SEAONC Continuing Education Committee presents a case study on
The Collapse of Arecibo Observatory: A Forensic Investigation
Date: Thursday, May 29th, 2025
The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico maintained its status as the world's largest radio telescope and most powerful radar transmitter until its structural failure on December 1, 2020. Recognized internationally and featured in cinematographic works such as "Contact" and "Golden Eye," this scientific installation experienced a terminal structural compromise that represents the sole documented instance of catastrophic failure attributable to zinc spelter socket degradation.
This technical presentation will provide a chronological analysis of the precipitating factors leading to the structural collapse, followed by a comprehensive examination of the investigative findings. The presentation will detail the telescope's design, cable suspension systems, and the characteristics of spelter sockets and their failure modes, drawing on investigations by Thornton Tomasetti for the NSF ("Arecibo Telescope Collapse: Forensic Investigation") and the National Academy of Engineering ("Failure Analysis of the Arecibo Observatory 305-Meter Telescope Collapse").
Agenda:
5:00 - 5:30 pm - Registration + Networking with food/drinks*
5:30 - 7:30 pm -Seminar
*Limited exhibitor opportunities available. Contact the main office at admin@seaonc.org for additional details.
Location: SPUR Urban Center | 654 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Cost:
|
In-person
|
|
|
Virtual
|
|
|
SEAONC Member
|
$75
|
|
Individual
|
$60
|
| Non-member |
$100 |
|
Firm registration (up to 5 attendees)
|
$250
|
|
Student Members
|
$30
|
|
Firm registration (more than 5 attendees)
|
$400
|
Registration Deadline: In-person registrations must be made by 12 PM PST on 5/28, virtual registrations must be made by 12 PM PST on 5/29
Speaker:
John Abruzzo
John Abruzzo serves as a principal investigator in Thornton Tomasetti's Forensics division, where he functions as a testifying expert, project director, engineer of record, and technical supervisor. Mr. Abruzzo possesses extensive professional experience in the investigation of structural failures involving infrastructure components including bridges, construction cranes, stadiums, and commercial buildings. His professional portfolio encompasses emergency response protocols, litigation consultation, construction defect assessment, blast mitigation strategies, and deconstruction engineering methodologies. His technical specializations include forensic information modeling, blast analysis, nonlinear analytical methods, materials testing protocols, data acquisition systems, soil-structure interaction analysis, and structural element performance evaluation.
In relation to the Arecibo Observatory incident, Mr. Abruzzo developed technical procedures for the failure replacement of the ruptured cables and, subsequent to the collapse, supervised remediation services to reestablish site safety while conducting a comprehensive investigation into the failure's causal mechanisms.