Analysis of Causes of Failure and Collapse of the 305-Meter Telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

美国国家科学院、工程和医学研究院(NASEM)、基础设施和建筑环境委员会(BICE)将召集一个特设研究委员会，对2020年12月在波多黎各阿雷西博巴里奥·埃斯佩兰扎由NSF支持的阿雷西博天文台的305米望远镜的故障和坍塌进行独立评估。2020年12月1日，阿雷西博天文台的305米望远镜发生灾难性故障，导致900吨重的平台和支撑塔结构倒塌和破坏。在此之前，2020年8月10日，4号塔的一根辅助电缆从连接器上拔出，同一座塔的一根主电缆于2020年11月6日发生故障。为了支撑格里高利穹顶的附加重量，在20世纪90年代的S建筑中增加了辅助索。2020年12月事件的细节和视频，以及在坍塌之前准备的工程总结，可以在以下网站上找到：https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/arecibo/.NASEM研究委员会将发布一份报告，解释故障的原因和可能的原因(S)，并就防止其他科研设施未来受到类似损害的措施提出建议。在为期12个月的研究结束时，委员会将发布一份NASEM报告，该报告将在NASEM网站上提供，其中将介绍委员会的分析、调查结果和建议。由八名成员组成的NASEM研究委员会将评估阿雷西博设施的环境、物理和设计考虑因素，以及可能导致2020年12月故障的行政或管理做法。该委员会的报告将深入了解张拉索结构在多种危险环境和荷载条件下的性能，例如腐蚀、蠕变以及波多黎各最近发生的飓风和地震事件。该研究还将确定可供考虑的行动和最佳做法，以限制或防止其他大型设施损坏或故障。它还将评估可能导致失败的监督和管理政策和做法，包括在建造和维修期间选择和采购承包商、维护规划和监督、检查和结构审查。根据这一分析，委员会的研究报告可能对为NSF支持的科学研究设施建立物理条件、完整性和功能的监督和响应行动的最佳实践，包括设计生命周期结束的考虑因素产生影响，并可能为仍在服务于科学目的的旧的或设计寿命之外的研究基础设施的重大资本重组的决策过程提供洞察。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment (BICE), will convene an ad hoc study committee to conduct an independent assessment of the December 2020 failure and collapse of the 305-Meter Telescope at the NSF-supported Arecibo Observatory in Barrio Esperanza, Arecibo, Puerto Rico. On December 1, 2020 the 305-meter telescope at the Arecibo Observatory suffered a catastrophic failure, which resulted in the collapse and destruction of the 900-ton platform and supporting tower structures. This followed the loss of an auxiliary cable which pulled away from its connector at Tower 4 on August 10,2020, and a main cable failure on same tower on November 6, 2020. The auxiliary cables were added in the 1990's to support the added weight of the Gregorian dome. Details and video of the December 2020 event, as well as an engineering summary prepared before the collapse, can be found at the following web site: https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/arecibo/. The NASEM study committee will issue a report explaining the contributing factors and probable cause(s) of the failure and recommendations for measures to prevent similar damage to other scientific research facilities in the future. At the end of the twelve-month study, the committee will issue a single NASEM report, which will be available on the NASEM web site, that will present the committee's analysis, findings, and recommendations.The eight-member NASEM study committee will assess the environmental, physical, and design considerations for the Arecibo facility as well as administrative or management practices that may have been contributing factors to the December 2020 failure. The committee's report will provide insight on the performance of tensioned-cable structures under multi-hazard environmental and loading conditions, such as corrosion, creep, and the recent hurricane and earthquake events in Puerto Rico. The study will also identify actions and best practices for consideration to limit or prevent other large facility damage or failure. It will also assess oversight and management policies and practices that may have been contributing factors to the failure, including contractor selection and procurement during construction and repair, maintenance planning and oversight, inspection, and structural review. Drawing from this analysis, the committee's study report may have implications for establishing best practices for oversight and response actions for the physical condition, integrity, and function, including end of design life considerations, for NSF-supported scientific research facilities and may provide insight into decision processes for major recapitalization of older, or beyond design-life, research infrastructure still serving scientific purpose.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.