Temporary shoring stabilizes buckled Midtown Manhattan high-rise after column failure
Officials say temporary shoring has secured the under-construction building where columns buckled, while a city investigation examines the cause and the developer plans full replacement of the affected structural elements.
Temporary shoring installed on Tuesday night has stabilized a Midtown Manhattan high-rise after structural columns on the 21st floor buckled, city officials said. The Department of Buildings will conduct a full investigation, reviewing construction documents, witness interviews and site video to determine why the supports failed.
MetroLoft, the developer, attributed the problem to an additional 18,000 square feet added to the upper floors, which increased load on the columns. Founder Nathan Berman said the columns were not properly reinforced and will be replaced once the department grants clearance. He added that the building was never in danger of collapse and that the incident, while unfortunate, is a “construction mishap.”
Union steamfitters who first discovered the sagging beams helped evacuate workers, and a spokesperson for the Steamfitters Local 638 union praised the quick response. Union representatives have raised concerns about the limited use of union labor on the project, suggesting it may have affected safety oversight.
The city has reduced the “frozen zone” around the site, allowing traffic and pedestrians to move while a few nearby businesses remain closed. MetroLoft says the issue affects fewer than 30 of the planned 1,600 apartments and will not delay the overall schedule.