30-Storey Sydney Building "Opal Tower" Evacuated over ‘Cracking Noises’

elgrande on 24/12/2018 - 18:42
Last edited 24/12/2018 - 18:49 by 1 other user

Wondering if any Ozbargainers are living in this building?

Must be hard for the residents, especially with Christmas tomorrow.

Story from news.com.au:

An emergency services operation is under way after residents reported hearing “cracking noises” at a 30-storey building at Sydney Olympic Park

Concerns were raised for the Opal Tower on Brushbox Street about 2.45pm this afternoon, with occupants telling police they heard the worrying noises throughout the morning.

A police operation is under way at Australia Avenue off Bennelong Parkway.

Fire and Rescue NSW are working to evacuate people from the building.

A spokesman said they had brought specialist rescue equipment to the scene and tracking the building’s movement with laser monitors.

Residents from nearby properties have also been told to leave or are not being allowed back to their homes.

Instead, they are being redirected to a police command post. Police are documenting children from a nearby childcare business as they are taken from the scene, a resident told AAP.

Aerial footage by Seven Network shows fire crews setting up tents while police redirect traffic and pedestrians.

Wood & Grieve Engineers, who worked on the building, issued an online statement saying: “The large structural offsets at the base of the towers created a particular challenge. The difficulty was in the coordination of transferring sewer and storm water services through the deep transfer beams and large transfer slabs.

“Due to the height of the building which imposes excessive pressures on the pipework and fittings installed on the lower half of the building, the WGE team came up with a unique dual stage pressure control concept and conducted a series of experimental tests to simulate the real working condition of the system before specifying it for installation in the building.”

The website for the Opal Tower says the building has 392 apartments, commercial spaces, a childcare centre and community centre. It cost $165 million to build.

Trains have been stopped as a result of the operation, the Transport Management Centre confirmed on Monday.

Exclusion zones remain in place, with Australia Avenue closed in both directions at Bennelong Parkway and traffic being diverted into Sarah Durack Ave.

Buses have replaced trains between Lidcombe and Olympic Park.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • mbck on 24/12/2018 - 18:59
    +8

    Some weirdo already gave the building 1 star on google lol wtf

    • [Deactivated] on 24/12/2018 - 20:06
      +7

      "Really nice place for about another hour or so" lmfao

    • payton on 24/12/2018 - 20:26
      +1

      others have followed suit :)
      a Google local guide too

    • StonedWizard on 26/12/2018 - 16:03

      People are leaving bad comments but then rating the place 5 stars.

  • dcep on 24/12/2018 - 19:14
    +1

    It's going to be a nightmare, wonder who is going to pay for this. Owner / Builder / Engineer (insurance) ?
    Also, that's like 14 units per floor (assuming 2x podiums) , wonder how they fit that in.

    —

    Poor dog.

    "We had a dog in the apartment," he said. "The cops at the entrance said if it’s a child they would get it out but if it’s a dog they wouldn’t."
    The couple were told to expect to be waiting for 1-4 hours, but that it could be as long as "a couple of days" before they can go back inside.

    • payton on 24/12/2018 - 20:47

      "We had a dog in the apartment," he said. "The cops at the entrance said if it’s a child they would get it out but if it’s a dog they wouldn’t."

      perfect occasion for PETA to bark like mad, I hope they take the opportunity

      • whooah1979 on 24/12/2018 - 23:24
        +3

        perfect occasion for PETA

        It's a perfect opportunity for PETA to stage their own animal rescue. Strap on a body camera and run in.

        • HighAndDry on 07/01/2019 - 10:10

          Don't give me a reason to hope that the building actually collapses…

      • mskeggs on 25/12/2018 - 00:56

        It’s a perfect occasion for the fireies to get the dog if it is safe to do so.
        No emergency services person will let an animal be at risk if they can safely save them.
        Nobody should be rescuing animals if it isn’t safe.

    • Yummy on 24/12/2018 - 21:50
      +3

      Should get this guy rent the place there.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/12/2018 - 22:12
      +2

      That's messed up about the dog. I hope it isn't true.

      • HighAndDry on 07/01/2019 - 10:12

        There's no imminent danger if the building isn't about to collapse - a dog can last a few hours on its own. If there is any imminent danger, I wouldn't want to be putting firies in danger to save a pet.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/01/2019 - 20:37

          Where did I mention firies going in to save pets? As a pet owner, I would push any firies or cops aside and risk my own goddamn life to save my pets - I wouldn't expect anyone else to do it, and I'd much rather die with my animals than watch them die.

          My comment was made with anguished empathy for the pet owners themselves and their sense of helplessness in such a horrible situation. That's all.

          • HighAndDry on 08/01/2019 - 09:01

            @[Deactivated]: That's no better. They can send one fire fighter to save a pet if absolutely necessary. But if you run in, they'd have to send several.

  • steven6 on 24/12/2018 - 19:35
    +12

    Should post it as a deal "Sydney property prices come crashing down"

  • shaybisc on 24/12/2018 - 19:37
    +3

    It kind of surprises me that apartment buildings aren't falling over all over the world given how many crooked and corrupt people there are in the world.

    • mskeggs on 25/12/2018 - 00:58
      +5

      The rest of the world doesn’t let builders self certify their work!

  • Yummy on 24/12/2018 - 21:48
    +1

    That's what happen when you build something over a swamp.

    • josetann on 24/12/2018 - 22:10

      Disney World?

      • argonide on 24/12/2018 - 23:55
        +4

        It sinks into the swamp, then you build a second one which sinks into the swamp. The third one burns down, falls over and then sinks into the swamp but the fourth one stays up.

        • altomic on 25/12/2018 - 07:50
          +1

          Someday all this will be yours.

      • HighAndDry on 07/01/2019 - 10:13

        I mean, that just means free alligator attractions for the guests.

  • nahi11 on 25/12/2018 - 00:42

    Even if it all ends up being fine, I wonder how much it will affect short term houses prices (for that building)

  • donotuse on 25/12/2018 - 01:10
    +1

    well, the Tower in Pisa is still standing. we could learn from the Italians!

    • [Deactivated] on 25/12/2018 - 03:59
      +2

      Sydney Olympic Park

      Leaning Tower of Geezers

      • donotuse on 25/12/2018 - 18:06
        +1

        They should use cable ties

  • [Deactivated] on 25/12/2018 - 01:15

    Is the external cladding flammable just for a double whammy?

  • Ocker on 25/12/2018 - 07:28
    +6

    These fancy new apartment towers are not all they are cracked up to be

  • scrimshaw on 25/12/2018 - 12:11

    This email was sent to residents:

    https://imgur.com/gallery/5L55vmR

    https://www.reddit.com/r/sydney/comments/a96aoc/opal_tower_s…

    Value of the newly built units and apartments in Lidcombe and Olympic Park is probably going to plummet.

    • jm48 on 25/12/2018 - 12:39
      +3

      Value of the newly built units and apartments in Lidcombe and Olympic Park is probably going to plummet.

      That's what happens when you get a crack house in the hood.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/12/2018 - 12:47

    A crack has opened upon on one of the floors. Engineers are looking into it.

    • HighAndDry on 07/01/2019 - 10:13

      That joke only works if it's a ladies changing room…

  • TransportPosters on 25/12/2018 - 15:33
    +1

    I heard the RSPCA is getting all the animals and will contact the owners to come and get them (if they can be traced).

    • [Deactivated] on 25/12/2018 - 23:50

      Thank fark.

      So a sick twisted part of me really wants to see this building come down spectacularly - just not with any deaths, human or animal.

      • nahi11 on 26/12/2018 - 10:41

        Why, what's wrong with a few deaths buddy?

  • donotuse on 26/12/2018 - 08:47

    The leaning tower of pisses

    https://www.thepoke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/pisa.jp…

  • fatboyslim on 05/01/2019 - 16:07
    Merged from Now Opal (Apartment at Sydney Olympic Park) Has Cracked. Whats Next?

    Will it lead to further slumping of the market? Or business as usual

    https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/other-industries/op…

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