New York skyscraper had a 1-in-16 chance of collapse
7 days ago
- #engineering
- #architecture
- #New York City
- Citicorp Center, a 915-foot skyscraper, opened in New York City in 1977 with a distinctive sloped roof and a sunken public plaza.
- The building's design was innovative but flawed, making it vulnerable to quartering winds, which could cause collapse if the stabilizing device failed.
- Two college students, Diane Hartley and Lee DeCarolis, independently raised concerns about the building's structural integrity, leading to the discovery of the flaw.
- Structural engineer William LeMessurier realized the building's bracing system was insufficient and the joints were under-bolted, posing a severe risk of collapse.
- LeMessurier took responsibility, secretly organizing repairs under the cover of darkness while preparing evacuation plans in case of a disaster.
- The crisis was kept secret until the mid-1990s, when the full story was revealed, turning it into a case study in professional ethics.