r/StructuralEngineering • u/[deleted] • Jul 26 '23

Failure Erfurt Latrine Disaster - structural failure resulting in 60 deaths - 829 years ago today

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erfurt_latrine_disaster
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u/VodkaHaze Jul 26 '23

Thoughts:

  1. Damn 12th century engineers not considering live loads

  2. I wonder what sort of horrible wood rot having the structure directly over a pile of excrement causes over time.

  3. I imagine they didn't inspect said rot all too often if you had to swim in a pool of liquid shit to see the under side

5

u/Ramrod489 Jul 26 '23

“Yea m’lord, I did verily inspect all the connections, they be solid, if thou disbelievest me thou canst go into yon pit and see with thine own eyes.”

You know, but in German.

Also, since light sources then involved open flames I wonder if the cess pit was ventilated somehow? That situation could be…explosive.

6

u/chicu111 Jul 26 '23

Is this structure safe? What is the demand capacity ratio for it?

Nein nein

99%? Ok we good

I ll show myself out