On July 14, 1999, a massive crane named Big Blue collapsed while lifting a section of the retractable roof for the new Miller Park baseball stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The accident killed three iron workers and injured five others. The crane, which was lifting a section of the stadium roof weighing over 450 tons, collapsed due to several environmental factors, including wind speeds of 20-21 mph with gusts up to 26-27 mph, and the crane sinking about a foot into the soil when it initially lifted the roof section earlier that day. The incident led to significant financial consequences, including over $500,000 in fines and a lawsuit settlement of over $99 million, and delayed the completion of Miller Park by a year. The collapse also highlighted critical issues in crane safety and management, leading to important lessons for the construction industry.
