Urban Life

It was a time of celebration at the Kansas City Hyatt on July 17, 1981, 35 years ago. Between 1,500 and 2,000 people were in attendance at the Tea Dance, enjoying the band, the music, the food, the drink and the dance contest. Unfortunately, what began as an evening of celebration would be remembered for the tragic deaths resulting from the most catastrophic failure of a structural connection in the United States. The collapse caused the death of 114 people and the injury of more than 180, and traumatized countless others. The effects were felt throughout Kansas City and the United States and served as a wake-up call to the engineering community.

This event highlights the importance of following appropriate procedures and processes involved in structural engineering. The consequences of a structural failure can be catastrophically high – and can be the result of inattention to details, inadequate quality reviews, and lax shop drawing reviews. The following article describes the events leading to the construction and failure of the Hyatt Regency Skywalks, post-event actions, and lessons learned – especially about quality reviews.