Sebastian Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Just saw the blurb on CNN International here - wow ! But I wonder how it caught fire? Fireworks, paper flying lanterns, or something else? Anyone catch some news? Link to comment
lostness Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 I saw this on MSNBC: Li Jian said he saw smoke arising from the 44-story hotel's roof shortly after a huge burst of fireworks showered it with sparks, though it was not clear if they started the fire. "Smoke came out for a little while but then it just started burning," Li said. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29099358/ Link to comment
IllinoisDave Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 A modern building ignited by fireworks? Seems incredible. What a shame. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahTNjmY7EpA Link to comment
IllinoisDave Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 A modern building ignited by fireworks? Seems incredible. What a shame. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahTNjmY7EpAIt was being built. Probably wrapped in that green fabric they use to keep dust down?Ah, you're probably right. For some reason I thought it was farther along. Yep, that green stuff would go up fast. Link to comment
Cerberus Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 A modern building ignited by fireworks? Seems incredible. What a shame. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahTNjmY7EpAIt was being built. Probably wrapped in that green fabric they use to keep dust down?Ah, you're probably right. For some reason I thought it was farther along. Yep, that green stuff would go up fast. How about the normal solvents, paint, and/or other normal flammables found in any construction site? The sad part is that the Beijing city government, released normal firework controls for the Chinese New Year. I suppose that hind-sight is 20-20. Foresight, is 20-400. Whatever reason; seems very sad. Not a has a single guest checked in yet, and goes up in flames. Link to comment
IllinoisDave Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 A modern building ignited by fireworks? Seems incredible. What a shame. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahTNjmY7EpAIt was being built. Probably wrapped in that green fabric they use to keep dust down?Ah, you're probably right. For some reason I thought it was farther along. Yep, that green stuff would go up fast. How about the normal solvents, paint, and/or other normal flammables found in any construction site? The sad part is that the Beijing city government, released normal firework controls for the Chinese New Year. I suppose that hind-sight is 20-20. Foresight, is 20-400. Whatever reason; seems very sad. Not a has a single guest checked in yet, and goes up in flames.Very sad. And ya have to wonder what they'll do now. Will the concrete shell that's left even be usable? Will they have to tear down the whole thing and start from scratch? What a waste. Link to comment
Guest Tony n Terrific Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Concrete does not burn to well however the reinforcement (steel does) Hopefully this is torn down and rebuilt. China does not need another castrophe a year ir two down the road and the blame game that will go along with it. Link to comment
Cerberus Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 A modern building ignited by fireworks? Seems incredible. What a shame. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahTNjmY7EpAIt was being built. Probably wrapped in that green fabric they use to keep dust down?Ah, you're probably right. For some reason I thought it was farther along. Yep, that green stuff would go up fast. How about the normal solvents, paint, and/or other normal flammables found in any construction site? The sad part is that the Beijing city government, released normal firework controls for the Chinese New Year. I suppose that hind-sight is 20-20. Foresight, is 20-400. Whatever reason; seems very sad. Not a has a single guest checked in yet, and goes up in flames.Very sad. And ya have to wonder what they'll do now. Will the concrete shell that's left even be usable? Will they have to tear down the whole thing and start from scratch? What a waste. Speaking from a nondestructive testing technology; Doubtful. Concrete has been exposed to temperature extremes and most probably went beyond what is would be considered safe load bearing levels, by any sane engineer. Same as the reinforcing rebar within the concrete. How could you test it to insure peak efficiency to insure it met building load standards just to keep the building erect later (5 to 10 years as a minimum)? The Twin Towers in 9/11 suffered the same fate when the terrorists crashed their jets into it. The flame retardant on rebars and/or main steel superstructure was stripped away, high heat was applied to the steel and the buildings sadly collapsed. I looked at photos today of the building when I saw the news. The building had the superstructure installed and floors were installed around the superstructure. However, no walls. I strongly suspect that the heat would have been direct against the superstructure and the concrete surrounding them. Therefore, what happened to the concrete also affected the rebar within the concrete. You cannot check for one, without checking the other that is already encased in the concrete. Hence, you have to break the concrete loose to check the steel superstructure Once the metallurgy of the steel and temperature of the concrete had been altered, no sane engineer would ever pass this building as "sound." Somehow, I suspect that the projected estimated costs will go right out of sight. Fire effected areas will have to be totally removed and rebuilt. Hopefully, since fire travels upwards; only the top floors at the upper extremities will have to be replaced. Not the entire building. I suspect not a total loss. What I have missed and looked for; was their any loss of life? I haven't seen anything. Any word? I do have one prayer.... Lord, Let the loss of life be minimal, and give comfort to the builders in their time of need. Thanks are to you, that hopefully no one was killed. Lord, one final request that no comparison is made of shoddy work Chinese workmanship, subterfuge about Chinese bricks be made from this fire, or affiliation to the Sichauan earthquake in school buildings and shoddy workmanship. Amen. Dave Link to comment
whome? Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 How about the normal solvents, paint, and/or other normal flammables found in any construction site? The sad part is that the Beijing city government, released normal firework controls for the Chinese New Year. I suppose that hind-sight is 20-20. Foresight, is 20-400. Whatever reason; seems very sad. Not a has a single guest checked in yet, and goes up in flames. Every year in Mobile AL houses and cars get hit by stray bullets fired in the air at New Year's. One year a little child was hit and killed. Every year the police would ask people to remember that shooting of guns into air is dangerous and anyone found doing so would be prosecuated. Didn't help. No country or government is better than another. Link to comment
Cerberus Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Whome, Definitely agree. Same problem with LA or SF. Stray bullets are during New Years are rampant. Kind of sad that Beijing lowered the fire standards during a good part of the year and ended up with a building loss. You can hear the voices now. Beijing and/or CCP is too tight and constrains our freedom during our Chinese New Year and celebration. Hence, Beijing went liberal and ended up with one lost building, not to mention insurance costs to the builder, economic impact, the loss of jobs to construction workers at the site and future employees, etc, etc, etc. Link to comment
whome? Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Whome, Definitely agree. Same problem with LA or SF. Stray bullets are during New Years are rampant. Kind of sad that Beijing lowered the fire standards during a good part of the year and ended up with a building loss. You can hear the voices now. Beijing and/or CCP is too tight and constrains our freedom during our Chinese New Year and celebration. Hence, Beijing went liberal and ended up with one lost building, not to mention insurance costs to the builder, economic impact, the loss of jobs to construction workers at the site and future employees, etc, etc, etc. See this story. http://english.sina.com/china/2009/0209/217212.html Link to comment
IllinoisDave Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 See this story. http://english.sina.com/china/2009/0209/217212.html When I went to bed last night there hadn't been any casualties. This makes it a whole other ballgame. I'm afraid somebody at CCTV will pay for this with his/her freedom or even life. A very sad situation. Link to comment
Sebastian Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 WOW. CCTV contracted out for this fireworks display.... And this hotel was in the CCTV plaza (I'm usually geographically challenged until I can understand a map). Ya, methinks heads will roll on this one. Link to comment
IllinoisDave Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 WOW. CCTV contracted out for this fireworks display.... And this hotel was in the CCTV plaza (I'm usually geographically challenged until I can understand a map). Ya, methinks heads will roll on this one.And "owners of the property ignored police warnings that fireworks were not allowed." Yikes!! That wouldn't look good in a court in ANY country. Link to comment
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