Report Finds Las Vegas Hotel Could Potentially Collapse in a Code-Level Earthquake
A new report claims that Foster + Partners’ unfinished Harmon Hotel tower on the Las Vegas Strip is beyond repair and could potentially collapse in a “code-level” earthquake.
Owner MGM Resorts International recently commissioned Weidlinger Associates, a California-based engineering consulting firm, to perform a structural assessment of the 400-room, oval-shaped high-rise that anchors the northeast corner of CityCenter.
The report, whose findings were made available July 11, represents the latest salvo in a battle that dates to 2009. It says the 28-story tower’s construction defects are “so pervasive and varied in character that it is not possible to quickly implement a temporary or permanent repair,” and questions “whether repairs are possible.”
On Tuesday, government officials ordered MGM to turn over substantiating tests, documents, and calculations from their report by August 15 and devise a remedy for the half-built tower, including possible demolition.
Weidlinger Associates’ findings contradict a 36-page government report released January 31, which stated that the building is “structurally stable under design loads from a maximum-considered earthquake event.” Houston-based Walter P Moore performed the structural assessment on behalf of Clark County, Nevada.
The Harmon is at the center of an ongoing bitter lawsuit between MGM and its general contractor, Perini Building Company, a unit of Tutor Perini Corporation (Sylmar, California), over construction defects, namely improperly installed reinforcing steel inside link beams on 15 floors.
The building was nearly lopped in half in January 2009 as part of a cost-cutting measure, trimming 207 high-end residences, of which fewer than half had sold. The move saved $600 million in construction costs, and deferred another $200 million in expenses needed to finish interiors.
MGM’s lawsuit claims that Harmon has "substantial defective construction" resulting in "hundreds of millions of dollars in estimated damages.” The building’s problems are the result of “design defects” but are fixable, claims Perini in a July 12 statement. Perini, MGM's lawsuit claims, believes “the Harmon is worth more dead than alive to MGM.”
This article was updated and corrected on July 18, 2011.
Another half-assed story by ENR. Where's the beef in the so called construction defects? This is just a fluff piece, written by twits with zero knowledge of the Construction Industry. "...
July 16, 2011
Another half-assed story by ENR. Where's the beef in the so called construction defects? This is just a fluff piece, written by twits with zero knowledge of the Construction Industry. "A Maximum Considered Earthquake Event" Are you people serious? MCE is the correct terminiology - which, translated for ENR dummy reporters means...."maximum credible event". You need to cut Tony his last two pay-checks! Here's is an idea - publish a link to the Court Doc's, Perini's response & Walter P. Moore's structural assessment so the readers have the basics to begin an analysis. Project Owners and useless CM's always engage the media when they have no basis to sustain a claim in Court....std. modus operandi. Sounds to me like your A/E Design Team screwed up. Did the Project have Fulltime Inspection? So why would Clarke County Inspectors sign off prior to a Concrete Pour if the rebar was installed improperly in link beams on 15-Floors? Union Ironworkers - highly doubtful that would happen. What were the CM's Inspectors doing all damn day? Let me guess, playing on the Computers, playing on Facebootie, Twittering & writing useless meeting minutes. Were the Clark County Inspectors sleeping in their cars on the construction site. How about the private Inspection & Testing firm for the Concrete & Reinforcing Steel....did they all fail to do their jobs and the poor Owner got burned, or is it more likely that the Owners Structural Engineer of Record screwed up his design cacl's and is now covering his ass. Maybe his license should be revoked....call the A/E's Insurer. The fact is - the Owners always go after the firm with the deepest pockets & the most Insurance - regardless of facts or law....then it's a settlement game....lawyers, guns & money. This rag gets lamer as each year passes!!!
Sounds like the union label isn't worth a crap. This is what happens when drunk ironworkers go back to work after drinking their lunch.
July 16, 2011
Sounds like the union label isn't worth a crap. This is what happens when drunk ironworkers go back to work after drinking their lunch.
Sad to think that ENR is subject to extreme lobbying by an Owner seeking ,to make up for it's ill timed project by attacking it's contractor ,or has reporters who do not know a D9 from...
July 16, 2011
Sad to think that ENR is subject to extreme lobbying by an Owner seeking ,to make up for it's ill timed project by attacking it's contractor ,or has reporters who do not know a D9 from a 2x4. Either way I ask if ENR is entering tabloid type reporting? Come on ENR you can do better than this!!! JFC
It paperers that we have three more potential ENR reports here. Writing uninformed and unsubstantiated ignorant comments.
July 16, 2011
It paperers that we have three more potential ENR reports here. Writing uninformed and unsubstantiated ignorant comments.
Not many relevant facts in this story. It seems to be written for the layman, not people with experience in engineering and construction. Readers would be better off reading the white...
July 16, 2011
Not many relevant facts in this story. It seems to be written for the layman, not people with experience in engineering and construction. Readers would be better off reading the white paper authored by the Nevada Board of Professional Engineers, who found that the inspector on site was not being supervised by a qualifed engineer (required by State Law and IBC Chapter 17). The Board did suspend at least one license to practice. I was also told that the defects were only caught as a result of the design structural engineer walking to a meeting and seeing torch sparks as workers were cutting off the "link beams". I think that ENR should make it's writers take continuing engineering education courses on-line. Then maybe their stories will be written for the people who know the business and not just the joe on the street.
The problems that lead to The Harmon Hotel's predicament are far reaching. Living in Las Vegas, a member of the Engineering community, and having worked on various parts of City Center...
July 16, 2011
The problems that lead to The Harmon Hotel's predicament are far reaching. Living in Las Vegas, a member of the Engineering community, and having worked on various parts of City Center for both the Owner and contractors, Harmon has and continues to be the shining example of what happens when a difficult design and agressive schedule meets unmotivated public supervision.
It is truly unfortunate that ENR and its reporters lack the basic investigative knowledge or maybe they do but they're looking for mag sales not substantive and credible reporting....yo...
July 16, 2011
It is truly unfortunate that ENR and its reporters lack the basic investigative knowledge or maybe they do but they're looking for mag sales not substantive and credible reporting....you've got a conglomerate that for a lack of a better term over extended itself by trying to build a '6 star entertainment/mixed use facility' and got caught with their pants down when the housing 'false' boom collapsed and the sharks bailed out in the financing arena! so here we have MGM blaming the contractor for their lack of fiduciary responsibility and for a very bad A/E and CM inspection or lack of! ....Hey, its a crap shoot and the house lost!
Sad thing is, the only ones who win will be the lawyers. But, I bet if the gov put a cap on what lawyers could charge for each type of case, this woulda been over long time ago.
July 16, 2011
Sad thing is, the only ones who win will be the lawyers. But, I bet if the gov put a cap on what lawyers could charge for each type of case, this woulda been over long time ago.
Well, now we're getting somewhere! How about it ENR - Got any detailed photos or engineering drawings to publish. Show the readers the details (as planned vs. as-built), show us the pho...
July 17, 2011
Well, now we're getting somewhere! How about it ENR - Got any detailed photos or engineering drawings to publish. Show the readers the details (as planned vs. as-built), show us the photos of the link beams which were cut off. Post the names of the fired Inspector(s). Post the names of the Project Manager & Superintendents for Perini. Post the names of the Resident Engineer for the Owner & their so called key staff. The first impression anyone gets from other parts of the country is - these guys are made to work like assholes in Vegas. Thats due to the owners ridiculous schedules & pushing people too hard. It is also the chief cause of the fatalities. How about a cover story on the 6-men killed, how & why they died??
re: comments on the drunk Ironworkers - got amy proof? That's the std. modus-operandi of all large GC's each & every time there is any accident. The first thing they do is accuse the pe...
July 17, 2011
re: comments on the drunk Ironworkers - got amy proof? That's the std. modus-operandi of all large GC's each & every time there is any accident. The first thing they do is accuse the person hurt or killed of being a drunk, drug addict, dealer or all of the above. That is always done, to force a settlement & cause the family more pain & duress. Seen this a few times - the lawyers have no conscience, make it up as they go and torture the family in the process. Safety Programs/Plans are nothing more than another Submittal to get approved, past that - it is a dog & pony show and it is never backed up with the necessary Funding or Staff to ensure that all those who report to work at the start of their shift go home. On the CM's end, their chief concern is passing out t-shirts, hats having barbecues, and fegining compliance, while for the most part, the Safety Team spends the day doing mondless tasks like badging people in instead of being out in the field. The proof is in the GC's budgets....when you see how little is truly budgeted to safety, how few staff they are allowed & the fact that it's really all about the schedule, then you get the idea. All sides are guilty - the Owner, The A/E, the GC and the Inspectional departments of the varying government agenciesm that refuse to give actual authority to the safety personnel to shut down projects and stop work when appropriate. They are usually left to focus on the minutia, such as a worker who took off his hard-hat, or cut cords and generally ignore the real issues which impact workers lives, Fall Protection, leading edge work etc
The project instantly became doomed when Tutor took over Perini.
July 17, 2011
The project instantly became doomed when Tutor took over Perini.
I wouldn't set foot in it no matter what was done to fix it.
July 18, 2011
I wouldn't set foot in it no matter what was done to fix it.
What is going on here? 3 inspections? Who paid for all three inspections... I hear one was paid by the County. Where are these reports? This has been going on for ever. Why isn't ENR gi...
July 18, 2011
What is going on here? 3 inspections? Who paid for all three inspections... I hear one was paid by the County. Where are these reports? This has been going on for ever. Why isn't ENR giving us more details?? Something is going to hit the fan come August and let me guess MGM attorneys are just racking up the hours. People that worked on this building need to get paid. And safety has to be a concern, hasn't anyone learned any lessons.
"COULD POTENTIALLY COLLAPSE"......yes and ENR - "COULD POTENTIALLY WRITE A FACTUALLY BASED STORY". A free press comes with responsibilities. How about a course in Fact Checking 101? How...
July 18, 2011
"COULD POTENTIALLY COLLAPSE"......yes and ENR - "COULD POTENTIALLY WRITE A FACTUALLY BASED STORY". A free press comes with responsibilities. How about a course in Fact Checking 101? How about hiring reporters with actual knowledge of the Construction Industry?
Need to call your Lawyers, or are you simply afraid to post an update and correction to this lame story?
Seems to me that "Record" stands out in the name of this rag - so how about it? Where is the actual Record?
The Architect and Structural Engineer of Record, by their superior knowledge and state licensure have a duty to ensure their designs comply with the laws. They have a duty to inspect the work in the field and they have engaged the services of a CM with a team of Inspectors who are on site daily. All concrete pours have procedures in place for sign-off before a yard of mud gets poured. The final say goes to Clarke County Inspectors, so where's the beef?
A/E's screw up all the time - but like doctors, it all gets buried and they blame someone else, the inspectors, the workers, the sub, the GC. After 9-11, the official report, in the end blamed a material - spray on fireproofing for the cause of the collapse - vs. holding the Structural Engineer & Architects accountable, re: who designed it, who was responsible for the bare min. code connections at the truss ends? Seriously, a 3" x 3" x 1/4" angle with a fillet weld top & bottom & 2-3/4" diameter bolts on one end & 2-5/8" diameter bolts on the other end. The fact is, it was a lousy detail from day one. If & when people dig hard enough and report the truth - you shall find the same thing here. There is I am sure a very detailed paper trail of rfi's & letters on this subject. No super, no field crew would alter a detail on their own initiative with 24/7 Inspection, and without people signing off the work performed. Job progress and monthly pay app's depend upon actual verification of in place work.
This ENR story essentially says that for 15-floors, Perini ignored the details, the rfi's, the A/E designed & approved details and did whatever the hell they felt like doing; and, all the other involved parties went along with it. This is not a remotely credible allegation. ENR - put up or shut up!
Need to call your Lawyers, or are you simply afraid to post an update and correction to this lame story?
Seems to me that "Record" stands out in the name of this rag - so how about it? Where is the actual Record?
The Architect and Structural Engineer of Record, by their superior knowledge and state licensure have a duty to ensure their designs comply with the laws. They have a duty to inspect the work in the field and they have engaged the services of a CM with a team of Inspectors who are on site daily. All concrete pours have procedures in place for sign-off before a yard of mud gets poured. The final say goes to Clarke County Inspectors, so where's the beef?
A/E's screw up all the time - but like doctors, it all gets buried and they blame someone else, the inspectors, the workers, the sub, the GC. After 9-11, the official report, in the end blamed a material - spray on fireproofing for the cause of the collapse - vs. holding the Structural Engineer & Architects accountable, re: who designed it, who was responsible for the bare min. code connections at the truss ends? Seriously, a 3" x 3" x 1/4" angle with a fillet weld top & bottom & 2-3/4" diameter bolts on one end & 2-5/8" diameter bolts on the other end. The fact is, it was a lousy detail from day one. If & when people dig hard enough and report the truth - you shall find the same thing here. There is I am sure a very detailed paper trail of rfi's & letters on this subject. No super, no field crew would alter a detail on their own initiative with 24/7 Inspection, and without people signing off the work performed. Job progress and monthly pay app's depend upon actual verification of in place work.
This ENR story essentially says that for 15-floors, Perini ignored the details, the rfi's, the A/E designed & approved details and did whatever the hell they felt like doing; and, all the other involved parties went along with it. This is not a remotely credible allegation. ENR - put up or shut up!
This should be an opportunity to create a new hotel/tower which should strive to be the most innovative in the world. Moreover, this building could add new energy to City Centre. I su...
July 18, 2011
This should be an opportunity to create a new hotel/tower which should strive to be the most innovative in the world. Moreover, this building could add new energy to City Centre. I suggest as a shareholder in MGM that they just tear the building down and, "Doubledown" on what should be the most amazing building on West of the Rockies.
Zmontana
Zmontana
