 1st story, short columns at 2nd story, and perhaps inadequate splices of column bars.	Fig. 14. 5-story bldg: close-up of 2nd and 3rd floor beam-column joints without shear reinforcement (2nd flr joint and much of 2nd floor column intact with shear crack indicating top of masonry infill).	Fig. 15. Close-up at joint. Note smooth column bars, deformed beam bars and no hoops.



Fig. 16. 4-story unfinished concrete building collapse Failure due to open front, undersized columns, heavy slabs, and inadequate reinforcing.	Fig. 17. 4-story collapse: close-up of corner “column” at 2nd and 3rd floors.	Fig. 18. 4-story collapse: close-up 3rd story beam-column joint showing small, smooth bars and no hoops. Appears column bars may be lapped in the joint (see tie wires).



Fig. 19. Collapsed 2- or 3-story reinforced concrete building.	Fig. 20. Unreinforced masonry building with mix of brick, concrete block and rubble stone. Appears 2nd story collapsed.	Fig. 21. Towers collapsed in Port-au-Prince Cathedral. Remains of steel framing evident at base of left tower.



Fig. 22. Cathedral collapse: roof completely collapsed. Note steel framing in wreckage and unusual reinforcing in dangling columns.	Fig. 23. Cathedral collapse: dangling column.	Fig. 24. Cathedral collapse: close-up of flat bars (est. 1/16″x1″) used to tie longitudinal steel together.



Fig. 26. Building abandoned prior to earthquake. Large expanse of roof currently unsupported but hanging somehow.	Fig. 26. Unreinforced masonry building with mix of brick and rubble stone. Front wall still standing but daylight visible through window at left indicates roof collapsed.	Fig. 27. Concrete and masonry at 1st floor with wood framing and corrugated metal panel siding above. Collapse of front and side wall and missing floor.


Fig. 28. 2nd floor column damage. Columns restrained by concrete handrail (short columns) and one damaged by pounding from stairway of adjacent building.		Fig. 29. Close-up of short column failure. Bars undersized, smooth, and no sign of hoops. Suspect use of beach sands in concrete may contribute to corrosion.