In 2016, it was discovered that San Francisco’s Millennium Tower, a $350 million, 58-story luxury condo was sinking and tilting. From the most recent count, the tower had sunk 18 inches and leaned 4 inches – doesn’t sound like luxury to me. After several rounds of fix designs, lawsuits, and cracked windows, it is believed that the fixes will begin this fall.
When we last checked in on the Millennium Tower 2 years ago, engineers had come up with a $100 million plan to drive 52 piles 250 feet below the building’s foundation to reach bedrock. After a lengthy permitting and approval process, that plan is moving forward, according to Building Design + Construction.
The engineer of record, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, has recently completed a seismic evaluation to determine if the fix would restore the building’s resistance to earthquakes back to the original design. IN the end, the 52 piles will be placed on the north and west sides of the building, shoring up 20% of the building to stop the worst settling and allowing the rest of the building to eventually even itself out.
Once started, the project is expected to take about 2 years.
Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.