Abstract: “Building and operating cutting-edge, custom-designed research facilities presents unique challenges, where prior designs and experience may not be a reliable guide and unprecedented modes of failure can never be fully anticipated. In 2020, the National Science Foundation’s telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico collapsed, impacting the work of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center. Failure Analysis of the Arecibo Observatory 305-Meter Telescope Collapse analyzes the causes of the collapse through extensive review of prior forensic investigations, information gathering from employees at Arecibo Observatory, study of relevant research, consultations with other experts, and examination of structural analyses, engineering plans, inspection reports, photographs, and repair proposals. This report presents lessons learned and makes recommendations to help ensure the safe operation of other unique, critical science facilities.”
Bart Kemper, PE, DFE was selected to be one of the peer reviewers for this publication from the National Academies Press. He was selected for his in-depth understanding of civil engineering, mechanical engineering, failure analysis, and structural dynamics. It is a fascinating problem, with the world’s largest transmitter being mounted on a system with no redundancy on an island mountain prone to hurricanes. The design was developed in the 1970s and costructed in the 1980’s without our current engineering tools and understanding of wind-driven dynamics. As just one example, the wind loads from ASCE 07 in 1988 was 95 mph for the entire island. Today, the island is broken up into more discrete geography-based speeds ranging from 150 mph to 170 mph. Bart felt honored to be selected to volunteer to assist with this publication.
Oskvig, Cameron C. “Analysis of Causes of Failure and Collapse of the 305-Meter Telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.” NSF Award Number 2135084. Directorate for Engineering 21, no. 2135084 (2021): 35084. Also print-on-demand through Amazon.
Cover to the National Academies Press book, “Failure Analysis of the Arecibo Observatory 305-Meter Telescope Collapse”
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