New pictures of Millennium Tower window failures worry expert

The sinking and leaning Millennium Tower may now be partly supported to bedrock, but a glass industry veteran says he is concerned about the ongoing risk from its windows after two failed during a windstorm earlier this year. Jaxon Van Derbeken reports.

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[cruisinguy]

This building needs to be condemned and dismantled before people are killed.

[I_Am_SciCurious]

I lived in SF during the major earthquake of 1989. It’s difficult to describe how terrifying it is when there is no solid ground and nowhere to run and hide because absolutely everything in your immediate world is shaking violently. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near that place in an earthquake.

[_HUNNIT]

As a glass technician, I’ll say the two big words you’re missing here is annealed and tempered which refers to two different types of glass. Annealed, when broken breaks off into shards that will cut you like a razor. Tempered, when broken, breaks into a million pieces. Often referred to as safety glass it will still cut you but far less dangerous than annealed glass

[artistjoh]

The original developer didn't want the expense of driving piles to bedrock leading to the leaning problem. It makes me wonder if the window problem is due to stresses caused by the leaning, or if it is the result of other cost-cutting by the developer.

You couldn't pay me to live in that building. Cost-cutting developers are hazardous to health and safety.

[laryani]

They keep patching problem on top of problem. This building needs to be torn down. Better to lose money than lives.

[MikeRupertus]

One question to me is - is the tilt of the building putting strain on the windows ?

[vincentbugalia]

So this will go on for a while until the building falls over, and then the city supervisor can tell us his thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

[ValentinoBentley]

This is an embarrassment for this to be allowed in this country. The engineers and builders that had a hand in this from the start to the half-assed fixes need to be held accountable for tear down and relocation of all tenants.

[sgtgrash]

As an ex-employee of a sealed unit, double glazing manufacturer, I am staggered that tempered glass panes, both inner & outer, are not a mandatory requirement throughout a high rise development.

[walkman]

Feels like watching a building destruction in very slow motion.

[Violet-imekpfo]

That's gonna be a colossal collapse.

[TheTheo]

Since the original blueprints and design for the tower was to be constructed from steel, why didn't the city shut the job down when someone decided to go with concrete and enforcing rods? The foundation was not set down into bedrock and would not be able to support the added weight.

[mdj.]

When I was a kid growing up in SF we were told that ledges or balconies would be put outside of newly built skyscrapers to catch falling glass in earthquakes.
I guess the planning department has forgotten that fifty years later...

[danielberg]

1 year and 45 days to build the Empire State Building in 1931. 4 years to build the Millennium Tower and they still couldn't get it right.

[pamelahomeyer]

I can't believe that they even allowed that type of window that opens at the bottom in addition to the lack of safety glass

[hudsonbronner]

What a debacle! I wouldn't spend a single night in that building--the only thought that would be racing through my head is the Surfside collapse.

[tennesseeplowboy]

The Tower is a spot on metaphor for San Francisco.

[Rohoactr]

The whole building should be condemned

[thetruth]

The whole building is going to collapse before they can dismantle it. It’s going to be a new sad day in history.

[larrywong]

This building will be eventually torn down, too many problems what will never be solved. They are only kidding themselves and no one is going to take responsibility