CONSTRUCTION FAILURES OF BUILDINGS

Aref F.2021
Table of Contact

Abstract…………………………………………………………………….................................. ii

1-Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………....1

2. The problems of structure failures of buildings……………………………………….2

2.1. Skyscrapers in 20 Fenchurch Street……………………………………………….2

2.2. Stuttgart 21…………………………………………………………………………..……….3

2.3. Citigroup center…………………………………………………………………………..…4

2.4. Jeddah Tower………………………………………………………………………………...5

2.5. Berlin Brandenburg Airport …………………………………………………………….6

3- Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

4- Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………..……….7

5- References……………………………………………………………………………….……………8

i
 List of Figures

1-Schematic illustration of solar rays being reflected off the south façade of the Walkie-Talkie and
concentrating at a hotspot at street level…………………………………………………2

ii
 Abstract
The primary contributor to schedule delays and cost overruns in design and construction
projects is design errors leading which rework or design changes.

Most design and construction firms do not measure the number of errors they create,
while design errors are considered common, therefore having limited knowledge regarding
their mechanism to undermine project performance. To address this, a system dynamics
model has been developed to capture the dynamics of design errors and systematically assess
their negative impacts. The results showed that design errors can significantly delay project
schedule, despite construction managers of continuous schedule recovery actions that taken.
Also, the study shows that the pressure in schedule can cause design errors to numerous
constructions including those that are not directly associated with the errors.

Finally, the case study confirms that the developed model can more rigorously assess the
negative impact of design errors, which is often underestimated by practitioners. Based on
these results, it is concluded that the developed model can assist project managers in better
understanding the dynamics of design errors and recovering delayed schedule, particularly
under schedule pressure.

iii
 1- Introduction

Human mistakes are almost inevitable and happen every now and then, however you might
think the large construction mega projects are very carefully thought out. This not always the case,
in this report will talk about how billion-dollar mistakes were made construction sites were
delayed for decades and a skyscraper in New York nearly fell over and cause the disaster and other
buildings that affect the environment. And it costs time, money and effort.

Rework has been identified as an endemic problem in construction and engineering projects,
and a major contributor to schedule delays and cost overruns. Rework has been defined by Love
as “the unnecessary effort of redoing a process or task that was incorrectly implemented the first
time”. Rework, on average, contributes to 52% of total cost overrun, and can increase schedule
overrun by 22%. It has also been found that 5%–20% of the contract value can be attributed to
rework in construction and engineering projects. (José Castillo, 2013)

A major contributor to rework is design error. When an error is identified, it often requires
rework to be undertaken, which involves additional time and resource expenditure. Designers may
omit to: involve others in design decisions, inform others of assumptions made, elicit other’s needs
and schedules, or understand the history of problem solving in a replicated design. Projects must
be reviewed well before implementation in order to avoid errors and disasters so as not to waste
economic resources. (José Castillo,2013)

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 2. The proplems of structure failures

2.1. Skyscrapers in 20 Fenchurch Street

Reflected sunlight from the Walkie-Talkie building in 20 Fenchurch Street, London, was reported
to have caused the melting of plastic components of a car parked at street level in late August of 2013.
The incident was explained by the concave-shaped south façade of the building, which converges solar
radiation into a hotspot. In this study, we test the sunlight concentration hypothesis with a lighting
simulation. A geometry model with material properties was created, and different weather situations
were modelled. The results are illustrated in irradiance maps indicating time, position and peak heat
fluxes. The highest simulated flux on the day of the incident was 3320 Wm⁻² (10-to-15-fold increase
compared to direct solar radiation). (Jiajie Zhu, Wolfram Jahn & Guillermo Rein,2018)

The actual temperature of hotspots induced by the building was more than twice as high as the
estimated temperature (Wainwright2013). Independently of the present study, a permanent solution
to avoid this phenomenon from happening again has since been implemented, consisting of
sunshades attached to the south façade (Molloy2014). This solution added extra cost (14 million
dollars) to the project, and substantially altered its aesthetics. (Jiajie Zhu, Wolfram Jahn & Guillermo
Rein,2018)

Figure1: Schematic illustration of solar rays being reflected off the south façade of
the Walkie-Talkie and concentrating at a hotspot at street level

(Jiajie Zhu, Wolfram Jahn & Guillermo Rein,2018)

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 2.2. Stuttgart 21

Risk of damage to buildings due to uplift caused by swelling anhydride underground contact if water
enters as a result of the tunnelling. Danger of landslides in the steep Kernerviertel and on the Kriegsberg,
triggered by construction related. Sinking of the groundwater level at the foot of the slope, as well as due
to the introduction of water from the GWM blue tubes underground. These areas are in danger of
landslides due to geological reasons. (DEIKE PETERS and JOHANNES NOVY,2012)

The underground in Stuttgart has countless sinkholes as a result of local anhydride leachates, which
can burst up to the surface suddenly and unexpectedly. In the area of the S-21 pits, several of these older
filled up sinkholes have been documented. There is still the risk of a sinkhole. Risk of the occurrence of
mineral water in Stuttgart, the second largest in Europe, due to the deep groundwater lowering for the
S-21 pits and the incision of the protective base plaster layers. (DEIKE PETERS and JOHANNES NOVY, 2012)

Risk of groundwater due to introducing the pit water as "rusty water" in the underground, due to
steel pipes without corrosion protection by the GWM (blue pipes).
In December 2012, a year after the referendum, the DB granted a cost increase of over 50% to € 6.8
billion, almost three times more than originally stated. The financing of the additional costs remains
unclear. The exit clause provided in the 2009 finance contract in the event that the cost cap was exceeded
remains unused. (DEIKE PETERS and JOHANNES NOVY, 2012)

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 2.3. Citigroup center

When it was built in 1977, Citicorp Center (later renamed Citigroup Center, now called 601
Lexington) was, at 59 stories, the seventh-tallest building in the world. You can pick it out of the
New York City skyline by its 45 degree-angled top.

But it’s the base of the building that really makes the tower so unique. The bottom nine of its 59
stories are stilts.

Found that the building was particularly vulnerable to quartering winds (winds that strike the
building at its corners). Normally, buildings are strongest at their corners, and it’s the
perpendicular winds (winds that strike the building at its faces) that cause the greatest strain. But
this was not a normal building. They found that the building can fall in any moment by strong
wind.(werner,2014)

For this reason, the engineers have started to carry out tests for structural safety, they
estimated that are wind that could cause the building to collapse occurs every 55 years on average.
However, it be installed master tempo could not work due to a power failure or wind the occurs
every 16 years on average with already be strong enough fall of the building would have fatal
consequences in contrast to a demolition the building would not collapse on itself, but instead
topple over this could create a domino effect and cause surrounding skyscrapers in New York to
be damaged or even collapse. Ultimately, they welded steel plate over the bolted joint in the
building to increase the stability of the Citigroup center(werner,2014).

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2.4. Jeddah Tower

Formerly known as kingdom Tower the Jeddah tower is located in Jeddah Saudi Arabia.
At the same height as two-and-a-half Empire State building stacked on top of each other
the Jeddah tower was to become the first 1km high building in the world. (Kassouf,
Construction Management and its Application to, 2010)

The skyscraper is part of Saudi Arabia’s pushed to diversity the country’s economy
towards tourism similar to Dubai in the famous Burj Khalifa construction of the Jeddah
Tower begin in 2013 and was planned to be completed by 2018. However, the 2017 Saudi
Arabian Purge causing major construction problems and work on the building stopped with
only a third of the tower completed. Major investors of the project including prince
Alwaleed bin Talal were imprisoned by the Saudi Arabian government, after the investors
were released a few months, later construction was still on hold and there was no official
date for its completion at the time of stopping the tower had already Risen to a height of
252 m. (Kassouf, Construction Management and its Application to, 2010)

covid-19 has further delayed plans for the construction to restart in 2020 as it would not
be safe for workers to work in such conditions. Since then, there has been no progress on
the construction site. If the project gets abandoned bit way to it construction there would
be a loss at least of billion dollars. (Kassouf, Construction Management and its Application to,
2010)

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 2.5. Berlin Brandenburg Airport

Berlin Brandenburg airport is in international airport project in Germany, construction began

in 2006 the project was originally scheduled to cost around 2.4 billion dollars and be opened in
2011. however, followed were years of delays caused by terracing failures and corruption.
consequently, the construction deadlines could not be met in any way. (Alberts, John T. Bowen, Jr, &
Julie L. Cidell )

The first delay occurred in 2010 about 1-year before the original opening date when the
bankruptcy of an involved planning company was announced order delays happen due to non-
compliant fire protection requirements not just that the airport also failed the acceptance test
required to operate as an airport. In addition, a total of 67 km or 37 miles of cooling pipes without
thermal insulation were installed. Just saw this mistake doesn't have walls return down and pipes
were replaced, to date the cost of more than triple to a total of 8.3 billion dollars, 14 years after
the start of construction and 9 years after the originally planned opening date the Berlin
Brandenburg airport went into operation in 2020. (Alberts, John T. Bowen, Jr, & Julie L. Cidell )

However, that is not the end of the airports failure despite it's opening the airport is unlikely
to be able to finance itself during and after the pandemic more funds will be needed to prevent
bankruptcy which could cost an additional 2 billion dollars. (Alberts, John T. Bowen, Jr, & Julie L. Cidell
)

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 3- Conclusion

Among the different types of disasters, civil engineering disasters are the most closely related to
human beings and have constituted an important stimulus for civil engineering development. Many
scientific and technological topics are relevant to the understanding and mitigation of civil engineering
disasters, the concept of which emphasizes the transformation of civil engineering works from hazard-
bearing bodies into hazards when they fail. Unlike disasters caused by natural hazards, which often
cannot be predicted or controlled, civil engineering disasters can be effectively mitigated based on a
thorough understanding of the associated failure mechanisms and by enhancement of the resistance
capacity of engineering works.

The two goals of studies on civil engineering disasters are to understand the evolution
mechanisms of the failure of the civil engineering works and to mitigate the disasters to protect human
communities. The former goal can only be accomplished by accurate reproduction of the failure of the
engineering works, while the latter requires comprehensive enhancement of the engineering works.

7
References
Alberts, H. C., John T. Bowen, Jr, & Julie L. Cidell . (n.d.). Missed Opportunities: The Restructuring of
Berlin’s Airport System . Retrieved from core: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/29156901.pdf

Castillo, J. (2013). Mathematical and Computer Modelling. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Kassouf, R. E. (2010). Construction Management and its Application to. Boulder: Civil Engineering
University of Colorado.

Kassouf, R. E. (2010). Construction Management and its Application to. Boulder: Civil Engineering
University of Colorado.

PETERS, D., & NOVY, J. (2012). RAILWAY STATION MEGA-PROJECTS AND THE RE-MAKING OF INNER
CITIES IN EUROPE. United Kingdom: Alexandrine Press.

(n.d.). RAILWAY STATION MEGA-PROJECTS AND THE RE-MAKING OF INNER CITIES IN EUROPE.

Werner, J. ( 2014, APRIL 17 ). The Design Flaw That Almost Wiped Out an NYC Skyscraper. Retrieved
from the_eye:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/04/17/the_citicorp_tower_design_flaw_that_co
uld_have_wiped_out_the_skyscraper.html

Zhe†, X., & Zhe†, Q. (2018). On civil engineering disasters and their mitigation. china: Earthq Eng &
Eng Vib.

Zhu, J., Wolfram, J., & Rein, G. (2018). application to the 2013 Death Ray at Fenchurch Street, London.
United Kingdom: Journal of Building Performance Simulation.