SAN FRANCISCO | Projects: Under Construction, Approved, and Proposed - Page 393

mt_climber13 · #**7841** Posted **Aug 3, 2016, 5:37 PM**

Could it fall over in an earthquake?

mbb · #**7842** Posted **Aug 3, 2016, 5:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakamesalad

Could it fall over in an earthquake?

The article says no.

fflint · #**7843** Posted **Aug 3, 2016, 5:52 PM**

Millennium sank 10 of those 16 inches in its first two years (by 2010), so the rate appears to be slowing (if it is still sinking at all). There has been no assertion the building's seismic systems are compromised in any way.

I don't know how common the lean is for newer towers, but I can say with certainty one of the old buildings I see from my office, the gorgeous 1892 Burnham and Root-designed Mills Building at Montgomery and Bush, is leaning substantially. Because of how the streetwall of towers is lined up along Bush, this building's lean is immediately obvious to the naked eye from my office window--several inches out over Bush Street (not detectable in this photo, which is not mine)

source

mt_climber13 · #**7844** Posted **Aug 3, 2016, 7:56 PM**

There are also these buildings leaning into each other on Howard and 7th because of being built on what was once marshland and creeks:

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/native...#photo-1831712

Google Maps Link

SFView · #**7845** Posted **Aug 3, 2016, 8:06 PM**

Isn't the Mills Building built on landfill?

Yes, the seismic systems of the Millennium are still well within standards set by code and have not been compromised in any way. Earthquakes might still have some impact on building lean and ground settlement though, but it depends on current soil conditions. There is a point where soil compression below the foundation can reach a limit. Hopefully, it is already almost there.

The taller a building is, the slower it is likely to oscillate during an earthquake. Even during the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, none of the taller structures of the time fell. As we know, more modern structures are much more earthquake resistant.

After the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989. There was some sidewalk buckling around the Embarcadero Center, and visible stress cracks where the pedestrian bridges connected to the shopping platforms just above. Sidewalks at the street curbs raised as much as 4” to 6” at some spots. It has since been repaired. There were also noticeable ground settlement changes in areas south of Market populated with low buildings just as Wakamesalad has shown. All these buildings are located on landfill.

viewguysf · #**7846** Posted **Aug 3, 2016, 9:36 PM**

All in all though, if I were going to pay big money for a condo (or sign a major lease for a business), I'd feel much more confident in a tower with a foundation sunk into bedrock!

caligrad · #**7847** Posted **Aug 3, 2016, 10:42 PM**

Well something needs to happen to fix the problem. According to the news down here in LA, The developers are blaming the city and the city is blaming the developers. But according to old maps, the site used to be marsh land or something.

At the end of the day, the LAST thing we need is for nimbys in California (in both LA and SF) to grab onto this little problem like a leech and use it for their own arguments as to why both cities shouldn't be building tall towers. They've already used ever excuse in the book from Unicorns to endangered ants.

fimiak · #**7848** Posted **Aug 4, 2016, 1:33 AM**

Two inches is nothing to worry about (two feet wouldn't be much of a worry), SF buildings don't 'fall over' like they would have in 1906, and putting buildings into bedrock is not necessary when both gravity and friction are readily available. Now I make my peace and run.

SFView · #**7849** Posted **Aug 4, 2016, 2:08 AM**

That is like 1/16" of tilt at almost 20'-2" high. If we had a 20' wall that tilted by about the width of a toothpick at the top, I don't think anyone would notice.

mdsayh1 · #**7850** Posted **Aug 4, 2016, 4:16 AM**

Perhaps this (Millennium Conversation) means we will finally get some proper up-zoning of height in Soma. It is a vast swath of land that is extremely under utilized with reference to height. Yes, I know we've seen some in Eastern Soma but Western Soma is severely lacking vision.

SFView · #**7851** Posted **Aug 4, 2016, 8:23 AM**

^^^There is no big need yet. Wait for 2020's and beyond. However, there a few spots moving towards those areas with some up-zoning already in the works in places like 5th and Mission, and 4th and King.

Jerry of San Fran · #**7852** Posted **Aug 5, 2016, 12:16 AM**

Work started today on 150 Van Ness Avenue, a 13 story apartment building. Backhoes are digging up concrete, trees on Hayes Street have been cut down (see photo) and a fence extended into the street & on the sidewalk. The structure will extend along Polk, Hayes & Van Ness Avenue.

150 Van Ness Avenue Jerry's photo from Essex Fox Plaza 14th floor

150 Van Ness Rendering Polk_2

fimiak · #**7853** Posted **Aug 5, 2016, 2:29 AM**

I have to say it is sad to see the old wind-blocking trees (that were from Van Ness, not Hayes) in my front yard get cut down due to a crappy BRT line (finished 3 years from now) instead of a proper underground muni line.

Jerry of San Fran · #**7854** Posted **Aug 5, 2016, 5:43 AM**

08-04-2016 - It is quite an impressive hole in the ground for the new medical building across the street from the new hospital construction on Van Ness. A picture of what the completed building will look like can be seen on the wall of the building overlooking the construction site.

Medical Building_Van Ness and Geary_08-04-2016

mthd · #**7855** Posted **Aug 6, 2016, 1:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakamesalad

Wow that is a serious tragedy! It's sunk that much already.. can this be seen near the base around the sidewalks? is the ground floor now a foot below ground level? Damn and this is one of my favorite towers in SF. And a 2" lean might not sound like much, but for a 650' tower, 2" every few years will really start to be noticeable. I hope they start drilling those piles into the bedrock, stat, and I hope the taxpayers do not have to pay for this!

the sidewalks have come down with it. if you walk along mission, you'll see serious distortion in the sidewalks and the street in front of the tower, and then when it becomes the mid-rise podium, everything goes back to normal.

the ground floor is still level with the sidewalks.

mdsayh1 · #**7856** Posted **Aug 7, 2016, 9:08 PM**

I just drove back across the bay bridge from Alameda to SF. All I can say is WOW! If you take the Fremont street exit and follow Frenont all the way to Market you now get to most amazing views of all of these massive projects happening at once. Not that I haven't done it before during this phase but with the glass going high on 181 and now some of the fins starting to appear on salesforce and more of the skin being applied to the transbay terminal you really get an idea of how spectacular this entire area is going to be. Truly amazing.