Birbla

Discussion summary

A construction site in Midtown Manhattan experienced buckling beams, leading to evacuation. Discussions include structural concerns, urban density, and potential resolutions.

What the discussion says

  • Questions about construction practices and safety measures.
  • Debate on urban density and building constraints in the US.
  • Suggestions for resolving structural issues, including shoring up the building.
“Does anyone here have any knowledge of how something like this gets resolved?”
— gorjusborg
“Trying to force upwards in such an already dense area just doesn't make sense.”
— kylehotchkiss

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  • The USA is mostly empty space. Trying to force upwards in such an already dense area just doesn't make sense. We are not constrained the way singapore is.
    by kylehotchkiss
  • Spreading out requires more non-foot travel to get places. Density means things can be closer.
    by DHPersonal
  • It's illegal to build dense cities like Manhattan in most of the United States. And while most people want to live in a Manhattan'esque area, plenty (like me) do.
    by ChrisLTD
  • I wonder if Metroloft cut corners on structural engineering practices given that they also exploit non-union workers.
    by archonis
  • You mean they are buckling even without the benefit of being struck with an aircraft or thousands of gallons of burning jet fuel?
    by Krypto26
  • Does anyone here have any knowledge of how something like this gets resolved?
    by gorjusborg
  • Tie every helicopter you can find to the roof, gas the bent bit off, haul it away and drop it somewhere?

    They'll likely shore it up with hydraulic props - probably going through the floor and ceiling to floor slabs above and below - to stabilise it, and then start demolishing the building bit by bit.

    by ErroneousBosh
  • Yes, sometimes gravity resolves the problem for you.
    by onlypassingthru
  • Given all the bad press around things like the millennium tower, I think once you have an issue like this, the building is done. No one will want to live there. And given structural problems with load bearing beams, I would expect the building has to be demolished. But maybe they can demolish it top down partially and rebuild up from the compromised area if the city and engineers deem that safe.
    by SilverElfin
  • Most likely the building gets stabilized and then anyone involved gets embroiled in lawsuits and it stays standing half finished for years. One Seaport is a famous recent example of an under construction skyscraper getting halted for structural issues. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/161_Maiden_Lane
    by Anon1096
  • There was the Citibank headquarters

    https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1995/05/29/the-fifty-nine...

    by fmajid
  • NYT updates (non-paywall) https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/07/nyregion/pfizer-buil...
    by ChrisArchitect
  • Having seen the photos, I simply can't imagine how can they recover from that.
    by cromka
  • I'm not an expert but those look like pretty wimpy columns? Kind of surprising, when I worked in a tower it had exposed concrete columns that were very thick in comparison
    by pram
  • I think the first picture is not showing structural columns: they're more a symptom (buckling as the building is moving) as opposed to the cause.
    by rcxdude
  • As the sibling says, that first picture shows essentially interior wall framing. They shouldn't really be seeing any load!

    They are buckling because the floors and ceilings are bending!

    Scroll down and there is a picture of a much thicker support pillar, though still seems thin? Maybe just the context in frame doesn't do it justice.

    by mrguyorama
  • This is a little pedantic but the pictures seem to show failing support columns not beams.

    Beams are horizontal and columns are vertical.

    by danofsteel32
  • They're adding a hunch of floors to an existing building - it was the old Pfizer headquarters and they want to turn it into apartments. Someone either didn't do the proper engineering study, or the original specs weren't accurate.

    Figuring out who to blame will probably take years in court.

    by comrade1234
  • Could also be incorrect materials used. than specified? Fake parts? or construction , used that not obvious
    by asdefghyk
  • More often than a faulty initial design, it's because of a something not being followed, e.g. the design called for one type of material or process and another was used during construction, either on accident or on purpose but without correctly doing the math to verify that it will work.
    by dlcarrier