Thanks for your coverage….if this thing falls, the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts is going to need a facelift. I’m serious. That building is screwed.

Wow, I hope that thing doesn’t fall on some people…

considering how many of these things seem to be falling of late, these photos might be evidence in the near future…

What is the chance of that crane falling on the Marriott Hotel - without injuring anyone - and then the city puts another RFP for a new convention hotel? That is probably wishful thinking on my part, although it would be devastating to lose 400 convention rooms at this stage.

Just wondering :LOL:

Slightly off topic…. Matt have you considerec taking any photos of the 2 tower cranes across from North Hills Mall? The larger of the two is for the Captrust Tower, not sure what the second one is for. This might make for some interesting time lapse type pics as this project develops.

Tower cranes do lean like that when they are not loaded. When they pick up a load, you can see the tower sway the other way…by several feet. It is perfectly normal and not indicative of an emminent collapse. The footings that are placed for tower cranes are really large to account for this.

I have not seen the North Hills site, but it is not unusuall to have more than one on a site especially on larger projects where one will be too busy or if they are trying to use smaller cranes so the boom is not right over houses. They might also have one set up for the parking deck and one for the building.

Lee is correct. It’s leaning because the counterweight (seen at the top right of the crane in the second photo) has no load working against it.

So, Ari, where did you get your info from yesterday?

Well, honestly, I heard about it on ABC 11, but the “Performing Arts Center is screwed” thing I came up with myself, based on the direction it’s leaning.

I just took a look at the crane on my way back from Rolesville today and it looks like it is buckling mid-way up. I guess that’s normal….. We are supposed to get some rain tomorrow, I wonder if that will blow on it and make it tip more or possibly even buckle and collapse.

Maybe it will collapse and the whole project will be ruined. Then, some other developer might make plans for a new taller tower! A kid can dream, can’t he?

Oh come on now, Charter Square is a pretty cool project. I don’t want to see it get struck down by a crane already, lol.

True, but what if that project was terminated and they built a 600-footer? That would be sweeeeeeet.

^^
Highly unlikely, even in my wildest dreams Charter Square should have been a taller project, I must admit, but at least it fills a huge gap, and it will be a strictly urban project. Marriott Hotel, on the other hand, looks more like a hotel better suited for a location near RDU, not downtown…

Please stop saying anything about the crane collapsing. It is not going to collapse due to appearing to lean a little in the maner that it is currently. It is normal and nothing is wrong as it is not really even leaning, but in fact is curving. The bottom is actually vertical, yet the top appears to lean and doies move like I said earlier. The ABC news story was a bunch of overblown crap. Next, they will do an expose on how OMG, the lanes on Wake Forest Road are more narrow than other roads like it has not been done a dozen times before in the last 20 years.

Also, FYI, if you look closely, the boom also curves upward toward the end since there is no load on it. Same basic principle at work.

Even though buildings seem like some monlithic unmovable structure, they do move. Concrete and steel are actually flexible to a point.

There is nothing more at work here than an interesting phenomena that Matt Robionson has managed to capture well.

phenomenon

Lee, we are only joking about it… If there was any immediate danger I am sure the many knowledgeable workers on that site would have done something about it. It is just that I can’t stand that Marriott Hotel :LOL:

I did not want to single anyone out, but I was not meaning to direct anythign toward you, I was speaking to ARI on this as every post made recently is about the crane falling.

How tall is this project supposed to be, again? Just curious

Lee, I and others were simply discussing any chances of the crane falling over and smashing another building’s face in (*chuckle*). That doesn’t necessarily mean we think it will happen. Seriously. Get off my case. Also, Matt, the Charter Square North Tower is supposed to be 358 feet/20 stories tall and is to be finished by 2011. Also, just a note, today there was a magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Los Angeles just southwest of Chino Hills. Over two dozen aftershocks have occurred. Minor damage has been reported. LAX Airport is having technical diffculties, but is functioning as a result of the quake.

It should be about 100 feet taller =D

But thats still pretty tall, is there a rendering?

Search “Raleigh City Plaza” in Google and you will find the city’s rendering of Charter Square. It’s the top result.

Also, you’re right, it should be as tall as Two Hanover Square.

I was one of the iron/crane workers that erected that crane. Lee is correct they do lean and is safe. You should see it lean during assembly….when erecting the crane the last thing we do is impact (tighten) the tower bolts on the way to the ground. The view is awesome up there! Nice Pics!

There have been several to fall over the past year!

Yes and in each instance the cranes demise was due to external forces, not the crane or crane operator!!!! Find something better to do with your time….cars crash everyday yet you all still drive??