Cordele Dispatch, Cordele, GA

July 2, 2009

Station says support beam failure caused collapse


ATLANTA (AP) — The owner of a parking deck that partially collapsed this week has told an Atlanta television station it was caused by a support beam that fell out of place.



David Tyndall of Gateway Development told WSB-TV that the horizontal beam, know as a spandrel, was designed to hold up floor sections of the deck.



He said when the beam popped out on Monday, it allowed sections of the fifth floor to collapse onto the floor below.



Tyndall said structural engineers will have to determine why it happened.



Atlanta Fire and Rescue spokesman Bobby Stewart said Wednesday 169 cars, including those not damaged, have been removed from the lot, but hundreds remain.



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Information from: WSB-TV, http://www.wsbtv.com/index.html