Millennium Tower Fix Testing Begins

NEW SECURITY CAMERAS AND NATIONAL GUARD STANDING BY. >>> NEW DEVELOPMENT AT SAN FRANCISCO'S TROUBLED MILLENNIUM TOWER. GROUND TESTING BEGAN TO FIND OUT WHY THE TOWER CONTINUES TO LEAN AND SINK EVEN AS THEY TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW LEANING 22 INCHES. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER BROKE THE STORY OF THE BUNGLED FIX AND HAS NEW DETAILS. >> Reporter: CREWS USED A TRUCK MOUNTED RIG TO BORE TEST HOLES NEAR THE CORNER WHERE THE HIGH RISE SHIFTED MOST IN RECENT CONSTRUCTION OF THE SO-CALLED FIX FOR SINK PROBLEM. INSTALLING NEW PILES TO BEDROCK TO SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION. BUT AFTER THE BUILDING STARTED TILTING EVEN MORE, CITY ORDERED THE WORK HALTED TO ALLOW FOR INVESTIGATION. HOPE IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS OF SOIL IMMEDIATE LIT ADJACENT. WILL BE ANALYZED IN LAB AND CREWS WILL INSTALL SENSORS BOTTOM OF THE HOLES TO MEASURE VIBRATIONS IN THE INSTALLATION. VIBRATIONS MAY BE TO BLAME FOR SINKING BUT SOME EXPERTS ARE SKEPTICAL. >> IF IT'S NECESSARY NOW, WHY WASN'T IT DONE BEFORE THEY STARTED THIS $100 MILLION FIX? >> Reporter: ENGINEER PIKE BELIEVES IT'S PRODUCT OF TOO MUCH SOIL REMOVED IN DRILLING. LOST GROUND HAD SUPPORTED EXISTING FOUNDATION. ESTIMATED REMOVED A TON OF SOIL FOR EACH PILE INSTALLED AND PIKE SAID IT'S TOO MUCH. >> SHOULD HAVE TAKEN EVERY NECESSARY MEASURE TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO LOSS OF GROUND. ANYTHING MORE THAN ZERO IS UNACCEPTABLE LOSS OF GROUND. >> Reporter: TESTING EXPECTED TO

Channel: NBC Bay Area

Views: 325

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Millennium Tower, San Francisco, Investigations, Investigative Unit, Bay Area news

Id: hEgpA9yZyr4

Length: 2min 4sec (124 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 18 2021