An independent engineering firm is now investigating window failures at seven San Francisco high rises during last month’s windstorms – including a newly disclosed case of cracking of multiple windows in a California Street high-rise, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit has learned. Jaxon Van Derbeken reports.
An independent engineering firm is now investigating window failures at seven San Francisco high rises during last month’s windstorms – including a newly disclosed case of cracking of multiple windows in a California Street high-rise, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit has learned.
A total of six windows were found cracked at 580 California Street on March 14, city building inspection records show. One window cracked on each floor from the 18th to the 23rd level. But at the time, city officials did not make the findings public.
The cracking was found the same day as a far more dramatic incident – when a broken window plunged more than 40 stories at the building nearby at 555 California Street.
Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin says when he pressed them about what took so long to disclose the 580 California case, building officials said they got caught up in handling their 555 California investigation. But while inspectors ordered a full façade inspection there, records show they did not make the same order for 580 California.
In a statement, the Department of Building Inspection said that its inspector checked the 580 California building “but it was not initially flagged internally as being directly associated with a wind event” and so the high-rise initially didn’t have to submit a façade evaluation. Inspection records indicate the building was later told to submit such a report, however.
Peskin says he’s still not satisfied with the building inspection department’s explanation for the delayed disclosure, especially given the gravity of the risk involved in window failures.
“They have not given me a rational explanation, other than an apology,” Peskin said. “Now it’s out there – I’d rather know it late than not know it at all.”
Peskin says he remains skeptical at the theory now offered by city officials – that the glass from the plunging window at 555 California could have flown hundreds of feet across the street and damaged 580 California’s windows.
Especially since it’s not the first time he has heard such a theory.
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In its recent report to the city about the failure of 20 windows in Salesforce East at 350 Mission St. during the second windstorm on March 21, the building owner blames glass fragments from Unit 49A at the Millennium Tower as damaging upper floor windows in the Salesforce East building.
The report cites as evidence glass fragments found on its 30th floor roof, suggesting Millennium fragments from a higher elevation flew across Mission St. and over a 30-foot parapet wall. The glass fragments broke upper windows, the report suggests, which in turn caused lower windows to break. Peskin says he is tired of the finger-pointing.
“People should not be claiming that they know how windows broke until there’s been an independent engineer’s analysis,’’ he said.
Peskin says he now intends to wait to review the findings of the newly commissioned report on the window failures before deciding whether to push his proposed mandate requiring full façade inspections for 71 of the city’s newest, tallest buildings by November.
The city recently enlisted the Emeryville-based firm of Wiss, Janney and Elstner -- recognized façade specialists – to complete a full report in three months.
