Concrete beam falls off crane, injuring two workers at Miami Dade College West

A concrete beam that was being hoisted into place at a parking structure at Miami Dade College’s West Campus in Doral —under construction to replace a garage that collapsed nearly four years ago — fell and injured two workers on Friday, authorities say.

Miami-Dade fire rescue officials did not specify the injuries, but said neither worker had been trapped by the falling beam. Both injured workers were taken to a hospital, they said. In a statement, the college described their injuries as minor.

College and Doral city officials said the injuries were the result of a construction accident and stressed the new garage suffered no structural collapse or damage. The accident did not affect any adjacent buildings and classes were not interrupted, college officials said.

“Because it is Friday, there are not many classes taking place or many people around,’’ the college statement said. “Classes and operations have not been impacted. The Campus is open.’’

College officials say the beam was being lifted into place by crane while suspended from two chains when it fell. The general contractor on the job is the Haskell Co., a large engineering and design firm based in Jacksonsville.

 

On Oct. 10, 2012, a major section of a garage at the same site collapsed while under construction, killing four construction workers and injuring seven. The unfinished garage was later razed completely. Last year, the college reached a $33.5 million settlement with the general contractor, Ajax Building Corp., and several other subcontractors responsible for building that first garage.

The college, at 3800 NW 115th Ave., then hired Haskell to build an entirely new garage with a new modular design, college officials said. Construction began about four months ago.

The Haskell Co. has built several projects in South Florida over the years, including the former Broward offices of the Miami Herald and multiple charter schools in Pembroke Pines in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The company was also part of the joint venture that built the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. In 2013 a forensic engineer blamed the center’s builders for about $5 million in water damage at the facility.

Miami Herald Staff Writer Andres Viglucci contributed to this report.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Concrete beam falls off crane, injuring two workers at Miami Dade College West."