Chicago, IL
Moment
Scope/Solutions
Constructed in 2016, Moment provides 540 apartments in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. The forty-seven-story building features floor-to-ceiling windows arranged in a symmetrical pattern. Three years after the building opened to residents, property management personnel reported leaks and cracked glass in the exterior window walls. SGH investigated the water infiltration and glass breakage issues.
Our investigation focused on the high-rise building’s two primary facade elements: window walls with insulated glass units and aluminum framing installed between floors and metal panels at the lower floors and spandrel conditions. Highlights of work include:
- Reviewing existing construction documentation
- Investigating the condition of the exterior walls, including performing water testing to identify leakage paths and making observations of concealed conditions at exploratory openings
- Evaluating extracted glass samples in our laboratory and determining the glass broke due to the presence of nickel sulfide, which induced spontaneous fracture
- Reporting our findings to the owner, recommending remedial work, and consulting on contractor-led repairs
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Project Summary
2020
Completion Date
670k
Project Size
Solutions
Failure Investigation
Services
Building Enclosures | Applied Science & Research
Markets
Residential
Client(s)
GID Real Estate Investments
Specialized Capabilities
Facades & Glazing | Environmental Simulations | Microscopy
Key team members
Peter Babaian
Managing Principal, Building Technology, Chicago
Additional Projects
Midwest
The Arcade Residences, 1135 W Sheridan Road
SGH was the structural engineer for the building, constructed with prefabricated, load-bearing steel stud wall panels supported on a steel-framed podium.
Midwest
30 East Balbo Drive
Targeting college students and young professionals in Chicago’s South Loop, 30 East offers 255 bedroom rentals in 134 shared, furnished apartments. The sleek glass enclosure reflects 30 East’s modern take on rental living. SGH consulted on the design of the building’s glazing and wall systems.