Definitely $$$ shot. Would look great on OKC Wikipedia page.

That was my shot that someone acquired and put on photobucket. If you want to see the large version go here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/plmccordj/5582188411/sizes/o/in/photostream/

The whole stream of 319 shots so far is here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/plmccordj/sets/72157623485140768/with/5582773980/.

I took that photo on Saturday, April 2, 2011 from the West.

I love your shots! Been following them for a while on my cell phone. For that shot, do you park in the side lane on I-40 and get out to snap a shot or do you climb up the embankment from Reno and snap a shot? Either way, great work!

Is the Skyline Cam ever going to be fixed? Staring at the midsection of the tower is a little boring. I'd like to see an angle of the top of the tower. I know you, Steve, will be checking this thread out. So respond when you're ready. Much appreciated!

That was my shot that someone acquired and put on photobucket. If you want to see the large version go here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/plmccordj/5582188411/sizes/o/in/photostream/

The whole stream of 319 shots so far is here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/plmccordj/sets/72157623485140768/with/5582773980/.

I took that photo on Saturday, April 2, 2011 from the West.Great shot! That is definitely the angle. I'm thinking same angle at around 7PM on a sunny or partly cloudy day would be the icing.

Maybe it's just too subtle to notice, but I still don't see any sign of the tapering of the upper levels from the recent photos.

I thought I noticed a taper near the upper level last Friday.

http://members.cox.net/dgt13/devontapir.jpg

Wasn't going to say anything for fear of ridicule, but I saw the same thing.

I thought I noticed a taper near the upper level last Friday.

http://members.cox.net/dgt13/devontapir.jpg

Haha! I took me a minute to get that. Should have looked at the url. I can't see a taper myself.

I thought I noticed a taper near the upper level last Friday.

http://members.cox.net/dgt13/devontapir.jpg

That one was a real knee-slapper.

Romulack (http://www.okctalk.com/member.php?u=9854)



I thought I noticed a taper near the upper level last Friday.

http://members.cox.net/dgt13/devontapir.jpg



^^Thunder.......is that you?

OK, people the taper has begun now for the last 3-4 floors. I believe they started the taper on the 34th floor. The engineer of this project said that the taper will be 6 ft, so that means the very top of the glass panels at the very top of the building will only be 6 feet closer to the center than the edge of the lowest floor. So when the building starts to taper at floor 34 which is at 540ft high, the 6 feet of tapering will spread over 310 ft to the top. So that means to get 1 foot of taper the building must rise 52 ft, or you could measure it as the building would only taper 4-5 INCHES for every floor. SO we will NOT be able to see a REAL GOOD tapering until the building is complete. The engineer said that the tapering was just to make the building look like it is not just a big stub or block, but to give it a little thinning for a tower that is very "fat." I got the 540ft high at floor 34 by multiplying floors 1-6 @20 = 120 and 7-34@15 = 420 So why did that video say that they were starting floor 34 and they were up there because it was a milestone for now becoming taller than Chase tower? (This post is for those who are not on here that much and don't see everything that some of us see or understand. If you do follow a lot and learned something from this post, then I don't what to tell but, wow)

April 6 2011

4:50pm - 6:50pm

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/okcskyline4-6-2011-1.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/okcskyline4-6-2011-2.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/okcskyline4-6-2011-3.jpg

Columns are going up on the 39th floor.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/okcskyline4-6-2011-4.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/okcskyline4-6-2011-5.jpg

I thought I noticed a taper near the upper level last Friday.

http://members.cox.net/dgt13/devontapir.jpg

LOL!!!! When the graphic loaded, I was so focused on the sides for any tapering. It took a moment to see an animal hanging there. :-O

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/okcskyline4-6-2011-2.jpg

great shot!

Video coming up in a bit.

I like the midtown pic the best too.

@ UnFrSaKn;
Great shots. It probably gets old, but thanks for your contributions.

@ UnFrSaKn;
Great shots. It probably gets old, but thanks for your contributions.

No, never actually.

http://vimeo.com/22094409

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-6-11-14.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-6-11-15.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-6-11-11.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-6-11-13.jpg

Does anyone know why they don't take down or refurbish the "OLD" ugly water tower that shows up on William's video at 17:53. It is really an eyesore!

For those that don't know which one. (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=35.466474,-97.527944&spn=0.001678,0.00272&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=35.466474,-97.527943&panoid=UcshEXKZVKJfLCmkNEAq7Q&cbp=12,358.59,,0,3.2)

Does anyone know why they don't take down or refurbish the "OLD" ugly water tower that shows up on William's video at 17:53. It is really an eyesore!

It is on top of the building. When the building gets a rehab the water tower will get a rehab.

I'm talking about the one that's west of the jail, not downtown. I always see it as I'm driving on I-40 heading east just before you get close to downtown.

I'm talking about the one that's west of the jail, not downtown. I always see it as I'm driving on I-40 heading east just before you get close to downtown.

That is I one I am talking about. It is sitting on top of the old Fred Jones Manufacturing Plant at the corner of Main and Classen one block SW of the jail.

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/KerryinJax/FJWater_Tower.gif

As of 4/9/11: 31 levels glassed in; 39 levels completed.

Approx. 620 feet total height; 3 more floors and it will become the tallest in the state which should happen by the end of April.

As of 4/9/11: 31 levels glassed in; 39 levels completed.

Approx. 620 feet total height; 3 more floors and it will become the tallest in the state which should happen by the end of April.

:) :) :) So exciting!!!!!!!

As of 4/9/11: 31 levels glassed in; 39 levels completed.

Approx. 620 feet total height; 3 more floors and it will become the tallest in the state which should happen by the end of April.
Thank you, Pete!! Was waiting for someone who knew the actual stats.

Go even further west. The tower is free standing and really old! Needs something done to it! Sometimes it shows up in a far back skyline shot.

From this afternoon:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon/devon4811.jpg

^^^ That's a beautiful pic - is hard to find a vantage point that isn't compromised by power lines.

Devon is dwarfing the rest of downtown already...seems hard to believe Tulsa's BOk is taller yet. I've known our buildings were shorter, but this really makes our towers looks like midgets compared to Tulsa's downtown, erm sorry I mean "vertically challenged".

I hope hope hope that another big project will be announced in the next year or so. Cranes on the skyline = a healthy, growing city.

Pete, is this tower enough to bring you back home with us?

Was downtown again for about three hours today after work. Got sunburnt as usual. It'll take a few days to get it up. Keep an eye for it.

ps- On the way out, I passed Carpenter Square and a square section of black/white tile had fallen loose and broke on the sidewalk. All the rumbling is probably making it fall apart. I did what any normal person would do... and I took the piece home...

Those black and white tiles are not original and probably were never fastened very well in the first place.


Look forward to your photos/videos as usual, William!

Go even further west. The tower is free standing and really old! Needs something done to it! Sometimes it shows up in a far back skyline shot.

I feel stupid now. I didn't think you could see that far. I know what tower you mean now. It is really rusty and worn out. I almost went by it with video but I was too tired from walking.

Link (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=35.474597,-97.547858&spn=0.001677,0.00272&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=35.474597,-97.547858&panoid=_qCcZ-nQjOCnZpCvoth3HQ&cbp=12,278.01,,0,-5.59)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/rustywatertowerokc.jpg

Those black and white tiles are not original and probably were never fastened very well in the first place.


Look forward to your photos/videos as usual, William!

Oh I know. I'm glad nothing original was that badly damaged. I'm just weird I guess. Otherwise someone will just toss it in a dumpster.

Have not seen or heard anything about lighting tests lately, have they stopped testing them?

What is that on top of the Colcord? Looks like something was dropped from the tower.

That's it! Thanks William for staying with me on this. Sure wish it would be fixed up or taken down before it falls over! I wonder if it's even being used? EYESORE!!!

Have not seen or heard anything about lighting tests lately, have they stopped testing them?

Does it need more tests at this point? I would suspect that more tests will wait until the exterior panels are complete.

From this afternoon:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon/devon4811.jpg

Tremendous pic, Pete. And I want to mention again, in spite of the humorous previous posts, I see absolutely no evidence from this pic that any tapering of the upper floors has begun. The upper columns appear to be perpendicular.

Tremendous pic, Pete. And I want to mention again, in spite of the humorous previous posts, I see absolutely no evidence from this pic that any tapering of the upper floors has begun. The upper columns appear to be perpendicular.

I think it's just the angle of the shot.

Praying for a surprise height though!..*fingers crossed*

I think it's just the angle of the shot.

Praying for a surprise height though!..*fingers crossed*

That would be fun. It probably just won't be too apparent until the exterior panels are in place.

Tremendous pic, Pete. And I want to mention again, in spite of the humorous previous posts, I see absolutely no evidence from this pic that any tapering of the upper floors has begun. The upper columns appear to be perpendicular.

I wasn't doing it either but you're not thinking three deminsionally. The columns are staying in the same place. They're just ever so slightly being placed further inward towards the elevator cores, thus giving the slight angle we will eventually notice.

What is that on top of the Colcord? Looks like something was dropped from the tower.

Lots of stuff has been dropped from the tower - nothing unusual to see "concrete showers", flying nails and the like - particularly with our winds. Employees who smoke have been told to not stand in area between IRS building and Colcord. OSHA declared the droppage and accidents to be within tolerance.

Several vehicles in IRS building secure parking lot have sustained damage - including an OSHA manager. The irony of that is rather humerous!

It looks from my vantage point to the northwest that the hoist is up at the top of crane #2. Making a jump soon I take it.

I wasn't doing it either but you're not thinking three deminsionally. The columns are staying in the same place. They're just ever so slightly being placed further inward towards the elevator cores, thus giving the slight angle we will eventually notice.

I would think the columns will stay in the exact same place all the way to the roof. They are supporting the weight of the building. If they start moving the columns off center from the column below then weight is shifted to the floor. That would be bad. The tapper will come from just not building the floor so far out from the columns. If it is 20' feet from the column to the edge of the building, the next floor it will be 19'6", or whatever the actual measurment will be.

I would think the columns will stay in the exact same place all the way to the roof. They are supporting the weight of the building. If they start moving the columns off center from the column below then weight is shifted to the floor. That would be bad. The tapper will come from just not building the floor so far out from the columns. If it is 20' feet from the column to the edge of the building, the next floor it will be 19'6", or whatever the actual measurment will be.

They don't have that much room to give all the way up, until you get to the crown their are just not very extreme angle in the curtain walls slope. Most of the weight is supported by the core anyway and with every wall having the same slope it is very stable distribution of force from the structure above and should have a higher ability to absorb lateral force applied than if they were true vertical.

It is pretty easy to shift columns, especially in a concrete column building but it can be done with steel framing as well. You build a bit more at the floor to transfer the load to the column below. The Maxus Energy Tower (or at least what it used to be called) in Downtown Dallas has the columns shift out on every floor as the glass slopes out from the base to the cap increasing square footage on the way up. We offset footings and structures all the time in renovations to get things to work, sometimes you have to build in transfer beams and such to spread the load out.

I wasn't doing it either but you're not thinking three deminsionally. The columns are staying in the same place. They're just ever so slightly being placed further inward towards the elevator cores, thus giving the slight angle we will eventually notice.

I am thinking three deminsionally. I just commented that you can't see it from the pics. The columns and the floor plates still appear to be exactly perpendicular. As I said, it may not be to noticeable until the exterior panels are in place in that area.

It is pretty easy to shift columns, especially in a concrete column building but it can be done with steel framing as well. You build a bit more at the floor to transfer the load to the column below. The Maxus Energy Tower (or at least what it used to be called) in Downtown Dallas has the columns shift out on every floor as the glass slopes out from the base to the cap increasing square footage on the way up. We offset footings and structures all the time in renovations to get things to work, sometimes you have to build in transfer beams and such to spread the load out.

Thanks for the info bluedog. Are the columns supporting just the floor on top of the column or every floor above?

I would think the columns will stay in the exact same place all the way to the roof. They are supporting the weight of the building. If they start moving the columns off center from the column below then weight is shifted to the floor. That would be bad. The tapper will come from just not building the floor so far out from the columns. If it is 20' feet from the column to the edge of the building, the next floor it will be 19'6", or whatever the actual measurment will be.

Most of the structure in this type of building is supported through the core. They will be moving the support columns inward as the taper starts. There is no way they would build 20' of flooring out from the main structural columns, they are near the edge. Placing that much weight that acts as a cantilever, to be supported by the curtain wall (glass panels) would be interesting.

When saying that moving the supports in would fail the flooring, you need to look at the building as a system. The force would be applied across the entire area of the reinforced floor and transmitted into the core and exterior supports. The rebar reinforcement does a lot of this work.

I would assume secondary supports similar to trusses would be used to support the curtain wall as it starts to become more horizontal. I would assume that the supports would move in slightly and larger heads are placed on each support as they start to taper the building. I am an engineer, but I don't specialize in structural or civil so I may be wrong.

Thanks for the info bluedog. Are the columns supporting just the floor on top of the column or every floor above?
Typically in a steel framed building the columns are there to carry the load above and in many cases may be more than one floor tall. Beams/joists carry the floor load and transmit the load to the columns.

In cast-in-place concrete framed buildings the design is different since you don't have the joists normally, you have beams in the place of heavy loads.
Here are some pics from the second floor of JDM Place during construction showing how those cast-in-place columns and floor are done. The only beams under the floor were around the old freight elevator and perimeter.
http://bluedogok.com/jdmp/xfl2-e.jpghttp://bluedogok.com/jdmp/xfl2-ne.jpghttp://bluedogok.com/jdmp/xfl2-nw.jpg

Just a few notes here.

First, the columns ARE supporting a large load. The design of the columns on the lower floors are by far the strongest ever to be built in Oklahoma. The core, while also supporting some vertical load, is mostly there to resist shear.

The columns are not "shifting" in the taper. They're actually slowly being bent inwards. And based on sketch ups you would not be able to see the tapering in the previous picture that you guys were referring to.

Just a few notes here.

First, the columns ARE supporting a large load. The design of the columns on the lower floors are by far the strongest ever to be built in Oklahoma. The core, while also supporting some vertical load, is mostly there to resist shear.

The columns are not "shifting" in the taper. They're actually slowly being bent inwards. And based on sketch ups you would not be able to see the tapering in the previous picture that you guys were referring to.

So in this explanation the columns ARE being built right on top of each other even if the axis isn't true vertical. Based on this, if the building was tall enough the columns would come to a single point or arch.

Eventually, you'll be looking right into the sun on the web cam around this time of day when it reaches near the full height.

April 8 2011

Part 1


http://vimeo.com/22220189

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-1.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-3.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-4.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-5.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-6.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-7.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-8.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-9.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-10.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-11.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-12.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-13.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/Downtown%20OKC/Devon%20Tower/April%202011/OklahomaCitySkyline4-8-11-14.jpg

Awesome pics as always, man.

Is the rotunda going to be open air or will it just have a very clear glass?

That reminds me, I forgot to put the finished renderings of the auditorium/rotunda at the end of the video.

That reminds me, I forgot to put the finished renderings of the auditorium/rotunda at the end of the video.

Are they new ones?! From the ones I have seen it is hard to tell what kind of material, if any, encloses the rotunda.