Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse - Background

Background

The construction of the 40-story Hyatt Regency Kansas City began in May 1978. Despite delays and setbacks, including an incident on October 14, 1979 where 2,700 square feet (250 m2) of the atrium roof collapsed due to the failure of one of the connections at the northern end, the hotel officially opened on July 1, 1980.

One of the defining features of the hotel was its lobby, which featured a multistory atrium spanned by steel, glass and concrete walkways on the second, third and fourth levels suspended from the ceiling. The walkways were approximately 120 ft (37 m) long and weighed approximately 64,000 lb (29,000 kg). The fourth level walkway aligned directly above the second level walkway.

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