Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 architectural story of the year!

From the Wall Street Journal:

In the weekend’s bizarrest news, a nearly finished, newly constructed building in Shanghai toppled over, killing one worker. As can be seen in the photo below, the 13-story apartment building collapsed with just enough room to escape what would have been a far more destructive domino effect involving other structures in the 11-building complex.

The development, known as “Lotus Riverside,” has a total of 629 units, 489 of which have already been sold. Now buyers are clamoring to get their money back, and authorities are making efforts to reassure them. The assets of the project’s developer, Shanghai Meidu Property Development Co., have been frozen and the city officials said the developer’s ability to repay homebuyers was secure, according to a statement on the municipal government’s Web site (in Chinese). A hotline has been set up for Lotus Riverside buyers, and by Sunday afternoon, more than half of them had met with a group of lawyers and officials organized to help them negotiate with the developer, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, the cause of the accident is under investigation and nine unidentified people from the developer, contractor and management company have been detained.

A representative of Shanghai Meidu could not be reached for comment.

The disaster could reveal some uncomfortable facts about lax construction practices in China, where buildings are put up in a hurry by largely unskilled migrant workers, and developers may be tempted to take shortcuts.

According to Shanghai Daily, initial investigations attribute the accident to the excavations for the construction of a garage under the collapsed building. Large quantities of earth were removed and dumped in a landfill next to a nearby creek; the weight of the earth caused the river bank to collapse, which, in turn, allowed water to seep into the ground, creating a muddy foundation for the building that toppled.


















27 comments:

ceiling on my head lady said...

The disaster could reveal some uncomfortable facts about lax construction practices in China, where buildings are put up in a hurry by largely unskilled migrant workers, and developers may be tempted to take shortcuts.


Unlike the case in Queens, Oh Wait...

Anonymous said...

Ok how long till this happens in Flushing?

Anonymous said...

I thought that WAS Frushing!

Anonymous said...

this crap happens all the time in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and third world countries like the Carribean - Countries that the NYC DOB & HPD inspectors come from.

these newcomers are importing third world bribery techniques into Queens.

Can't wait until the McMansions all crumble and fall down on the inspectors themselves.

love the pictorial details of how the building fell down.

Anonymous said...

Keep making China a super power people. Toxic toys, tainted milk, 13 story buildings falling on their side? Wake up America and stop shopping in WalMart and other perceived discount type stores buying china's products that are sub-standard.

Anonymous said...

Realtor will advertise that you can see the stars at night from your bed!

Anonymous said...

In Queens, there were a number of stories this year where illegal immigrants working on a job site were killed by the building or foundation collapsed after a heavy rain. In other cases, construction which failed to brace the foundation of an adjoining house caused its collapse after a rainfall.

Anonymous said...

Somehow, John Liu HAS to be involved in this!

georgetheatheist said...

How come the Pyramids haven't collapsed yet? The Eiffel Tower? They even fixed the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Anonymous said...

John liu, LOL

Ching Chow said...

Chinese built = cheaply built!

Between toxic wall board and Tommy Huang the whole damned world is in danger!

And the Oriental "vunder-builders" probably would have used lead based paint to finish the job!

5,000 years of perfecting the art of f-----g over their fellow man!

Anonymous said...

We should take a page from the chinese government on this. They will probably shoot or hang someone or several people because of this.

Queens Blvd Driver said...

Another example of the

"O-factor"

georgetheatheist said...

For you engineering tekkies. How come the entire building did not break into little pieces when it keeled over?

Anonymous said...

Because it ripped out of its foundations. No support, high center of gravity, soft soil. Even a non-engineer can see that.

Anonymous said...

Gives new meaning to the term, "sunken living room." Undoubtedly, coming to a borough near you...

Anonymous said...

How do you say "duh" in Chinese?

Newtown Pentacle said...

I was actually told, by a highly placed engineer working for the city, that the masters are expecting a centennial tectonic event in New York within the next 20 years and are quietly shoring up parts of the infrastructure accordingly.
We're doomed, I tell you. Doomed.

Happy new year

Anonymous said...

Nice to know:

1. this building looks nicer than most of the crap put up recently

2. buidling techniques are getting flimsier by the day as construction workers become ever lower skilled, inspections more haphazard, and stuff like wiring and the like lower in quality.

3. new buildings are going up on marginal land, and landfills and waterfront and oceanfront.

Your taxe dollars at work as they shut down hospitals, build schools for a population of 1980, and cut back on services.

Have a nice day.

Gary the Agnostic said...

Everyone be honest. How many of you would have wanted to be there in person to see this happen?

Anonymous said...

Sounds like fun BUT the building did kill someone.

Anonymous said...

And these are the good builders in China, the bad builders come to Queens.

Kevin Walsh said...

Down goes Frazier!

www.forgotten-ny.com

Anonymous said...

We don't execute neglegent developers in this country, we just elect them to a political office.

???? from CB#7??? said...

This already happened in Flushing.

In 1986 when Tommy Huang started putting up his headquarters on the southeast corner of Northern B'lvd & Main Street....the building collapsed onto the street.

I believe there was a fatality.

Joe said...

Can't wait until the McMansions all crumble and fall down on the inspectors themselves.
--------------------------
Its already happening all down Shelter Rock Road in Manhasset.
The plaster constantly cracks inside those buildings. Doors don't shut and they smell like mildew. Cesspools don't work
Some North Hempstead inspectors were arrested but didn't spend much time in jail, $5000 fine tops

Joe said...

Americans shop at WalMart?

Going to Walmart is like taking the banana boat to El Limar. All it need is the witch doctor a taco stand & some Mariachi music.

I went to Walmart in Riverhead to buy some Halloween stuff and didnt even make it to the 2nd doors. These Mexicans and Guats were caughing and sneezing over everything --not even covering up.

Walmart...
The only place in America you can walk a 1/2 mile of plastic shoes, crap and import clothing and not here one person speaking English.
Mostly Mexican and Central Americans with 5+ unruly caughing and sneezing kids in tow.
Its safe to say a good 75% of people in Walmart are not American !
This including most the people running checkout.