http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-porch-collapse-0912-20100911,0,6694892.story
Happened today. From the looks of the photos on TV, the deck was connected directly to a brick veneer.
Jeff
This reminds me when I call out that the fasteners are the wrong type and the seller replies “the city inspector passed it and it hasn’t fallen down”.
:roll:
There was another porch collapse this Sunday on the north side (not far from Wrigley) and I just came back from looking at it .
The cleanup guys let me in for photos when I pulled out my state license.(see Licensing helps)
I can post them if anyone has interest.
Post your pics Deck Man
That must have been the porch where there were distinct hazards. It was built back in the early-mid '80s but not up to today’s standards. There were nails used where 1/2" lags were needed, guard posts were notched to fit easier and several other items… including not aging very well.
Post 'em Bob!
Jeff
Where did you get that info Jeff?
Here are a few shots including from the news for comparison.
I was at a Art Fair just blocks from there on Sunday but did not know about it then.
**4 Injured In North Side Porch Collapse
Reporting
Vince Gerasole CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Four people were injured when a second-floor porch collapsed in the Lakeview neighborhood.
CBS
What began as a gathering of friends last night in Lakeview turned potentially tragic when the porch they were standing on collapsed. In all four, people were sent to the hospital – one in critical condition.
CBS 2’s Vince Gerasole talked to a private building inspector who believes the structure wasn’t adequately built for safety.
In an instant, the second-story deck collapsed into a pile of split lumber, sending partygoers crashing into one another and the floor below. Four were eventually rushed to a nearby hospital. Family members say about 20 people had gathered last night for a mellow housewarming party.
"It was a really laid-back party, there was no music, no dancing. There were just people standing around and talking. All of a sudden the porch just came down, " said partygoer Gilad Shanan, whose brother, Avner, just moved into the apartment.
Police officers were back on the scene surveying the damage Sunday morning. The city said the building, a two-flat, did not require a yearly inspection.
Tom Corbett, a private building inspector with TOMCOR, said the porch had deficiencies.
"There are more problems here than there are things that are right with this porch, " he said.
He said a support beam that should be double reinforced according to code split at a post because it wasn’t doubled.
"It’s sloppy, it’s poorly put together – the bolts aren’t big enough, " he said.
He was also troubled that nails, and not bolts, were used to fasten key joints together.
Seven years ago, a Chicago porch collapse killed 13 people. Investigators found it was overloaded with more than 100 partygoers and violated numerous city building codes. Laws were beefed up, but property owners are still responsible for keeping their porches in good repair.
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***A recent report by the 2 Investigators found 628 porch complaints had been filed through late July. Of those, 515 had violations that required repairs. The city urges anyone who suspects a porch may be dangerous to report it to inspectors by calling 311.
In Saturday’s collapse, about 10 people were on the porch, which Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford described as a “party deck,” and rode the porch down as it collapsed.
The porch looks to have separated from the building at the point where the two are connected by a ledger board, Langford said. A definitive cause for the collapse was not immediately known early Sunday, but a problem with the porch’s construction may have factored into the collapse, he said.
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Maybe they’ll call you to be an expert witness. 
Lawsuit Filed In Lakeview Porch Collapse
Do you guys know this inspector on video? He says a way to test for strength is to walk on it and see how much give it has.
There was a 2nd storey balcony collapse in Edmonton, Alberta over the weekend with 5 injured. Did a Canada specific search and found 3 others since early June including one in which two young women were put into induced comas due to their injuries. A much bigger problem than we think!!
Been to plenty of parties on those Chicago decks. The pictures bring some memories.
Are the memories of falling ?
If you read the story I pasted it looks like Will’s Buddy was out there Sunday.He got out there pretty fast.
From what I saw they need to tear down everything.
The porch system was terrible.
Looking at the pictures you can see the posts making earth contact on what they left standing with useless balusters.
The ledger is just nailed in and I did not get to see it before tear down but bet the columns were spliced improperly going to the roof deck portion.
Note in one of my pictures how the concrete footing has no bracket attachments.
I should have picked at the wood in the pile but bet it was rotted.
To sum it up the design was makeshift at best.
Bob Some of us were falling down but not due to deck construction if ya know what I mean.lol
But it is sad that there are too many of those decks that are unsafe.
Just inspected a 2 flat tonight with a stairway pulling from the wall.
I kicked the support post to get my point across when my client wanted to use it.
Yep Chicago porch parties were the bomb and I know what you mean.
The tone of the article makes it sound like the officials are not very concerned.
The whole thing is a disaster.
A stick of dynamite would bring it up to code I bet.