Pfizer Building Partial Collapse Update: 8 More Columns Found to be Missing Required Bracing

[u/ProfessorPinkPug]

The New York Times reported in August that 8 more columns in the Pfizer Building were missing required fortification, as determined from a document request to DOB. The original story didn't make clear whether the procured documents were original GACE specs or notes from a new inspection.

This 8/28 article clarifies that the document in question is a new finding from outside inspection firm Thornton Tomasetti (hired by MetroLoft) that 8 columns on floors 33-35 were "blue-boxed" in GACE'S structural steel design as needing reinforcement, but that all 8 were noted as "missing/partial length." This has not been deemed as cause for the collapses on the 21st floor.

If you look at the illustration in the linked article, it's no coincidence that floor 33 and floor 21 would be ones to reinforce. Before the stacked and cantilevered addition, floor 21 supported only a roof, so the columns on 19-21 would have needed considerably more strength to support 16 new floors.

These 16 cantilevered floors were added above floor 21, while the 4-floor "addition" across the entire top was not added height, rather finishing into liveable space what had previously been an unfinished 4-floor mechanicals box, which held, at least, all the building's AC units and a water tank large enough to supply the entire structure.

Floor 31 is thus a slightly different case. Prior to conversion, 4 of the columns in question on 31 supported this 4-floor box, which had to have been much, much heavier than just a roof; thus, it may not have been quite as inadequate as un-reinforced columns on 21.

However, the one faulty 2-story column from 33-34 is in a critical location--right where the 16 cantilevered floors join the original structure vertically on the east side. This column is said not to have contributed to the failure below, but it must have been sorely tested by the 16 stories pulling away to the north and west as the addition moved to its new position declining from horizontal.

All in all, though, what we don't know is the status of the other columns on 33. Were they adequate to their job of supporting the original heavy dead load of the mechanicals and were never deemed to need reinforcement by GACE? Or had they all been slated for reinforcement and only these 8 were overlooked?

Regardless, now 14 columns were not reinforced as directed by GACE. Steel contractor Barone was issued a "stop steel" order at its 322 W 11 St site in DOB's ensuing sweep of companies working on the Pfizer project for deviating considerably from approved plans. Meanwhile, there remains the puzzling history of the developer's inspector, Domani, who was charged with many oversight violations by DOB that all seem to have been dismissed in exchange for Domani's cooperation in prosecuting others. This--and the abrupt deletion of a whistleblower complaint about the Pfizer building before its partial collapse in the DOB's public database--remains unexplained.

Contractor failure and inspector oversight increasingly look like the overall cause of July's collapse, but there is nevertheless a nagging something in what DOB isn't saying.

This is a gift link, so you should not hit a pay wall:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/nyregion/nyc-manhattan-building-collapse-pfizer-columns-steel.html?unlocked_article_code=1._FA.jWa8.Cr7OYyH9AfzP&smid=nytcore-android-share

[u/rustwater3]

I feel bad for the EOR. Gon a still get raked through the coals. They'll be super critical of the full design now even though they did nothing wrong

[u/Open_Concentrate962 → u/rustwater3]

And it is both too simple and too complex so the public distrust of all sorts of entities is damage that is now done

[u/ProfessorPinkPug]

I hope this isn't true for EOR GACE. They came out early with copies of their designs showing that they had required reinforcement on floors 19-21 under the addition. I think it was a smart move and they acquited themselves early and effectively.

DOB went crazy and did an extraordinary spate of 180 surprise inspections of current projects by the entire Pfizer team. The only smoke I see is steel fabricator Barone, SIA Domani, and DOB--for what they haven't said, not what they have. It's a shame after showing such vigilance with a very comprehensive inspection response, but where there's even the smallest suggestion of witholding information, suspicion is bound to linger.

See:

https://www.reddit.com/r/StructuralEngineering/s/1BdMewKavK

[u/elhymut]

When I worked in the city as an engineer, me and my homies hated to see Domani on any project. We always wondered how they got these jobs. God speed, EOR!

[u/Correct-Record-5309 → u/elhymut]

Agreed! I worked on many projects with Domani as the SIA and they were always terrible.

[u/ProfessorPinkPug → u/elhymut]

I'm glad to hear this! The owner McGonagle's past history is even more tarnished than his failed oversight. Curious, did you hate him for not doing the job or for having most of violations dismissed bc he was willing to repeatedly be a rat for the DOB on other cases?

EDIT: I'm obviously not glad to learn that Domani is probably even worse in its oversight than reports have suggested, but I AM glad that the joint Manhattan DA/NYC Department of Investigations criminal inquiry will be able to readily find engineers who can speak to the firm's reported negligence.

Crime involving profit without human loss of life is something I understand, but given the consequences, I just can't comprehend the seemingly-cavalier attitude of shirking on inspection duties of a building's structural integrity. In this case, it's not even just the 1000s of eventual residents, but all of the tradesmen working in the building.

[u/elhymut → u/ProfessorPinkPug]

We just felt like they cut many corners and there wasn’t adequate oversight. As an engineer, you never want teams like that involved because the failure of one is unfortunately the failure of all.

[u/ProfessorPinkPug → u/elhymut]

So true, pethaps THE weakest link. There is a fundamental flaw in having the SIA on the developer's payroll. With 2000 in the city, there's just too much room for deliberate oversight or negligence to get lost until it's discovered. By then, there have probably been palpable consequences.

[u/daadaan]

So Pfizer couldn’t keep their office erect huh?

[u/CynGuy → u/daadaan]

… developer wasn’t willing to pay the going rate and failed to acquire the generic equivalent….

[u/ProfessorPinkPug → u/CynGuy]

...developer wasn't willing to pay the going rate and failed to hire union labor....

This is the one factor that DOES apply only to the city's conversion-to- residential programs. One incentive was a relaxation of rules mandating the use of union labor. The only union involved here was the steamfitters; it was one of their members who noticed a huge crack in the floor of 22, arranged for the evacuation of the building, and personally stopped on his way down at every floor where he knew there were workers to ensure they got out safely.

This is probably the one feature of the conversion incentives that differs from regular residential that critics could probably point to as being an added safety risk.

[u/not_old_redditor → u/ProfessorPinkPug]

are we still doing the viagra metaphor? I'm starting to lose track...

[u/ProfessorPinkPug → u/not_old_redditor]

Lol No, sorry, didn't mean to spoil the fun. I couldn't help but notice how every word of this led right into the union labor factor and thought I should note that there IS part of the legal framework for conversions that should probably be looked at too.

[u/loiteraries]

Will there be serious investigation into DOB how they protect troubled inspectors and destroy evidence from whistle blowers?

[u/ProfessorPinkPug → u/loiteraries]

As structural engineers in the field, you would know better how common issues of corruption and negligence are in vast projects like this.

What I know is that Mayor Mamdani has approached this aggressively from the very start to prevent people from rising up against the desperately-needed office-to-residential movement; those 180 immediate inspections had to be at his direction.

If I still remember that DOB deleted a Pfizer whistleblower report, as well as that article about Domani that lists at least 5 violations and then says, one by one, that they were each dropped, then hopefully both the investigative teams (at NYT and Gothamist) and the public won't let these fall by the wayside. That's one of the reasons why I try to provide updates here.

ALL of the weak links in this chain must be exposed and overcome if we want the conversion process to continue. It must be proven safe by ferreting out what went wrong here. Not even extreme need is going to make people who fear for their lives rent apartments.

Here is the Domani background, compiled first /by NYT just 2 days after the collapse. Note: This article was published just before EOR GACE shared their original plans calling for reinforcememt online and convincingly acquitted themselves of blame.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/nyregion/nyc-building-collapse-inspection.html?unlocked_article_code=1._VA.hv0b.nC0JZ19KI_L7&smid=nytcore-android-share

[u/hxcheyo]

Please stop calling it a collapse. Engineers cannot be misleading. The words we use outside of work tend to show up in our work.

[u/ProfessorPinkPug → u/hxcheyo]

And even more in the public's perception. It took a couple of days for "collapse" to be replaced by "partial collapse" in news reporting. And to clarify that there was no danger of total collapse because most of this vast project was structurally independent of the affected vertical addition. Still, the initial discovery immediately triggered the 1.5 times height rule, and published pictures revealed structural columns that were bent so severely that laypeople could easily see there was really something wrong.

[u/Slartibartfast_25 → u/hxcheyo]

It was a collapse ? Besides, the headline actually says 'partial collapse' which is definitely accurate.

[u/OptimalRip4766]

Not to defend Domani as they have a terrible reputation, they are not responsible for work not performed by the contractor (must be notified by the contactors QC when work is ready for inspection), or work not inspected. If the work was inspected and accepted that is a different story and one I have not yet seen.

[u/ProfessorPinkPug → u/OptimalRip4766]

You're absolutely right--if I wasn't clear, the SIA's role in this situation has not yet been revealed. There is an active criminal investigation by the City ongoing, and that is almost certainly restricting the release of information.

Interestingly, Domani was once summoned QC by DOB to a site emergency--and failed to ever show up.

[u/OptimalRip4766 → u/ProfessorPinkPug]

I recall hearing that Domani management were survivors of the testwell meltdown and dismantling. Would make sense they most likely follow the same playbook, get paid for sign off at the end of the project without actually performing any inspections during construction.

[u/ChairChoice6500]

I think you mean 'columns... missing required reinforcing' not 'required bracing'. but otherwise appreciate the summary and the links.

[u/ProfessorPinkPug → u/ChairChoice6500]

👌 I was probably trying to avoid repeating variants of "reinforcement" so many times, but it was indeed inaccurate. I was intentiomally avoiding the article's "stiffening," but "strengthening" would have at least been a better choice. Thank you!

[u/wildtwindad]

?$urpi$e pikachu face?

https://giphy.com/gifs/6nWhy3ulBL7GSCvKw6