Chicago Architectural Malpractice Lawyers

Famous Examples of Architectural Malpractice

While the types of architectural malpractice that most families and businesses are likely to encounter take place on a small, but very serious scale, history is filled with a long list of large and occasionally catastrophic failures caused by negligent architectural and construction practices.

Below are two examples with which you may be familiar, and they can help to highlight the dangers posed by architectural malpractice and the need for legal action when you have been wronged by architects or construction-related entities. If you have been the victim of this malfeasance, contact the Chicago architectural malpractice attorneys of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. at 312-466-8200.

Torre pendente di Pisa (the Leaning Tower of Pisa)

Construction on the Italian landmark began in 1173, and the structure was designed to serve as the bell tower for the city’s cathedral. The building was not completed until 1372, when the home of the bells was finally added. For a substantial period of time, there was no progress made due to political and military strife, which, ironically, saved the tower from outright collapse.

The foundation of the building was very poorly laid, and the ground underneath the building was not suitable for holding the tower’s weight. During the long break from construction, the earth grew more stable, allowing for the structure to lean in place instead of falling.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge

Video footage from the dramatic collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge has preserved its place in history as a cautionary tale. The suspension bridge was built to specifications outlined by a New York firm that based the plans on a new theory of how a structure could be stabilized against the wind without an abundant use of materials.

Shortly after the bridge was completed, it was discovered that the span was prone to lengthwise undulations that created dramatic risings and fallings along the roadway. It was decided, however, that because the stress was distributed along the entire length of the bridge, it was an acceptable state of being.

Less than 5 months after the bridge opened, an additional effect of the wind was introduced as the span began to twist with the centerline as its rotational axis. The phenomenon is known as aeroelastic flutter, and it destroyed the world’s third longest suspension bridge with relatively modest wind force (roughly 40 miles per hour).

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If your residence, commercial, or industrial structure has failed in any manner that would have been avoided through the reasonable exercise of professional standards, contact the Chicago architectural malpractice attorneys of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. at 312-466-8200.