Wall collapse at old CUB site

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find_bruce
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Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby find_bruce » Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:23 pm

A wall has collapsed at the old CUB site with a man & woman dead and another woman is in a serious condition.

The pics show a pile of bricks across the bike path, so I hope no cyclists were among the dead or injured

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby kukamunga » Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:57 pm

That's really bad..... :shock:

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby il padrone » Thu Mar 28, 2013 6:37 pm

From reports it sounds like they may have been three young people, possibly uni students :( Doesn't sound like they were on bikes.

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby sogood » Thu Mar 28, 2013 7:37 pm

Awfully unlucky to get killed by a falling brick wall. Terrible tragedy!

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby il padrone » Thu Mar 28, 2013 7:49 pm

Apparently it was 3m high and about a 20m section fell. Brick walls are very nasty things when they fall over, more likely to if the wall is inadequately supported. Strong winds today were the last straw for this wall. The wall was here, surrounding the old CUB Brewery site. An old and long wall with quite likely poor support. It's very lucky that only three people were impacted.

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby kukamunga » Fri Mar 29, 2013 1:50 pm

Try dropping one brick onto your head from an outstretched arm above your head, then imagine a whole wall collapsing onto you from twice that height! What the hell was this wall doing there?

I kept hearing quotes on the news along the lines of "the victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time", as if they were to blame in some way

Sorry.... this dangerously unstable wall was in the wrong place - right next to a public thoroughfare. When did "the world's most liveable city" suddenly become a third-world country with no Public & OH&S standards??? "Freak gust of wind" my foot - Grocon are in deep !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! (but I'm sure their lawyers are already onto it)

This tragedy should never have happened!!!

Sympathies to all effected

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby Jimbobtwoshoes » Fri Mar 29, 2013 2:42 pm

The wall from my understanding was heritage listed so they could not knock it down, but the wind picked up quite strongly for a good while yesterday afternoon. Strong enough to make the big bin at my work roll in to the bollards at the front entrance from the car park.

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby il padrone » Fri Mar 29, 2013 3:08 pm

Jimbobtwoshoes wrote:The wall from my understanding was heritage listed so they could not knock it down
This would be very damning for Heritage Victoria if it is actually the true situation.

In no situation should heritage values be allowed to over-ride public safety.

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby Apple » Fri Mar 29, 2013 3:29 pm

il padrone wrote:
Jimbobtwoshoes wrote:The wall from my understanding was heritage listed so they could not knock it down
This would be very damning for Heritage Victoria if it is actually the true situation.

In no situation should heritage values be allowed to over-ride public safety.
I agree :x I think this is a very sad story to read and very upsetting. :(

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby gabrielle260 » Fri Mar 29, 2013 3:42 pm

Just listened to the Planning Minister being interviewed by Neil Mitchell... Turns out the wall wasn't heritage listed. It, however, was a feature of the property as it was a remnant of the original structure built over 100 yrs ago. The wall has been free standing like this since 1987. ( I think the site has been awaiting development since then).
So sad....

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby il padrone » Fri Mar 29, 2013 7:27 pm

Normally a single-brick wall must be built with piers at certain spacings. This is what holds the wall up.

Image


Without such piers the wall is a severe public hazard, particularly if old; particularly if it's 3m high. Some walls do get built without such piers. In my opinion they should be demolished at the first opportunity. It will be very interesting to learn whether this old wall had these piers, or whether it was an old unsupported single-brick structure that had been left as the 'fence' to their property. A time-bomb waiting for the right gust of wind.

:? :evil:

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby find_bruce » Fri Mar 29, 2013 7:42 pm

As I understand it, the interior of the building was demolised something like 20 years ago. The building owner was required to preserve the exterior walls, including making sure they had proper support. Seems like they failed

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby il padrone » Fri Mar 29, 2013 8:59 pm

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victi ... 2gyzb.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Brother deceased, saved his sister, critically injured :cry:

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby Apple » Fri Mar 29, 2013 9:01 pm

il padrone wrote:http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victi ... 2gyzb.html

Brother deceased, saved his sister, critically injured :cry:
So very upsetting, those young lives lost and for the parents. :cry:

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby warthog1 » Sat Mar 30, 2013 1:10 pm

il padrone wrote:http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victi ... 2gyzb.html

Brother deceased, saved his sister, critically injured :cry:
What a son to be proud of. Made me cry reading that.

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby sogood » Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:55 pm

kukamunga wrote:Try dropping one brick onto your head from an outstretched arm above your head...
True that a brick dropped from a height of 3m can be a serious hit. But still, to get killed needs to be a pretty solid hit on the head. Given how a brick wall would collapse, if the victim was close to the base of the wall and reacted by tucking against the wall, most of the bricks would have passed overhead or not have the energy of a 3m free fall. If the victim was a little further out on the footpath, the head may have been spared. Very unfortunate and sad outcome. Hopefully the building industry would learn from it and there won't be any repeats.

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby find_bruce » Sun Mar 31, 2013 3:00 pm

It's very sad that the brothers efforts were in vain :cry:

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby gabrielle260 » Sun Mar 31, 2013 3:06 pm

So sad! As parents, Gabby and I feel for the parents... An unimaginable loss,
Andrew

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby nathan_867 » Mon Apr 01, 2013 8:56 am

Sad to hear that the sister lost her fight. Rip to all three victims :-( a accident that should never have occured

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby kukamunga » Mon Apr 01, 2013 9:08 am

Grocon owned this 3m wall. They built and/or own the tallest buildings in Melbourne, and want to build taller. Stand back, folks.....

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby jules21 » Mon Apr 01, 2013 4:27 pm

kukamunga wrote:Grocon owned this 3m wall. They built and/or own the tallest buildings in Melbourne, and want to build taller. Stand back, folks.....
i've noticed a disturbing trend for some people to exploit personal losses of others for their own political or ideological gain. aside from having nothing to do with cycling, it would be better to wait for the full facts to be established, before pointing fingers, even at union-busting privately owned companies.

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Re: Wall collapse at old CUB site

Postby il padrone » Mon Apr 01, 2013 4:56 pm

Personally I have no ideological nor political agenda, aside from not wanting to have such 'time-bombs' left lying around our streets :(

I think that some level of action may be warranted ahead of an inquest that may be months away.

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