more BIG problems in Seattle

[HOT ROD]

You can read for yourself.

Local News | 9-year-old Belltown high-rise too flawed to fix | Seattle Times Newspaper

High-rise unsafe; hundreds uprooted

[ljbab728]

You can read for yourself.

Local News | 9-year-old Belltown high-rise too flawed to fix | Seattle Times Newspaper

High-rise unsafe; hundreds uprooted

While this is an interesting story, does it have any relevance to Oklahoma City?

[HOT ROD]

maybe

[ljbab728]

maybe

That sounds ominous. Do we have some high rise apartment building that is needing to be torn down?

[bombermwc]

Holy crap...it's the perfect example of how good inspection could have prevented a problem though. A subcontractor doesn't follow the plans or does something less than adequate to save a buck/time on their watch. Then the building falls down.

Where were the QA guys during construction making sure that the construction guys were following what they were supposed to. You don't build 20 floors wrong without SOMEONE noticing.

Not really relevant to OKC, but it is something every new construction site needs to keep in mind. Not that the Devon Tower will have these problems, but sticking with code is important.

[Kerry]

Holy crap...it's the perfect example of how good inspection could have prevented a problem though. A subcontractor doesn't follow the plans or does something less than adequate to save a buck/time on their watch. Then the building falls down.

Where were the QA guys during construction making sure that the construction guys were following what they were supposed to. You don't build 20 floors wrong without SOMEONE noticing.

Not really relevant to OKC, but it is something every new construction site needs to keep in mind. Not that the Devon Tower will have these problems, but sticking with code is important.

The irony is that it was a Union owned building built by union workers.

[hipsterdoofus]

Wow...why the Seattle bashing?

[BDP]

Well, at least they're not tearing down their buildings for fun.

[OKC@heart]

I don't think that this is really an attempt at bashing Seatle as a city so much as it is a relevant story regarding a fairly recent large scale construction project that was utilizing a similar structural system as is being used for the Devon Tower.

This in no way is a statement that should lower anyone's confidence in the structural system of the Devon Tower. It is relevant in that just like any other construction site, there are many wrong ways to do things that can have unintended consequences, as in the example cited in Seatle.

Contractors always try to find ways to save money in the process which will essentially add to thier bottom line by requesting substitutions of either materials or less expensive brands to replace what was originally called for and specified in the construction drawings or specifications. It is the obligation of the contractors to seek approvals of the subsitutions and to demonstrate and prove equivalency to the architect and or Structural Engineer, who are then required to approve or reject the submittal request.

[hipsterdoofus]

I don't think that this is really an attempt at bashing Seatle as a city so much as it is a relevant story regarding a fairly recent large scale construction project that was utilizing a similar structural system as is being used for the Devon Tower.

I would say that too if it was titled like that - but when its titled "more BIG problems in Seattle" it seems like we are trying to bash Seattle just like they've bashed OKC...

[Kerry]

I would say that too if it was titled like that - but when its titled "more BIG problems in Seattle" it seems like we are trying to bash Seattle just like they've bashed OKC...

Except someone from Seattle started the thread.

[hipsterdoofus]

Except someone from Seattle started the thread.

Still doesn't sound to me that it has anything to do with how this structure would relate to the Devon tower - did you honestly get that from the initial post?