A crumbling and crumbling New York City tower could leave the building “uninhabitable,” according to engineers who estimate a $160 million renovation may be needed to fix 432 Park Avenue. impressive white concrete facade.
Steve Bongiorno, Independent Structural Engineer he said the New York Times that water could begin to seep through the cracks and compromise the $1.3 billion development structural integrity from the inside out, which could pose a risk to pedestrians and tower residents, who have shelled out as much as $20 million for some luxury units.
“Chunks of concrete will fall and the windows will start to loosen,” explained Bongiorno, who was not involved in the project. “You can’t take the elevators, the mechanical systems are starting to fail, the pipe joints are starting to break, and there are water leaks everywhere.”
ENR previously reported that the team behind the development went to great lengths to develop its facade with a special cement mix that will maintain its white sheen as it cures.—what Andreas Tselebidis, then director of sustainable concrete technology and solutions for chemical supplier BASF Corp., called “a complete engineering solution” in a 2015 ENR interview. Tasked with designing the concrete mix to meet the required compressive strength, from 14,000 psi for the lower floors to 10,000 psi for the upper floors, Tselebidis said the job was one of his most challenging, creating “a recipe for a very demanding layer.”
Now residents of the 432 Park Avenue tower fear the “picky pie” is falling, sparking ongoing legal battles between the building’s board and developers.—including Macklowe Properties, WSP and CIM Group—about complaints of rocking, whining, blackouts and other “defects”.
However, NYT reported that several emails obtained suggested that new developers the risks of cracks from the start, as a WSP engineer warned in an email, they had two options: “color or cracks”.
In another 2012 email obtained by the NYT, Jim Herr, director of the firm of Rafael Viñoly Architects warned: “They are going down a dangerous and slippery path that I believe will eventually lead to failure and lawsuits.”
ENR’s requests for comment from Rafael Viñoly Architects and WSP had not been returned at press time.
In comments to the NYT, Bongiorno said the building is “stressing beyond what was intended.” He added, “There’s no shed on the sidewalk to protect you from chunks of concrete coming off a 1,400-foot building.”
In a statement to NYT, CIM Group requested reports from 432 Park Avenue needs repairs It was “baseless” and said allegations that the developers ignored the problems were “categorically false, defamatory and yet another mistake by the board that will reduce property values”.
