The construction of large structures is both costly and time-consuming, and each mistake increases the cost of this process. Iconic structures built in metropolises like America, London, and Sydney suffered significant financial losses due to structural errors. For example, in 1974, the Aon Center in Chicago faced a financial crisis due to the external facade being clad with very thinly cut marbles imported from Tuscany. The cracking and falling of the marbles required the building to be reclad, which cost $80 million.
Faulty Design of London’s Walkie Talkie Building Cost 10 Million Pounds!
In London, the Walkie Talkie Building‘s curved glass surfaces sharply reflected sunlight, causing nearby vehicles to melt and cracks to form on the roads. It cost 10 million pounds to resolve this issue.
Completion of the Sydney Opera House Cost 300 Million Australian Dollars!
The Sydney Opera House also took 7 years longer to complete than expected due to mistakes in the planning and construction phases, requiring additional costs to fix acoustic problems. This building ended up costing a total of 300 million Australian dollars.
Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Would Cost Today’s 1 Billion Dollars!
One of the most dramatic cases was the Tacoma Narheads Bridge, built in 1940 and only usable for 4 months. The bridge became unusable shortly after construction due to serious structural problems. The cost of this structure, which was 6 million dollars at the time, is equivalent to about 1 billion dollars today. These incidents highlight how important careful planning and material selection are in construction projects.
Source: Rethinking The Future