TV Antenna Collapse (Texas A&M University Engineering Ethics Cases)

In 1982, TV Antenna Tower collapsed killing several people. The catastrophe was captured on film, and the film record aided the investigation in ascertaining the cause of the incident. The case illustrates how a short sighted concern to avoid legal liability may undermine an engineer's ability to fulfill his or her responsibility, to ensure safety on the construction site, and lead to negligence

The case is particularly well suited for integration into statics, construction engineering and structures courses. Detailed diagrams of the antenna design and photographs of the collapsed tower sections are included in the www version of the case.

TV Antenna Collapse Case (opens in new window) maintained by Texas A&M University.

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