Bolt falls off London's Cheesegrater

Blackleaf

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A bolt has fallen off London's new Cheesegrater skyscraper.

No-one was injured but an area around the 47-storey Leadenhall Building in the City has been cordoned off.

It fell from the fifth floor to the ground at the side of the building - and another bolt also broke off but was contained within the skyscraper.

It is understood the bolts are about the size of an adult arm and the piece that fell was about the size of a hand.

The bolt part fell from the frame of the building to the ground on Tuesday, with the other bolt breaking off last week.

At 737 feet, the Cheesegrater, which was completed earlier this year, is the second-tallest building in the City of London and the fourth-tallest in London as a whole.


Bolt falls off Cheesegrater skyscraper in the City of London

BBC News
6 November 2014


The Cheesegrater skyscraper is the second-tallest in the City of London and fourth-tallest in London as a whole

Part of a large steel bolt has fallen to the ground after breaking off the Cheesegrater skyscraper in London.

No-one was injured but an area around the 47-storey Leadenhall Building in the City has been cordoned off.

It fell from the fifth floor to the ground at the side of the building - and another bolt also broke off but was contained within the skyscraper.

It is understood the bolts are about the size of an adult arm and the piece that fell was about the size of a hand.

The bolt part fell from the frame of the building to the ground on Tuesday, with the other bolt breaking off last week.

The building, nicknamed the Cheesegrater because of its distinctive sloped shape, is the second-tallest in the City of London, standing at 737ft (225m).


The building - 122 Leadenhall Street - is nicknamed the Cheesegrater because of its distinctive sloped shape


Construction of the Cheesegrater was completed earlier in 2014

The frame of the building contains about 3,000 bolts of the type that fell to the ground.

The bolt piece that landed on the ground fell into an area at the side of the building that was hoarded off.

The second bolt broke off on the 19th floor but did not fall to the ground, instead being contained within the building.

British Land said the building was still open to workers with a full investigation being conducted and the remaining bolts are being fully examined.

"There is no risk to the structural integrity of the building," British Land said.

"Public safety is our priority so we have taken a number of precautionary measures."


The Walkie Talkie skyscraper reflected the sun's rays, melting parts of a Jaguar car. It was designed by the same Uruguayan architect of a Las Vegas building which has similar problems

The London Fire Brigade did not go to scene, nor did the City of London Police. However the police were made aware of the incident.

The investigation is being conducted by contractor Laing O'Rourke and structural engineers Arup.

Construction was completed on the skyscraper earlier in 2014, while people are now working on the site fitting out the office space.

In 2013, another brand new skyscraper close to the City of London, 20 Fenchurch Street, nicknamed the Walkie-Talkie because of its distinctive shape, hit the headlines when sun rays reflecting from the building melted parts of a Jaguar car.

Passers-by even managed to fry eggs using only sunlight until a temporary screen was put up outside the 37-storey building to try to prevent the skyscraper causing damage.

London, the EU's largest city has, alongside Paris, more skyscrapers that are at least 492 feet in height than any other EU city. It has 17, as does Paris, compared to Frankfurt's 14, Warsaw's 8 and Madrid's 5.


BBC News - Bolt falls off Cheesegrater skyscraper in the City of London
 
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