The New York City Department of Investigation has opened an inquiry after a Manhattan high-rise’s columns buckled earlier this week, forcing workers to flee and officials to evacuate neighboring buildings and close down roads.
Incident Details
The developer behind the skyscraper, MetroLoft, previously stated that faulty column supports carrying too much weight were to blame, and the building has since been stabilized. The company was adding 18,000 square feet to 15 upper floors of the building, and the additional load caused two columns to bend, sagging the floors – some as much as 4 inches.
The New York City Department of Buildings has required the building’s owner to hire a third-party engineer to conduct a forensic evaluation – a formal investigation to determine the cause of the structural failure. The probe will include reviews of construction documents, interviews with witnesses, and a review of any available video and photo evidence from the site.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
