Inside Third & Bond: Week 109
Way back in Week 38, about the time that Rob was headed off to prom with DitmasSnark, we talked about the encroachment of a neighboring property. The townhouse to the west was encroaching on our property by about three inches at grade and leaning over about a foot into our air space. Other than pout,…
Way back in Week 38, about the time that Rob was headed off to prom with DitmasSnark, we talked about the encroachment of a neighboring property. The townhouse to the west was encroaching on our property by about three inches at grade and leaning over about a foot into our air space. Other than pout, there was not much for us to do but design around them. Now that Third + Bond is up, plumb straight up, the leaning neighbor is more apparent to the naked eye. What else are we required to do in order to build neighborly?
For starters, we need a seismic gap. For our purposes, a seismic gap is a space between two structures which provides some tolerance for buildings to shift without colliding in the event of an earthquake. (Seismologists have a different use for the term.) Why do we need a seismic gap in NYC? When was the last time there was an earthquake here?
New York has experienced over 380 recorded earthquakes since the 1700s, making it the third most active state east of the Mississippi…
…One of the faults, the 125th Street Fault Zone, runs from 96thth Street to 125th Street right through Central Park. The 125th Street Fault is activated when plate movements occurs thousands of miles away. The last significant quake in NYC was in 1884 and it was felt from Virginia to Maine. The quake measured at 5.2 on the Richter. The most recent quake was in 2001 in fact there were two that year, each around 2.4-2.6. Scientists have predicted that an earthquake at least 5.0 in magnitude should be expected approximately every 100 years. The risk for us is that most of our infrastructure was not built to withstand earthquakes and with high population density, we could expect billions in damage as well as deaths. So, starting in 1995, NYC enacted a local law requiring seismic gaps among other protective measures.
As per the local law now part of our Building Code, when a structure adjoins a property line not common to a public way, that structure should be set back at least 1 inch for every 50 feet of height. Third + Bond is about 50′ high so we need about an inch.
Within the seismic gap we will install a compressive material. Emseal manufactures a wide variety of expansion joints, such as the one pictured here. The Emseal product seals off the area between the two buildings, keeping out water. Water that sneaks between buildings can cause numerous problems from mold to structural damage. The joint is applied vertically from the ground at each end of the adjoining structures and those vertical runs are linked by a horizontal run just under the flashing.
No, not flashing lights. No trench coats needed. Flashing is a means of sealing off a seam or gap by use of a cleverly installed continuous sheet of impervious material. The flashing goes along the gap between the structures, wherever the lower roof or parapet meets the adjoining structure.
Seismic gap, check. Emseal, check. Flashing, check. Borrow a cup of sugar? No problem.
Inside Third & Bond: Weeks 1-108 [Brownstoner]
The complete offering terms are in an Offering Plan available from Sponsor. File No. CD080490. Sponsor: Hudson Third LLC, 826 Broadway, New York, NY 10003.
an earthquake would totally turn into a giant looting party.
gamestop here i come!
*rob*
New York City is not prepared for a big earthquake.
We are overdue for the “100 year” chimney-toppling 5-point-something quake.
The frequency of quakes 10 times as powerful (6 on the Richter scale) is about every 670 years. Such a quake would damage most of the un-reinforced masonry buildings that make up much of the city. It’s estimated that a 6 magnitude quake would cause (in current valuation) up to 200 Billion dollars in damage.
The unthinkable is a 7 Magnitude quake, once every 3400 years according to experts. Such a quake unleashes 100 times the power of a “chimney toppler” event.
Its like a dog shaking the fleas off its back.
Earthquakes just are not likely here.
Really, you’re far more likely to get shot with a pistol or run down by a cab in this city, and even those odds are low.
> all i got was this stinkin’ corsage!
Mine still smells faintly of Newports and Olde English. From time to time I pull it out from my jewelry box and relive that magical evening.
Hey does any engineering buff knows how this can be remedied in a minimally invasive way? Seems like a few metal beams and hydraulic jacks can be quite useful.
i bought this condo and all i got was this stinkin’ corsage!
i’ve never felt an earthquake before and hope i never do!
*rob*
“Way back in Week 38, about the time that Rob was headed off to prom with DitmasSnark, ”
Lmao – third and bond – the blog that bites back!!
There was an earthquake about 10 years ago. Violent enough to wake me up (no small feat) and set off a few car alarms. Couple of tremors, maybe 1 second each.
“Why do we need a seismic gap in NYC?”
Agreed. Those stores are way too big.
Interesting facts about NYC and earthquakes. Thanks for sharing.