Posted on 12/08/2021 7:10:59 AM PST by DUMBGRUNT
Newly released monitoring data shows that San Francisco’s Millennium Tower tilted a quarter inch during the four days it took to install the first test pile to bedrock last month.
Veteran geotechnical engineer Bob Pyke said the sudden fluctuation is a telltale sign.
Other experts say the water pressure drop is evidence that the method designed to limit settlement may not be working as well as hoped.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcbayarea.com ...
Because they are owners.
The Empire State building was built in 1930, without all the hi tech tools that these architects had available to them.
That’s a true engineering marvel.
Would tenants that are flaming poofters qualify?
Crooked towers for crooked libtards 🤪
Seems fitting.
Sinking pilings down to bedrock would solve (prevented in this case) the problem but the issue for the developers since the beginning is the cost.
If the developers have no option other than to sink pilings to the bedrock, they'll instead declare bankruptcy and walk away because they'll never recoup those costs. The city of San Francisco would become the owner which means taxpayers would be forced to bail them out.
A large part of the Bay Area is built on landfill, and it will fail sooner or later.
Half price sale on great condos, fantastic views of San Francisco Area(make that okay view of city and dropping). Owner financing 10% cash down this week only.
Agreed on the Bay Area landfill—but the SF city landfill is the worst of all.
I start laughing when leftists talk about “sustainable development”.
SF is about as unsustainable as a city could be. The chances of the bulk of it surviving for a hundred years approaches zero.
I am not a structural engineer or a lawyer but I do know that if this building comes down and people are killed there are going be criminal charges.
They know the building has structural damage and the fixes are not fixing anything. It should be condemned and it should be brought down. Believe me, it will be cheaper in the long run then the civil actions that will occur if it comes down on its own.
I doubt this building would withstand a major earthquake.
I remember reading about this place years ago. I wonder what their occupancy rate is now and whether any of the current occupants have had any success in legal action.
Here is a very understandable engineering discussion of the construction of the Millenium Tower. Fascinating and elucidating of what is involved. The building had already sunk 16 inches by 2016 when the public first learned about it. Many other projects are also using water drawdown wells in the area (common practice as described in the video).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph9O9yJoeZY
It’s likely there were some people who were suckered into getting in on the ground floor and got financially committed to the point they literally have no other options than to hope for the best.
Yes....they are called ‘sidewalks.’
—”The Empire State building was built in 1930, without all the hi tech tools that these architects had available to them.”
An interesting supposition.
One of the prime rules for the master builders of the great cathedrals of Europe was to design the needed supporting structure; then DOUBLE IT!
A quick look and you will find many that collapsed.
Related:
Citicorp Center | NYC skyscraper saved by a student’s question
IIRC there are several books on this building.
Always comes to mind that this area is full of filled in bay after the big earthquake way back. At a sandy beach- watch the water come up and then recede and “dry”— then put your hand down on the surface press down a little and wiggle your hand. The soil becomes liquidified, and like goo- in short will not support weight.
These buildings— given enough subsurface shaking as is commonly seen in that area of CA— well, they’d lean and fall. Just a thought.
—”Sinking pilings down to bedrock would solve “
THAT IS THE CURRENT PROJECT, with offset piles all the way down to bedrock.
No bankruptcy, yet.
But Mr. Hamburger may run off to Mexico?
I remember back in 89 when I had the misfortune to be in the Loma Prieta-Centered earthquake when I was in Palo Alto. The WORST damage seen was in those areas that had been landfilled of one sort or another. It seemed those areas that had been ‘filled’ were actually amplifying shockwaves and causing more destruction.
Even NOLA, which is 15ft below sea level, is more sustainable.
Actually, both cities are doomed, and any homeowner with a functioning brain, should be selling and leaving.
Phoenix doesn’t get much in the way of earthquakes. We also don’t have a lot of huge skyscrapers, I am told they obstruct the view of the mountains.
Although the old New York was a grand thing, I think the diminishing returns on the value of tall buildings kicks in earlier than city planners are willing to admit.
Landfill ain’t bedrock. Hard to believe engineers don’t know the difference.
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