Wednesday, September 08, 1999
Ky. engineer to review deck crash
'Combination of factors' investigated
BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — A state engineer is expected to join inspectors from Covington's housing department today as they investigate what caused a third-floor West Covington condominium deck to collapse just after the start of Sunday's Riverfest fireworks.
“It's starting to look like it's going to be a combination of factors — things like maintenance, some water infiltration and the distribution of weight,” said Tom Steidel, assistant Covington city manager.
About a dozen people were injured when the deck at 1232 Riverview Place collapsed, and four remain hospitalized. The most seriously hurt was Paula Wagner, 19, of Green Township, who suffered a spinal injury. She was in fair condition Tuesday at University Hospital.
The incident was the Tristate's first known deck collapse since June 17, 1979. On that date, 27 people were injured when a fourth-floor deck at an apartment building in Mount Adams fell one story. The cause of the collapse was wood rot, said David Gecks, assistant director of Cincinnati's Buildings and Inspections Department.
Howard Hodge, Covington's housing director, said an initial inspection of the Riverview Place deck at nighttime showed no signs of wood rot. However, he would not confirm or deny reports from some at the scene that there had been water damage to the deck that collapsed Sunday.
“The investigation is really just beginning,” Mr. Hodge said. He added that Covington's housing department has had no prior problems with the Riverview Place complex where the collapse occurred.
An engineer from the Kentucky Department of Housing and Buildings and Construction will check to see whether the deck met the requirements of the state building code when it was built, said Jill Midkiff, a spokeswoman for Kentucky's Public Protection and Regulation Cabinet, which oversees the department of housing.
Mr. Hodge said Covington's legal staff also is researching ownership of the decks. “It's quite likely that at some point, we'll be asking the owners of the property to have an engineer review their own individual decks,” he said.
Mr. Hodge said city records indicate the deck that collapsed was built in 1988 according to the state building code.
“The plans have the stamp of two licensed architects and a licensed engineer,” Mr. Hodge said. “It appears it was done according to the state building code.”
The deck that collapsed was inspected three times during the construction of the building, with the last inspection occurring just before a certificate of occupancy was issued, Mr. Hodge said.
While Covington decks are inspected when they are built, the city doesn't have the time or money to routinely inspect existing decks, City Manager Greg Jarvis has said.
“It's just not practical,” Mr. Hodge said. “We have about 20,000 structures in the city, and we have seven inspectors.”
Also still hospitalized Tuesday from the deck collapse were Kristi Hacker, 17, of Cincinnati, who was listed in good condition with an injured wrist at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South; Josh Logan, 20, of Cincinnati, who was in fair condition at University Hospital with a broken arm and an internal injury; and Damita Harris, 17, of Cincinnati, who had a fractured pelvis and was listed in good condition at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North in Covington.
Enquirer reporter Mark Curnutte contributed to this story.
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