Austin | ATX Tower (321 West 6th) | 675 Feet | 58 Floors | Complete

[IluvATX]

Has there been any indication that the Belmont andIronBearare closing for this?

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by 78701

They can't even do small area of metal paneling right! Look at these dark panels, warped, dinged, and not trimmed to the doorway opening. Slapdash "good-enough for the masses" in what's supposed to be a premium downtown living building. The place should be boycotted.

The building isn't finished quite yet. These types of "punch list" items are typically taken care of at the very end.

[davidtexan]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/s/OPsD79pwQh

Another glass panel fell off ATX tower today. It wasn’t even that windy - and the storm lasted only like 20 minutes.

[drummer]

Seems like we can call it a trend now for this one.

[IluvATX]

I don’t even see how this is possible unless there’s some flaw in the curtain wall system. Typically each lite is thoroughly screwed off with a stop to the curtain wall frame, then a piece of trim covers the stop and all the screws. Unless the glass is broken before it falls or every single screw is stripped out.?

[Bblasa]

I think the 2 most obvious answers would be NiS or an expansion related issue

[IluvATX]

Originally Posted by Bblasa

I think the 2 most obvious answers would be NiS or an expansion related issue

There’s usually at least an inch all around the lite for expansion. Maybe it was the storefront windows of the commercial section which I could understand failing much easier.

[Bblasa]

I swear there was a photo on here previously where if u zoom u can see the mullions buckling out… anyways
Separately There’s a video of the floor of the independent with a giant hole in the cantilever section up top
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLWAFp7vTMZ/?igsh=b21wMnl2bnA4cnQz

[ROCrot]

Glass keeps falling off the ATX building:
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/glass-panels-keep-falling-from-downtown-austin-building/

[AusTex]

Originally Posted by ROCrot

Glass keeps falling off the ATX building:
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/glass-panels-keep-falling-from-downtown-austin-building/

I Truly Hope this POS VE tower does not cost someone their mobility or their life! That would be the ultimate travesty! Then having gone really cheap might wake up a few folk!

[wwmiv]

So… at what point do we recognize that the city should regulate quality?

[Jdawgboy]

When do we consider the contractor and or construction companies cutting corners? While we've had other buildings with some issues before, I don't remember one that has had this many incidents. We need answers.

[ajbeaver25]

Lets hope in 20 years this building doesn't have issues like the Surfside Condominium collapse. This is literally the most value engineered, corner cut, and cheap building I have ever seen built in my entire life.

[ahealy]

I wholeheartedly agree with all of you. Something ain't right here and the city needs to get it together / investigate.

There must be a buffed up regulations filter or something....anything.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by AusTex

I Truly Hope this POS VE tower does not cost someone their mobility or their life! That would be the ultimate travesty! Then having gone really cheap might wake up a few folk!

like they'll care

[enragedcamel]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

So… at what point do we recognize that the city should regulate quality?

when someone dies

but maybe not even then!

[Armybrat]

If somebody is injured or killed by falling glass from that building, then criminal charges should be filed against the window designer, the manufacturer, the installer, and the inspector who approved it.
And then prosecute them.

[Urbannizer]

Yet another glass break:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/1nkk798/glass_break_again/

[the Genral]

+6
Glass falls from skyscrapers due to a combination of high winds, thermal stress from uneven heating, manufacturing defects like nickel sulfide inclusions, improper installation causing stress fractures, and material fatigue over time. High winds can dislodge already compromised glass, while thermal stress from sun exposure causes expansion and contraction, creating internal pressure that can lead to breakage. Substandard materials, insufficient heat soaking during manufacturing, and a lack of proper clearance or setting blocks during installation can also compromise the glass, making it vulnerable to these forces.
Causes of Falling Glass
High Winds: Strong winds can exert significant pressure on building facades. If there are existing weaknesses in the glass, its installation, or its frame, high winds can be the direct trigger for a panel to fail and fall.
Thermal Stress: Uneven heating of glass from the sun can cause different parts of the pane to expand at different rates. This differential expansion creates internal stresses. If these stresses exceed the glass's strength, the pane can crack or break.
Manufacturing Defects: Microscopic nickel sulfide (NiS) particles, sometimes found in the raw materials for glass, can cause "spontaneous breakage". During the glass toughening process (reheating and rapid cooling), these NiS inclusions shrink. Later, at ambient temperatures, they tend to expand again, and if the expansion force is strong enough, it can overcome the glass's internal stresses, causing it to break without warning.
Improper Installation: Window panes need space to expand and contract with temperature changes. When glass is installed too tightly in a frame, or without proper setting blocks and gaskets, it can bind. This binding creates stress, leading to fractures over time.
Material Fatigue and Age: Glass, particularly insulated glass panels in curtain walls, has a service life. With age, materials can become brittle, and the accumulation of stress from thermal cycles and weather can lead to a failure of the entire panel.
Contributing Factors
Type of Glass: Older buildings may use non-tempered, non-laminated glass that is more prone to full panels falling out rather than shattering in a safety-friendly manner.
Architectural Design: Deeply recessed windows can exacerbate thermal stress by causing more uneven heating and cooling.
Substandard Materials and Manufacturing: Using glass that wasn't properly heat-treated or contains impurities can significantly increase the risk of spontaneous breakage.

[Urbannizer]

Wouldn’t this issue need to be resolved before they can receive TCO? I think they’d need to do a complete overhaul of the glass panels on the office portion..