Case Study: National Science Foundation manages Arecibo Telescope recovery and forensic investigation with Thornton Tomasetti

National Science Foundation investigates Arecibo collapse with Thornton Tomasetti in 2022

The National Science Foundation faced a catastrophic structural failure when the 57-year-old Arecibo radio telescope collapsed in 2020. Thornton Tomasetti was initially engaged for an engineering consultation on a cable-socket failure, but the project rapidly shifted to emergency assessment, site stabilization, and planning for repairs for the observatory owner.

Thornton Tomasetti was appointed engineer of record to design emergency repairs and conduct a structural assessment. After a second cable failed, the team collaborated on solutions but ultimately recommended disassembly as the structure became too precarious. Following the collapse, Thornton Tomasetti led the emergency cleanup, site remediation, and a comprehensive forensic investigation to determine the cause of the failure, the results of which were published in a report for the National Science Foundation.

National Science Foundation