![]() According to him, excavation to prepare for piles could remove earth that supports existing foundations - potentially leading to more settlement and tilting issues in the long term.Īnother problem lies with how well the piles will perform their full scale test has yet to take place but has been tested in smaller parts of the building. Each 24" diameter pile can support 1 million pounds their purpose is to redirect weight away from soft soil onto these new piles that should outlive its current foundations.īob Pyke, an experienced geotechnical engineer not involved with this project, is doubtful about its viability as a solution. ![]() Simpson Gumpertz & Heger designed the $100 million alteration, which involves driving 52 concrete piles to bedrock around the base of the building. But due to further sinking of their building, construction work has since been put on pause due to even faster sinkage rates than before. Residents were first informed in May 2016 of their building tilting, and construction started immediately to address it. What’s the Solution?Įngineers account for this fact when designing skyscrapers however, Millennium Tower appeared to settle more rapidly and further than expected when it opened for business in 2009. He's not the only one concerned: the neighboring property owner of Millennium Tower has filed suit against TJPA, accusing it of interfering with its stability by digging tunnels for its new Transbay Transit Center just yards from it. While current plans to anchor northwest corner piles installed last year might provide temporary relief, they won't stop further tilting of the tower. Uncertainty remains as to the effectiveness of any proposed solutions, with veteran geotechnical engineer Charles Rector having doubts as to their effectiveness. According to architect and professor of architectural design Larry Karp, this means it must be larger and heavier than typical skyscrapers in order for it to work effectively. Pile driving will involve driving piles through old landfill, soil from gold rush days and less sturdy layers such as sand and mud into bedrock - something which requires extensive digging. Recently, the engineer in charge of the project admitted that data showing that tilt of tower had actually increased could be inaccurate as measurement data taken from rooftops may be affected by weather fluctuations skewing readings he now uses data from building foundations for more precise readings.Įngineers need to affix the Millennium Tower's foundation to piles anchored in bedrock in order to fully address its foundational problems, however this process will be both expensive and require digging 200 feet below surface level. Plans to do this have been marred by controversy and missteps. To address this potential threat, the homeowner's association is pushing for a $100 million solution that would stabilize and move it from soft ground. Residents say its northwest corner leans 26 inches forward - possibly making the building inhabitable.Īlthough the building may not collapse immediately, such a shift could disrupt elevator and plumbing services and leave residents unsafely unstable in their residence. What’s the Problem?Īs with all buildings, Millennium Tower has settled much more rapidly than expected since opening its doors in 2009. Since 2008, when its construction was complete, the $350 million Millennium Tower has settled 16 inches downward and tilted two inches towards the northwest, leading to a dispute between its homeowners association and developers.įix engineers saw early success when they partially supported the base of Mission Street tower with partial supports earlier this year, yet new rooftop-based monitoring data suggests its tilt continues to worsen.
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