Palace II, Residential tower in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Palace II was a residential tower on the beachfront of Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro, completed in 1995. The structure rose to about 460 feet (140 meters) with 22 floors holding 176 apartments, roughly 120 of which were occupied at the time.
Construction began in 1990 under architect Sérgio Naya and took five years to complete. The tower collapsed entirely in February 1998, prompting major changes to Brazilian building codes and inspection procedures.
The Palace II collapse in 1998 changed construction regulations in Brazil, leading to stricter building codes and inspection requirements.
The site of the former tower is now part of the beachfront landscape in Barra da Tijuca. Visitors to the area will see modern residential buildings along the waterfront, all constructed under updated safety standards.
Engineers found that beach sand had been used in the concrete mixture, a practice that severely weakens structural strength. The support columns were hollow inside, contributing to the catastrophic instability of the entire frame and causing the rapid collapse.
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