PITTSBURGH, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Cold weather played a key role in the collapse of a floor section this month at a Pittsburgh convention center, investigators have concluded.
An investigation by an independent engineer found that the Feb. 5 accident at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center was mainly due to frigid temperatures, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said.
Engineer Gary Panariello said single-digit temperatures caused the welding around an expansion joint of a steel beam to rip apart, leading to the collapse of a section of the second floor.
Workers have subsequently repaired four similar steel connections within the convention center to ensure such a failure does not occur again.
Sports & Exhibition Authority official Mary Conturo, whose company owns the center, told the Tribune-Review the center will open March 9 for the first time since the collapse.
