Dang! I didn't until now realize that the thing is /was actually (slightly) older than I am. No wonder it looks (looked) so familiar.

It is a 57 year old facility (completed in '63) so probably not Chinese.
It does appear foolish if the structural integrity wasn't monitored and repairs started long before the first supports broke down months ago.

Wondering if it was Chinese steel or were they looking at places where they shouldn't have been observing ...

As one person said, "The end of an era." Makes the movie "Contact" dated now.