Cracked Beam Forces CA Transit Hub to Close
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018
San Francisco’s Transbay Joint Powers Authority shut down its $2.2 billion Salesforce Transit Center on Tuesday (Sept. 25) after workers discovered a cracked steel beam in the ceiling of the third-level bus deck. The center opened just last month.
What Happened
Officials are still investigating the fissure in the six-and-a-half-foot steel beam, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
|
|
| Fullmetal2887, CC-BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
|
San Francisco’s Transbay Joint Powers Authority shut down its $2.2 billion Salesforce Transit Center on Tuesday (Sept. 25) after workers discovered a cracked steel beam in the ceiling of the third-level bus desk. The center opened just last month. |
“While this appears to be a localized issue and we have no information that suggests it is widespread, it is our duty to confirm this before we allow public access to the facility,” Mark Zabaneh, executive director of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, the public agency that owns the center, said in a statement.
The beam is part of the support system for the 5.4-acre rooftop garden and park, which includes a 5-foot layer of soil. The rooftop has already been plagued with issues as its concrete walkway was found to be crumbling just weeks after the center opened.
In addition to the structural issues, the center cost $800 million more than expected to build and a judge recently ruled that the Authority must also pay the legal fees for the developers of neighboring Millennium Tower, who blame the Authority for the tower’s sinking and leaning problems.
General contractors Webcor and Obayashi managed the center’s construction, which lasted from August 2010 to August 2018. The architect was Pelli Clarke Pelli and Thornton Tomasetti is the structural engineer.
The general contractors and structural engineers are evaluating the fissure and inspecting all steel beams throughout the center, according to the Authority’s press release.
“The safety of everyone who visits the Salesforce Transit Center is our obligation and highest priority,” said Zabaneh, adding that the closure, which is in effect until further notice, is out of an “abundance of caution.”
Tagged categories: Health and safety; Maintenance + Renovation; Mass transit; Public Transit; Safety; Steel
