Event planners know ordering personalized materials should be done with plenty of time to review. Careful review of proofs is necessary for total accuracy, and the satisfaction of our customers. Don’t be hard on yourself for being a perfectionist and demanding the best your money can buy. Most groundbreaking ceremonies go off without hic-ups however history has seen its share of mishaps. The results of these accidents were more serious than misprinting ceremonial shovels: 4 groundbreaking ceremonies gone terribly wrong didn’t have a problem with the shovels.
Groundbreakings are ancient architectural rituals performed, sometimes along with the “laying of the cornerstone” ceremony, and are meant to be a dedication of the ground before building, and an exchange is made, symbolically, for the good fortune of the project. Today groundbreaking ceremonies are popular, fun events that retain the classic elements of this somewhat superstitious custom, and CeremonialSupplies.com is the best online shop to get the perfect ceremonial groundbreaking shovels, groundbreaking ceremony accessories such as shovel stand, personalized hard hat, printed safety vests, logo-printed masks, construction plaques, gifts, and more. Put your best foot forward when organizing a groundbreaking ceremony for your company or firm’s building and shop CeremonialSupplies.com for all your groundbreaking and grand opening events. We bring you a brief recap of serious calamities at four groundbreaking ceremonies gone terribly wrong!
Hyatt Regency Kansas City Walkway Collapse, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri was hosting a tea dance on July 17, 1981 during the groundbreaking ceremony. The event was being held in the hotel's atrium, which had suspended walkways. During the groundbreaking ceremony the suspended walkways collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 114 people and injuring over 200. The tragedy was attributed to a design flaw in the walkway support system. It remains one of the deadliest structural collapses in U.S. history.
The L'Ambiance Plaza Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA
The L’Ambiance Plaza was a 16-story residential building that partially collapsed on April 23, 1987 shortly before its “top ing-out” ceremony on the same day. Prior to the ceremony, the building's construction crane collapsed, killing 28 construction workers and injuring 22. The collapse was due to a failure in the lifting mechanism, leading to the weight of the crane's load pulling the crane over. Rescue workers searched the wreckage for days, and 22 workers were injured along with those who died. It’s considered the deadliest building collapse in the state’s history. Bridgeport officials, labor leaders and families of victims led a procession to the spot, where a statue of a construction worker stands to mark the site.
Taipei 101 Building, Taiwan (2002)
The groundbreaking ceremony for Taipei 101, the iconic skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, took place on January 13, 1999. The construction of the building began shortly after the groundbreaking ceremony and on December 15, 2002, the Taipei 101 building caught fire on the 56th floor, near the top of what had been constructed thus far. The cause of the fire was attributed to welding operations that ignited flammable materials. Firefighters responded to the incident, and it took several hours to bring the blaze under control. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the fire caused significant damage to the upper floors of the building. The construction of Taipei 101 was eventually completed, and it officially opened in 2004 as the tallest building in the world, and held the title of the world’s tallest building until it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.
Brazilian Stadium Collapse, Brazil
During the construction of the Arena Corinthians stadium, which was being built in Sao Paulo for the 2014 FIFA World Cup of Soccer (Futbol), a crane collapsed during the groundbreaking ceremony of the stadium, causing significant damage to the stadium’s roof. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of two workers and caused delays in the construction schedule. Imagine being in attendance of the stadium’s groundbreaking ceremony and seeing the collapse of one of the cranes!
Groundbreaking ceremonies and grand openings are celebratory events filled with fun and excitement, and on the average, usually the worst things that have been known to happen are a misspelled engraving. When you plan your next groundbreaking ceremony, shop CeremonialSupplies.com for all your needs, from quality crafted personalized groundbreaking shovels, shovel stands, construction accessories like personalized hard hats, personalized construction safety vests, stanchions, crowd posts and rope, custom printed event carpets, logo printed mats, logo printed tablecloths, extra-wide grand opening ribbon, company embroidered wear, plaques, trophies, and much more! You will love our wide selection, our wallet-friendly prices, our knowledgeable and helpful customer service, and our swift shipping. Click here for a quote.