INTRODUCTION

On July 17, 1981, two suspended walkways within the atrium area of the
Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City collapsed leaving 113 people dead and
186 injured. In terms of loss of life and injuries, this was the most
devastating structural collapse ever to take place in the United States.
The Hyatt Regency consists of three main sections: a high-rise section,
a "function block," and a connecting atrium area. As built, three suspended
walkways spanned the atrium at the second, third, and fourth floor levels
and connected the high-rise and function sections. The second floor walkway
was suspended from the fourth floor walkway which was directly above it. In
turn, this fourth floor walkway was suspended from .the atrium roof framing
by a set of six hanger rods. The third floor walkway was offset from the other
two and was independently suspended from the roof framing by another set
of hanger rods.
In the collapse, the second and fourth floor walkways fell to the atrium
floor, with the fourth floor walkway coming to rest on top of the lower
walkway. Most of those killed or injured were either on the first floor level of
the atrium or on the second floor walkway. The third floor walkway was not
involved in the collapse.

CONTENT
a) What and how is (are) the code of ethics violated by the people
involved

(engineers,

management,

local

authority,

government) in the case?

During January and February, 1979, the code of ethics has been violated when the safety
of the people was neglected when there was a changed in the design of the hanger rod
connections in a series of events, where the design from a one-rod to a two-rod system to
simplify the assembly task and doubling the load on the connector, which ultimately
resulted in the walkway collapse. There was also communications controversy and
irresponsible between the fabricator (Havens Steel Company) and the engineering design
team (G.C.E. International, Inc.) where the fabricator claimed that his company (Havens)
telephoned the engineering firm (G.C.E.) for change approval. However, G.C.E. denied.
On October 14, 1979, while the hotel was still under construction, more than 2700 square
feet of the atrium roof collapsed because one of the roof connections at the north end of
the atrium failed. In testimony, G.C.E. stated that, on three separate occasions, they
requested on-site project representation during the construction phase; however, these
2

requests were not acted on by the owner (Crown Center Redevelopment Corporation),
due to additional costs of providing on-site inspection and taking cost benefits. Even as
originally designed, the walkways were barely capable of holding up the expected load,
and would have failed to meet the requirements of the Kansas City Building Code. The
acts had violated when they create an danger environment when ethical behavior is
neglected.
b) What guidance might one (or more) of the engineering society
codes of ethics provide in handling or preventing the event
from happening?
The code of ethics, engineers should use as guidance is that, engineers
shall approve only those engineering documents that are in conformity
with applicable standards. In this case when engineering firm (G.C.E)
give approval to the changes made in the structural drawing design
from single to double hanger rod box beam connection. The
engineering firm agrees to change the design by assuming the
fabricator knows to apply stiffener plates omitted. Stiffener are used to
transfer the vertical loads from rods to the beam webs therefore
preventing buckling, Gillum assume the fabricator that is Havens Steel
Company know to build the stiffener but the fabricator didnt thus
causing the collapse. In addition the walkway was poorly constructed.
October 14th 1979, part of the atrium roof collapsed while the
hotel was under construction. Inspection team was called in, claim no
obligation to check the engineering or design work beyond their scope
work. Ethically the engineering firm should inspect the cause from the
beginning during construction to prevent this tragedy. The inspection
team might not know the engineering work or design of the hotel, but
the engineering firm should take responsibilities to inspect the cause of
collapsed.

This shows the importance of accuracy and details in

engineering design and drawings particularly regarding revisions, and

the costly consequences of neglecting on this matter. The engineer
should always monitor the construction instead of giving all the
3

responsibilities to the constructor of fabricator, because they are not

professional in engineering field.

c) Use ethical theories (utilitarianism, duty and right ethic or

virtue ethic) learn to analyze the case. Consider all possible
elements

that

are

affected

in

the

case.

I.e.

mankind,

environment and society.

Accident happens when constructor of building violate the ethical
theories that should their follow. In this case, we can analyze the case
following the ethical theories in order to see the effect of this case after
the break of the rule in constructing a building. First ethical theories
are utilitarianism which defines as a balance between good and bad
consequence of an action by taking into account the consequence for
everyone affected. Looking in good side, build the walkway for people
to use is one of a good things because it can easy for people to go
through for a position to another. It makes people less tired by walking
up the stairs. The problem is getting bad consequence when the
contractor or engineer does not make it in clean way.
The engineer does not make a calculation during the building of
these walkways. Because of this failure, the walkways are not
supported many people to use it and it giving harm to people so that
this tragedy happens. Engineer is not following the rule to make to
thoroughly check their new design. They thinking of cost benefit by
precede the construction when there is a collapse happen while the
hotel is under construction. They want to make a biggest profit by not
thinking the consequence to other people. They does not stop the
construction because they afraid of losing money. Other ethical
theories are duty ethic and right ethic. Duty and right ethics are
similar. It holds the action is good that respect the right of individual.
As an engineer, they should take an action by seal the papers
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immediately without doing actual calculation to ensure the safety and

practicality

of the

design.

All engineers

that involved in this

construction are violating the deontology propose by duty ethics.

They failed in build the safe building for every people to use.
They also should be responsible for the full version of calculating the
load that the walkways can have yet they just assigning one of team
technician staff to do the calculation with the risk that he may do them
properly or he may not do at all. Every guest of the hotel have their
own right to have good safety in renting the hotel but engineer fail to
build the safety building for all people. Lastly is the virtue ethic which
determines the moral and goodness of person. Engineer that involved
in this case are all immoral as they fail to doing the calculation by
them self and gambling other people lives. They are not diligent
fabricating the building as their fail to follow up about the design
alteration. They also lacked prudence when they did not communicate
well with the fabricator.
d) Analyze the factual, conceptual and moral issues in the case.
Apply either the line-drawing technique or the flow charting
technique to find a solution for the case. Justify the use of your
chosen technique.
The factual issue in this case is the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri was
collapsed on 1981, the 40-story tower after 4 years of design and construction collapsed
at the part of second and fourth floor suspended walkways and 114 people died and over
200 people injured. The conceptual issue in this case is the suspended walkways was
designed to make people move on easier from second floor to fourth floor but the
designer not give an importance on safety parts. The moral issues in this case are the
designer was not responsible on peoples life. They comfort people by telling this
building is safe to use. Designers lied to the people to make profit for them. Flow
charting technique was very helpful for analyzing a variety of cases, especially for the
case which have consequences that flows from each decision.

Owner would like to build suspended walkways in Hyatt Regency

Is that this walkways safety?

NO
Cancel the design

Yes

Cost effective?
Yes

No
Start new project

Start to build

e) What should the people involved (engineers, management, local authority,

government) have done differently?
First, engineers should approve the design change with checking it first not approved
without checking it and should responsibility for safety ranges from design through to
construction and inspection. In this case, engineers approved the design without check it
first. Furthermore, engineers also should reanalysis and recheck all connector designs.
Other than that, engineers should being honest and impartial, and serving with fidelity the
public, their employers and clients. Second, management should give when requested onsite project representation to check all fabrication during the construction phase.
Management also should discuss carefully with others such as owner and architect before
make a decision and being honest to their employers. Third, local authority should
maintain and improve technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for
others only if qualified by training or experience or after full disclosure of pertinent
limitations. Then, government must always conduct and check carefully before approved
the project. Apart from that, government should allow and give tasks to engineers that
who professional and experience.

PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNIQUE

To solve the ethical problem there are few techniques can be used which
understands ethical problems, analysis of issues in ethical problems, line
drawing, flow charting. In order to develop workable ethical problem-solving
technique, we must first look at several theories of ethics in order to have a
framework for decision making. There are four ethical theories which are
utilitarianism, duty ethics, right ethics, right ethics, virtue ethics. The second
technique is analysis of issues in ethical problems. A first step in solving any
ethical problem is to completely understand all of the issues involved. The
issues involved in understanding ethical problems can be split into three
categories which are factual, conceptual and moral. The understanding these
issues help to put an ethical problem in the proper framework and often
helps point the way to a solution. Next is line drawing technique. Line
drawing technique is especially useful for situation in which the applicable
moral principles are clear, but there seems to be a great deal of gray area
about which ethical principle applies. Line drawing is performed by drawing a
line along which various examples and hypothetical situations are placed. At
one end is placed the positive paradigm and the other end is negative
paradigm. The other technique is flow charting. Flowcharting will be helpful
for analyzing a variety of cases, especially those in which there is a sequence
of event to be considered or a series of consequences that flows from each
decision. An advantage of using a flow chart to analyze ethical problems is
that it gives a visual picture of a situation and allows you to readily see the
consequences that flow from each decision.

CONCLUSION
Following the collapse of two suspended walkways within the atrium area of
the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Mayor Richard L. Berkley
formally requested the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) to independently
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ascertain the most probable cause of the collapse. In response to this

request NBS carried out an extensive field investigation to reconstruct events
preceding the collapse and to establish the condition of the walkways at the
time of collapse. This included review of documents related to the design and
construction of the walkways and measurements and inspections of the
debris remaining after the collapse. NBS also conducted comprehensive
laboratory studies of materials and mockups representative of the walkway
construction and laboratory studies of specimens removed from the debris.
These studies were supported by structural analyses of the walkways under
the loading condition believed to have existed at the time of collapse.

REFERENCES
a) Ko, Y.-F. (2010). Concepts and Cases in Engineering Ethics. ETHICS
ACROSS THE CURRICULUM, 1-70.
b) Case study by Nguee Chin Seng on Forensic Structural Engineering
c) Prof. YuFuKo. (2010). The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Walkways
Collapse, Case Studies.
d) "Specifications, Hyatt Regency, Kansas City," PBNDML, Kansas City,
MO, August 1978.
e) "Kansas City Building Code," Kansas City, MO, June 1, 1977.