Investigation of a Tower Crane Collapse in } San Francisco, California- November 28, 1989 U.S. Department of Labor ‘Occupational Safety and Health Administration May 1990Investigation of a Tower Crane Collapse in San Francisco, California- November 28, 1989 Fiabe Dole Senta ‘Occupational Safety and Health Administration Gerard F. Scannell, Assistant Office of Construction and Engineering ‘Mohammad Ayub Fragrance Liu David Lashgart George Poneros Charles Culver May 1990ABSTRACT this report presents the results of an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse of a tower crane in San Francisco, California on November 28, 1989. The failure occurred when the crane was being raised or "climbed" to increase its working height. The investigation included a detailed inopection of the collapacd structure, review of eyewitness accounts of the collapse, laboratory tests and computer analyses of the structure. The cause of the failure was overloading of structural members in the tover due to rotation of the crane during the climbing operation. The rotation was likely due to adjustments being made to the climbing section that involved powered slewing of the crane. The computer analysis indicated the structure was sensitive to rotation of the superstructure during the climbing operation. The results of the computer analysis were consistent with the mode of failure of the structure. A preexisting crack in a connection plate and a structural member and brittle behavior of the materials associated with the welding details may have contributed to the failure. Keywords: Accident; collapse; crane; construction failure; steel structure. ili