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HP Palmtop contributes to safety of rescue workers
HP Palmtop contributes to safety of rescue workers
By Richard Hall
One of the main concerns in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing
was the safety of survivors remaining in the wreckage, as well as the safety
of fire fighters, rescue workers, and law enforcement personnel in the
building. The Federal Building was badly damaged and continued to shift.
There was a very real concern that additional portions of the building
might collapse.
Digital Inclinometer: Graphic
To insure the safety of those involved, emergency response structural
engineering teams arrived early in the disaster and continually assessed
the stability of the building.
One of the ways structural engineers assessed the danger of collapse
was by using a device called a digital inclinometer. These electronic levels
were strapped to support columns, walls, etc., in the building and indicated
in fractions of degrees the angle at which these parts of the building
were leaning. Changes in the angles were monitored closely and rescue crews
were warned as necessary.
Support columns in buildings are designed to bear weight coming straight
down on them. If because of the sinking of the foundation, or the effects
of some natural or man-made disaster they are caused to lean, their ability
to support weight dramatically decreases. The angle at which the support
columns in the Federal Building were leaning was a measure of how much
of the remaining weight they could bear, which areas of the building were
particularly dangerous, and an indicator of when parts of the structure
needed to be shored up.
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