NEW ORLEANS | Hard Rock Hotel and Residences | 210 FT | 18 FL | ON HOLD
 

Due to the ongoing emergency and the collapse , it seems prudent to create a thread for this project so the topic can be discussed here.



Renderings:

https://www.nevistas.com/ul/4/2018/02/15/12.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...yvPzWfOZSdMN_R


https://i0.wp.com/buildingblocks.com...?fit=850%2C550


Hotel Website:

https://www.hardrockhotels.com/new-orleans

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGtAFWQW...g&name=900x900


Photos During Construction:




The following photos I took Friday October 11th, the night before the collapse:

https://66.media.tumblr.com/26a33735...c8098741c4.jpg

https://66.media.tumblr.com/4da5d0c1...df415381f7.jpg

https://66.media.tumblr.com/1699d89a...beb5422346.jpg




Photos and video during and after the collapse:


https://66.media.tumblr.com/bf7968dd...ffff275afc.jpg

https://66.media.tumblr.com/527dde49...95f483fb45.jpg





Video of the collapse:

• Video Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm3qPkDbtKM


• Video Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbO2z5GA4r0




Drone footage post collapse:

• Video Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP4tbb8omHc



Project Team Websites:


Contractors Website
http://www.citadelbuilders.com/



Engineers Website:

https://www.heaslipeng.com/



Architects

http://www.hbsaii.com/projects.html





Latest Up to date information:

https://66.media.tumblr.com/473a3e58...a235a412f1.png

https://twitter.com/nolaready

To add insult to injury here there is a likelihood of some minor tropical development that could impact New Orleans this weekend:

Tropical development could bring local impacts this weekend. Stay weather aware in #NOLA and prep for heavy rain. #NOLAReady #PrepTips ➡️ http://ready.nola.gov/hurricane

https://66.media.tumblr.com/e4fab4d0...1f76891ee3.png


Given the taller cranes leanings and the part of the building that collapsed ... southern winds are considered the greatest threat at this time to toppling that crane.



For those not familiar, this construction site is located in a very dense historic part of town and sits directly across the street from The Saenger Theatre:


Saenger Theatre :

https://www.saengernola.com/home

http://1s33hm43x1ll1nob5n1jgbtf.wpen...-1024x1024.jpg

http://jbace.com/wp-content/uploads/...2/DSC_7226.jpg

http://www.soundcom.net/Projects/020...er-/main_0.jpg

The theatre has already suffered a small hole in the roof and some canopy damage on the side... but those have been temporarilty fixed.. main concern is the larger crane falling right on it

So this'll have to be a full demo then, right? No way I could see them trying to rebuild with any of the existing structure... way too risky

I think that's likely the path forward. Given that the structure was never designed to bear the weight of a collapse, I imagine it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to get someone to sign off on it.

First though, they have to figure out how to deal with these cranes.

I think for sure all of the steel parts will have to come down and then inspect the the garage portion of it to see if thats salvageable but until the building is stabilized no way to really know what the ultimate condition of that garage will be...


Link to 10am update:

https://www.facebook.com/mayorcantre...094662?sfns=mo

Seems to be hinting at controlled explosives being used to bring both cranes down as a real possibility

Quite concerning when two days prior to collapse workers are noticing sagging and beams too small..

https://www.nola.com/news/article_d8...f92b121e2.html

I was just about to post this. I understand that Citadel was responsible for the construction, but who engineered this thing? I don’t think I’ve seen or heard it mentioned yet.

Is there a consensus as to why exactly this happened?

Heaslip Engineering, which according to their portfolio, doesn't have any experience with high-rise construction.

https://www.heaslipeng.com/

I suspect the structure was under-designed but probably safe in ideal conditions and that improper construction sequencing or a heavy point load caused the barely adequate structure to quickly fail.

Citadel Builders also doesn't appear to have any experience with high-rise construction. Kailas will regret selecting the inexpensive inexperienced local team to pad his bottom line.

Even if they find fault with one party, all major players involved in development, design, and construction will be declaring bankruptcy.

I know for a fact that the price per square foot that people were saying citadel agreed to build this for was shockingly low... there’s a reason palmisano Woodward McDonnell etc cost a certain amount and if one company is way lower : two things i see as the reason... extreme value engineering or cutting corners with qualified labor and materials.. it does seem like this building was “barely engineered” and anything out of ideal could lead to what we see happen... posters on the forum were noticing and me as well that the structure looked cheap especially the part above the garage.

And yes heaslip engineered this thing but again as we heard with palmisano earlier this summer with the world war 2 museum hotel... palmisano discovered the flaw in the engineering and devised a fix for it on the spot, and the museum suing the engineers for defective engineering and the cost to fix... as kailas will learn the hard way , you get what you pay for!

The video taken on October 10th by that worker is pretty damning to the engineering and design of the building and to the contractor for ignoring these issues and proceeding forward with construction. The installation of the roof top pool the day before the collapse likely was too much for the beams to support, and thus the partial failure of the building. I'm sure the investigators are already well aware of these things.

It also sounds like a plan is in place for a controlled collapse of the two tower cranes. The city is clearing out the parking garage in the 200 block of Rampart next to the New Orleans Athletic Club. As we were discussing in the New Orleans thread, since the cranes need to come down ASAP, that garage is the most expendable structure around for the taller crane to land on. The shorter crane could then simply fall into the existing partially collapsed building since it's a write-off anyway.

The photos of the site and building are ones ive taken personally.

I know that you've taken some photos around New Orleans, but not all of those were yours. These here that I've linked aren't. You must credit any and all photos you post that are not your own or they may be removed.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...yvPzWfOZSdMN_R

https://i0.wp.com/buildingblocks.com...?fit=850%2C550

https://66.media.tumblr.com/bf7968dd...ffff275afc.jpg

https://66.media.tumblr.com/527dde49...95f483fb45.jpg

https://66.media.tumblr.com/473a3e58...a235a412f1.png

http://1s33hm43x1ll1nob5n1jgbtf.wpen...-1024x1024.jpg

http://jbace.com/wp-content/uploads/...2/DSC_7226.jpg

http://www.soundcom.net/Projects/020...er-/main_0.jpg

How many buildings this tall are framed like this? Looks like a lowrise that was made extra tall.

At Hard Rock New Orleans, this is the plan for the 'only way' to remove damaged cranes
BY MATT SLEDGE, RAMON ANTONIO VARGAS AND JOHN SIMERMAN - Times-Picayune-New Orleans Advocate

https://www.nola.com/news/article_00...ae608702c.html

Demolition experts will use torches and explosives to try to topple two teetering cranes at the site of the partially collapsed Hard Rock Hotel before they fall on their own, officials said Thursday.

.

A live broadcast of the impending crane demolition if anyone is interested;
https://www.wwltv.com/mobile/video/n...ns/289-1078240


Update: Well that didn’t seem to go at all as planned. Now you have one crane standing vertically on its head in the middle of Rampart while the boom of the other hangs over Canal.

Update 2: Still, officials seem satisfied with the outcome.

The moment.

• Video Link