The SF Millennium Tower Example

As new skyscrapers soar to increasing heights worldwide, the tip of the iceberg regarding potentially significant issues is hidden below the surface. For example, the Millennium Tower (Tower) in San Francisco, California, with a height of 645 feet and 58 stories, easily falls under the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection’s (SFDBI) definition of a tall building. The Tower is one such case highlighting that communication among development team members, including engineers, architects, developers, and regulators, is imperative to achieving a successful project and illustrating how communication gaps can result in unanticipated issues. The entirety of a tall building ultimately performs as a single integrated system; its design team should strive for the same.