A Second Opinion Is Urgently Needed to Avoid Unnecessary Risk in the Harmon Tower Disposition, Claims Gogulski & Associates, Inc.

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The highly publicized Harmon Tower in the heart of Las Vegas City Center has been earmarked for demolition by MGM due to structural deficiencies reported by a consulting firm in California.  Perini Construction claims the structure can proceed to completion and disputes the need to demolish the building. The Nevada Supreme Court recently overturned a lower judge's order, clearing the way for the decision to allow MGM to complete its plans for demolition. The final decision will be determined upon review of the demolition plan by another judge, presumably in Nevada's District Court, and the Clark County Commissioners. Gogulski & Associates claims a second opinion is urgently needed to determine the fate of the building, and further states there is only one technology in the world that can verify the safety of continued construction or demolition.

Paul Gogulski, CEO of Gogulski & Associates, Inc., a firm experienced in high rise construction safety and quality control, asked, "When the Nevada District Court rules on the final disposition of the Las Vegas City Center's reportedly unsafe Harmon Tower, will their decision be based on the findings of the most sophisticated structural engineering technology available, or will they rely on 1950's dated technology?"

MGM has proposed demolition plans for its 29-story building in the densely populated City Center complex. Currently, the Harmon Tower is twenty (20) stories short of its original design as a forty-nine (49) story non-gaming hotel at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue. The building features an elliptical layout and highly reflective exterior glass. Structural issues were discovered in 2008, causing work to be stopped, and on August 15, 2011, MGM announced plans to implode the building.

Gogulski stated, "The real question is how MGM can guarantee the safety of the surrounding structures and people owing to their initial Weidlinger assessment, a structural engineering firm based in California, when the Harmon building is already beleaguered with structural defects?"  

Gogulski continued, "Their proposal to dismantle the structure with localized implosions over a six-month period of time requires a similar amount of engineering it took to design the building. Without the appropriate level of structural analysis, significant risk of failure remains ... and with six deaths having already occurred during construction at City Center, every effort should be made to save the existing structure or avoid further risk in demolition.  

"Concerns raised by the Clark County Building Department and Commissioner Brager regarding the viability of implosion of the Harmon building are valid. Perini Construction Company claims that implosion is not necessary and that they can make the repairs and finish the construction. Either action will undoubtedly wind up in court with the Clark County Commissioners caught in the middle. "

Gogulski was quick to introduce Applied Science International (ASI) as "the only technology in the country that has the technology to determine the building's design and structural stability, analyze the proposed structural repairs, perform an advanced seismic analysis which caused the work to stop in the first place, and can make a determination as to how best to demolish or save the structure." As an international leader in demolition prediction, ASI's scientific breakthrough can accurately predict how a structure will respond under extreme loads, and is a matter of record.  

He pointed out, "Many demolition plans include assumptions which could easily lead to failure. No evidence has been made available which indicates that demolition is the only option. ASI has the only technology available capable of providing 3D engineered simulations to illustrate potential design and collapse outcomes just as its forensics team did for the collapse of the Highway I-35W bridge in Minnesota, which killed 13 people and injured 145 in 2007."

According to Gogulski, these concerns need to be addressed.  He stated, "Las Vegas has a reputation for taking risks during construction other metropolitan areas have learned to avoid. It is hard enough to manage quality control during multiple shifts in a fast track schedule, whereas in Las Vegas, chaos is considered normal, shop drawings are frequently changed and decisions must be made on the fly whether or not to delay the pouring of concrete, or proceed under problematic conditions. Unless each quality control inspector is skilled enough to counter the charges of delay or incompetence with compelling facts, they face termination."

He continued, "We have partnered with ASI and are ready to provide a second opinion that goes well beyond the limitations of the initial assessment. We also have the ability to predict the safe collapse or dismantling of the building if demolition is the final determination. No other technology can accurately assess response of a building the size of the Harmon Tower. ASI has the only capability in the world that illustrates the same in HD/3D simulations."  

According to Gogulski, their technology has a proven record in forensics analysis, demolition prediction, vulnerability assessment, blast analysis and structural design, and is approved for government use by Homeland Security's Safety Act.

Gogulski and ASI are concerned about safety. According to MGM's claims, this structure should be considered seriously damaged in its present form. "We feel a full analysis needs to be made of the structure as it stands today using the best possible technology. The plans for the proposed demolition should be reviewed by a third party, and a complete seismic study of impacting debris on the ground should be done prior to any major implosion. There are just too many examples of failed demolitions for Las Vegas' citizens to experience another accident at City Center, a project that already has a poor reputation for safety," continued Gogulski.  

He concluded, "If demolition is the way forward, spending a small amount of resources up front to determine if the demolition plan is safe and sufficient before the plan is approved is a must. No other technology exists that can offer a credible second opinion closer to reality."

Contact:

GOGULSKI & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Paul Gogulski, P.E.
(843) 470-0459
http://www.construction-expert.com  

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SOURCE Gogulski & Associates, Inc.