Two windows high on the South Station Tower, which is still under construction, were smashed Wednesday afternoon by a beam that fell from high above the streets of Boston.The general contractor working on South Station Tower, Suffolk Construction, said in a statement that a piece of form work fell from an upper level of the structure and landed in a zone on the ninth floor that was cordoned off and not accessible to the workers.A piece of form work is part of the surface of the form and framing used to contain and shape wet concrete until it can support itself. Form work includes the forms on or within which the concrete is poured, as well as frames and bracing that provide stability.When NewsCenter 5 crews arrived at the scene, they discovered a large, orange steel I-beam that was bent and dangling eight to nine stories above an entrance to South Station along Atlantic Avenue.”It actually went through Floor 9 and there’s some portion of it sticking out the top of the ceiling area of Floor 8. So it went through a concrete deck and then steel corrugated decking underneath,” said Boston Deputy Fire Chief James Greene. “It definitely had a lot of force coming down there and you could see what it did to the beam. The beam’s actually bent over the side of the building.”Video from Sky5 shows the I-beam struck two windows high on the part of South Station Tower that has already been built, breaking the glass and bending the frame.Witnesses told NewsCenter 5 that a large piece of metal came hurtling down onto Atlantic Avenue after the beam fell, leaving a divot in the asphalt on the roadway.Suffolk Construction said no one was injured in connection with the incident.”The safety of our workers and communities is our number one priority, so we are currently investigating the cause of the incident,” reads Suffolk Construction’s statement.”A busy afternoon, so certainly a dangerous situation,” Greene said. “We’ve lucky — very, very lucky.”Authorities blocked off that South Station entrance along Atlantic Avenue while construction crews worked to cut and remove the beam that was dangling above that entrance.”We’ve made sure that the area is clear and they’re working on taking the beam apart, cutting the beam and either lowering it or hoisting it out,” Greene said.Construction crews were able to remove the cut the beam and remove it after about a couple of hours of work.Greene said the Boston Inspectional Services Department and Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating how and why the beam fell from the upper level of South Station Tower construction site.When completed, South Station Tower will be 51 stories tall and provide approximately 700,000 square feet of office space and 166 residential condominium units.

BOSTON —

Two windows high on the South Station Tower, which is still under construction, were smashed Wednesday afternoon by a beam that fell from high above the streets of Boston.

The general contractor working on South Station Tower, Suffolk Construction, said in a statement that a piece of form work fell from an upper level of the structure and landed in a zone on the ninth floor that was cordoned off and not accessible to the workers.

Advertisement

A piece of form work is part of the surface of the form and framing used to contain and shape wet concrete until it can support itself. Form work includes the forms on or within which the concrete is poured, as well as frames and bracing that provide stability.

When NewsCenter 5 crews arrived at the scene, they discovered a large, orange steel I-beam that was bent and dangling eight to nine stories above an entrance to South Station along Atlantic Avenue.

“It actually went through Floor 9 and there’s some portion of it sticking out the top of the ceiling area of Floor 8. So it went through a concrete deck and then steel corrugated decking underneath,” said Boston Deputy Fire Chief James Greene. “It definitely had a lot of force coming down there and you could see what it did to the beam. The beam’s actually bent over the side of the building.”

Video from Sky5 shows the I-beam struck two windows high on the part of South Station Tower that has already been built, breaking the glass and bending the frame.

Hearst Owned

Witnesses told NewsCenter 5 that a large piece of metal came hurtling down onto Atlantic Avenue after the beam fell, leaving a divot in the asphalt on the roadway.

Suffolk Construction said no one was injured in connection with the incident.

“The safety of our workers and communities is our number one priority, so we are currently investigating the cause of the incident,” reads Suffolk Construction’s statement.

“A busy afternoon, so certainly a dangerous situation,” Greene said. “We’ve lucky — very, very lucky.”

Authorities blocked off that South Station entrance along Atlantic Avenue while construction crews worked to cut and remove the beam that was dangling above that entrance.

“We’ve made sure that the area is clear and they’re working on taking the beam apart, cutting the beam and either lowering it or hoisting it out,” Greene said.

Construction crews were able to remove the cut the beam and remove it after about a couple of hours of work.

Greene said the Boston Inspectional Services Department and Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating how and why the beam fell from the upper level of South Station Tower construction site.

When completed, South Station Tower will be 51 stories tall and provide approximately 700,000 square feet of office space and 166 residential condominium units.

Source