# NYC building in imminent danger of collapse **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 7, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494 "2026-07-07T18:47:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/61 "2026-07-08T18:51:50Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > I don’t get it. I’ve had _really_ good luck with JB Weld on all sorts of projects “A little dab’ll do ya” No, no, wait, that’s for Brylcream ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/62 "2026-07-08T19:24:10Z")
> [@robby](#): > > They called for a nut on a threaded section of rod in the middle of an otherwise smooth (unthreaded) rod, which is not possible. You could have a rod that’s threaded for its entire length, and you could also have a rod with smooth sections in between threaded sections if the smooth section matches the smaller diameter of the threads rather than the larger diameter. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/63 "2026-07-08T19:29:16Z")
That’s certainly correct as a matter of geometry. The rod in question was supposed to be IIRC 120+ feet long. If it was semi-threaded as you propose, there’d be IIRC 10 or 12 threaded sections each a couple feet long at WAG 10-15 foot intervals. Each of those diameter changes where threads begin and end and the diameter changes would be a point of stress concentration. So about 20 of those. Per rod and there were many rods (10? 20?) required Difficult to analyze, difficult to manufacture, difficult to transport, difficult to assemble. Gonna be difficult. Now the actual design was a rod threaded full length as @Dewey_Finn says just below. Which implies a need to run a lot of large nuts up 120 feet of a lot of rods. Then another set of nuts up 100 feet 110. Then 100, then … Notso hotso either. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/64 "2026-07-08T19:31:06Z")
I thought from reading Henry Petroski’s book that the hanging rod in the case of the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse was supposed to be threaded throughout, with the nuts needing to be spun up dozens of feet to support each level. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/65 "2026-07-08T19:35:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You could have a rod that’s threaded for its entire length Petter actually addressed that in the video I linked to earlier. Cutting threads that long would be extremely difficult, and the threads could be easily damaged during transport and assembly. Not to mention what a tedious pain in the butt it would be for the construction worker who has to thread a nut up a probably a nearly 30 foot length of rod. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/66 "2026-07-08T19:39:26Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Not to mention what a tedious pain in the butt it would be for the construction worker who has to thread a nut up a probably a nearly 30 foot length of rod. A job to give the jobsite rookie. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/67 "2026-07-08T19:47:46Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Not to mention what a tedious pain in the butt it would be for the construction worker who has to thread a nut up a probably a nearly 30 foot length of rod. You probably want the deep socket wrench for that. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/68 "2026-07-08T20:08:40Z")
What everyone just said. The original design for the rods sucked. Supposedly (according to the Wikipedia article) the original design was just a preliminary sketch. Since it wasn’t constructable as shown, it’s not at all surprising the fabricator would propose separate rods instead. (Threading the rods the whole length was reportedly considered but it was thought they would be too easily damaged during transport.) What is surprising is that nobody checked to see what the new loads were on the various components with the revised design. And that is why the project engineer and the engineering firm were sanctioned and permanently lost their licenses to practice in that state. They were lucky to not to be held criminally responsible for their gross negligence. When I taught physics I used the following analogy. The original design was like kids holding onto a vertical hanging rope (like in gym class), one above the other. The revised design was like one kid holding onto a vertical rope, with a second kid holding onto their legs. 😬 It’s obvious that the load on the top kid’s hands just doubled in the second case. Just like the load on the walkway nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/69 "2026-07-08T20:17:10Z")
Oh, yeah, the original design was totally impractical. It just wasn’t actually impossible, like some claim. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/70 "2026-07-08T20:23:02Z")
> [@robby](#): > > the builder in the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse was at fault, but so was the engineer because their design was not constructable. They called for a nut on a threaded section of rod in the middle of an otherwise smooth (unthreaded) rod, which is not possible. Well, your physics students were not machinists or engineers. It is quite possible to make such a rod. but it takes extra machining. Just thread the rod and then machine off the threads where you don’t want them using a lathe. This doesn’t affect strength much since you only machine down to the roots of the threads, you are not reducing the core diameter. The 2nd method is better which is to roll thread the threaded portions. This expands the threads on the rod. Used all the time for high strength fasteners. [Rolled Threads Explained Everything You Need to Know -](https://ssprofab.com/rolled-threads-explained-everything-you-need-to-know/) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/71 "2026-07-08T20:26:15Z")
At least it wasn’t using glue to hold 26 Ton concrete slabs above your head. > **[Big Dig ceiling collapse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig_ceiling_collapse)** > > The Big Dig ceiling collapse occurred on July 10, 2006, when a concrete ceiling panel and debris weighing 26 short tons (52,000 lb; 24,000 kg) and measuring 20 by 40 feet (6.1 by 12.2 m) fell in the Fort Point Channel Tunnel (which connects to the Ted Williams Tunnel) in Boston, Massachusetts, US. The panel fell on a car traveling on the two-lane ramp connecting northbound I-93 to eastbound I-90 in South Boston, killing a passenger and injuring the driver. Investigation and repair of the colla T... ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/72 "2026-07-08T20:32:27Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Cutting threads that long would be extremely difficult, and the threads could be easily damaged during transport and assembly. Not to mention what a tedious pain in the butt it would be for the construction worker who has to thread a nut up a probably a nearly 30 foot length of rod. There are companies that do nothing but manufacture threaded rods. Piece of cake. As for running the nuts into position, use a powered nut runner. > **[Impact Connect Nut Runner Attachment](https://www.dewalt.com/en-us/product/dwanrrir/impact-connect-nut-runner-attachment)** > > Work fast and save time on threaded rod applications with the IMPACT CONNECT"ž¢ nut runner attachment. This attachment is 3x faster than running nuts by hand‚¬  and offers a lifting capacity of up to 100 lbs. Featuring the revolutionary quick-change... ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/73 "2026-07-08T20:37:29Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > There are companies that do nothing but manufacture threaded rods. Piece of cake. Was that the case in the late 1970s when the building in question was being constructed, though? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/74 "2026-07-08T22:46:58Z")
Whether it is technically feasible, then or now, having an exposed 30 foot threaded rod on a public bridge looks incredibly cheesy. It looks like you couldn’t be bothered to make a proper part. “Let’s just use allthread!” And people will be grabbing on to it. And yes, this was taught to us in engineering class, too, an a bad example. At the time, I thought it was something from the dead past, like the Tacoma Narrows bridge, instead of something from the last 12 months! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/75 "2026-07-08T22:54:28Z")
The Hyatt walkway collapse was in 1981. So I suppose fresh from your college days. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/76 "2026-07-08T23:20:07Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > So I suppose fresh from your college days. Yup. Probably in an '82 class, either stress or engineering materials. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/77 "2026-07-08T23:46:10Z")
The Washington Post is reporting the building as being stabilized (article behind paywall): [Manhattan high-rise deemed stable after columns buckled, and some evacuations are lifted - The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/07/07/nyc-manhattan-building-collapse-risk/5f0d3fd4-7a1c-11f1-b194-f872dd4ec5aa_story.html) > NEW YORK — An under-construction Manhattan high-rise at risk of collapse was stabilized late Tuesday and some evacuations of nearby buildings were lifted. > > “We’ve been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement,” Ahmed Tigani, commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, said during a news conference Tuesday. > > By nighttime, residents were allowed back into several of the seven buildings that were evacuated as a precaution. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/78 "2026-07-09T04:58:24Z")
I’m surprised and relieved they apparently saved the building. Steel beams in building aren’t supposed to bend. That’s usually a high pucker sign. It’ll be interesting to see if they eventually take down the building. Adding the extra floors may have severely compromised the foundation. However the developer, Berman thinks otherwise. Link [Developer of unstable building in NYC says it was never in danger of collapse - CBS New York](https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nathan-berman-metroloft-developer-unstable-building-pfizer-headquarters/) > [@](#): > > Berman said the project will still go forward and will be completed in a year, on schedule. > > He said he thinks future renters in the building will understand “when something is being blown out of proportion.” He said that person will also understand the quality of construction of office buildings that are being converted to residential use is “far superior to anything you can afford to build today ground up.” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/79 "2026-07-09T05:07:56Z")
I hope they don’t proceed with the conversion, and if they do, nobody wants to move in. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494/80 "2026-07-09T06:17:19Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > So what’s the problem here, that steel beam isn’t structural in that sideways V shape??? > [@DavidNRockies](#): > > I don’t get it. I’ve had _really_ good luck with JB Weld on all sorts of projects. You have the right idea but the wrong product. What’s needed here is epoxy resin – my miracle cure for anything broken! Just squirt some 5-minute epoxy into the crack in that V-shaped column, and have a strong guy (possibly Superman, if necessary) push it back into a vertical shape. Problem solved! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-building-in-imminent-danger-of-collapse/1031494.md?page=5)