Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2E

Shortly after the installation of the first concrete shells, some piers supporting the building exhibit cracking. For these piers, the cracked parts are subsequently demolished and rebuilt with strengthened reinforcement. Non-cracked piers are strengthened with carbon fiber meshes. For the piers still under construction the strengthened reinforcement is also incorporated.

In an independent expert report, the sag of the shells is reported to be 11 cm at the key while the design deflection at this point is only 5 cm. The increased deformation causes over-rotation in the bearings and damage to the arresting mechanisms in the bearings. To overcome the additional horizontal thrust in the bearings, tensions ties are added to the bottom of the shells.

The first half of the terminal is put into service with a week's delay due to security concerns.

A roughly 30 meter long section of the concrete roof collapses falling onto a boarding footway. Just as security forces were evacuating the area after having discoverd cracking in the concrete. The passage then collapses onto service vehicles below. Four persons are killed and three injured in the incident. The terminal is then evacuated and a number of flights are routed to Orly.

In the morning judicial and technical probes are launched to determine the cause and responsibility of the collapse. However by the afternoon, due to the discovery of cracks in the still standing part of the structure, the building is evacuated of all rescue and technical personnel. Technical experts are to determine as quickly as possible wether the entire structure is at risk of collapse.

Preliminary findings for the administrative inquiry (independent to the legal inquiry) into the cause of the collapse on May 24, 2004 are published by the government.

The report of the administrative inquiry into the collapse is published.

The shell structure is entirely rebuilt using a steel structure with an interior wooden cladding. The concrete columns and the glass cladding of the original structure was kept or re-used in the reconstructed building.

The terminal 2E is re-opened.