Swaying Condo Buildings?

[Bayer]

I live on the 50th floor of ROCP I, and I don't notice the building swaying... until I have a look at my vertical blinds on a windy day

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I live on the 50th floor of ROCP I, and I don't notice the building swaying... until I have a look at my vertical blinds on a windy day

Were the windows sealed properly which are causing the blinds to move on a windy day or is there really a sway?

 

[Bayer]

Were the windows sealed properly which are causing the blinds to move on a windy day or is there really a sway?

The windows are very well sealed. It is most definitely a sway.

 

[cora]

Anyone remember those condos in Richmond Hill about 10 years ago? They moved, unfortunately it was down not sideways.

If you are talking about the condos at Major Mac and Newkirk, as early as this year I'm still hearing jokes about how that tower/building used to be 20 stories higher until it sunk into the ground to it's present level . I think that happened longer than 10 years ago though, the complex was built in 1984. I hope there are not "that" many sinking condos in Richmond Hill that we can mix them up!

Regarding the original topic, I always thought sway was acceptable unless dishes fall off the table or your pictures move on the wall but in Richmond Hill we are use to a different kind of acceptable level of quality and craftmanship in our work than you might be accustomed to in Toronto proper

 

[movieguy]

Hey everyone, my first post here so please bear with any noob mistakes.

A friend of mine lives in a penthouse unit in north york and claims that the building sways just ever so slightly. Apparently is is possible that the buildings can resonate with the subway being underneath etc?

Is this possible? given that these buildings are all concrete and not more than 30 or so storeys... I've heard of this thing happening in tall steel office towers with counter-weights or something (from discovery channel) but never about condo's

just curious.

You are absolutely correct. Condos, like office towers, must fit building standards so tall condos that may be affected by wind and weather should be built to bend a little and have inertial dampeners.

Some very sensitive people feel the sway so it is not abnormal. But if your friend asks his neighbours and they all feel the sway, it's a sign of poor construction.

 

[RobbieD]

my experience

I lived on the 53rd floor (not exactly 53 stories...probably around 40 something) of a CityPlace building and while I couldn't feel any motion, no particularly windy days, you could see dangling objects (little ornaments or the blinds chain thingy) move ever so slightly.