At least two structural columns buckled in a 37-story Midtown Manhattan office tower on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of nearby streets and buildings. While John Esposito, a chief in the Fire Department in New York, stated the building’s steel-frame construction makes a total collapse unlikely, the structure continued to move during the incident, according to city officials.
Why did the columns in the Midtown tower fail?
The failure occurred during a conversion of the office tower into residential units. Nathan Berman, managing principal and founder of MetroLoft, the developer overseeing the project, described the event as a “typical construction mishap.” Berman stated that two columns near the northwest corner bent under the weight of additions, likely because they weren’t properly reinforced.
Recent modifications to the building included the addition of four new floors and a large vertical section. This section consists of over a dozen new floors cantilevered over the existing structure. According to Joe DiPompeo, a former president of the Structural Engineering Institute at the American Society of Civil Engineers, such a design puts additional load on the columns underneath.
What is the risk of a total building collapse?
City officials and independent engineers offered differing perspectives on the risk level. John Esposito, a chief in the Fire Department in New York, told reporters at a Tuesday news conference that the building would not suffer a “total collapse,” though he admitted the ongoing movement of the structure remained a concern.
Joe DiPompeo noted that while a full collapse is unlikely due to redundancies in building codes, a progressive collapse cannot be ruled out. He pointed to footage showing that at least two columns failed completely and interior metal studs deformed. DiPompeo stated this suggests the floor above may have dropped a foot or two.
Comparing the assessments of the failure
| Source | Assessment of Damage | View on Stability |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Berman (MetroLoft) | Floors sagged max 4 inches | “Typical construction mishap” |
| Joe DiPompeo (Engineer) | Floor may have dropped 1-2 feet | Progressive collapse not ruled out |
How are the 20th and 21st floors being stabilized?
To prevent further movement, crews began installing temporary shoring on Tuesday evening. This process is designed to stabilize the 20th and 21st floors. Nathan Berman stated he expects the issues to be fixed and the project to finish with only a slight delay.
Engineers emphasize that adding residential floors or cantilevered sections is not inherently dangerous. However, DiPompeo explained that the original structure must properly account for the added weight and wind loads in the design phase to avoid the kind of buckling seen in this tower.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was the building completely evacuated?
Nearby streets and buildings were evacuated as a precaution following the column failure.
What is a cantilevered section in a building?
It is a portion of the building that extends horizontally beyond its vertical supports, creating an overhang.
Who is investigating the cause of the buckle?
Developer Nathan Berman stated that an investigation will determine the exact cause, though he suggested a lack of proper reinforcement of the columns.
What do you think about the rise of office-to-residential conversions in major cities? Should structural audits be more transparent to the public? Let us know in the comments or subscribe to our newsletter for more urban development updates.