30-Storey Sydney Building "Opal Tower" Evacuated over ‘Cracking Noises’

Wondering if any Ozbargainers are living in this building?

Must be hard for the residents, especially with Christmas tomorrow.


Story from news.com.au:

An emergency services operation is under way after residents reported hearing “cracking noises” at a 30-storey building at Sydney Olympic Park

Concerns were raised for the Opal Tower on Brushbox Street about 2.45pm this afternoon, with occupants telling police they heard the worrying noises throughout the morning.

A police operation is under way at Australia Avenue off Bennelong Parkway.

Fire and Rescue NSW are working to evacuate people from the building.

A spokesman said they had brought specialist rescue equipment to the scene and tracking the building’s movement with laser monitors.

Residents from nearby properties have also been told to leave or are not being allowed back to their homes.

Instead, they are being redirected to a police command post. Police are documenting children from a nearby childcare business as they are taken from the scene, a resident told AAP.

Aerial footage by Seven Network shows fire crews setting up tents while police redirect traffic and pedestrians.

Wood & Grieve Engineers, who worked on the building, issued an online statement saying: “The large structural offsets at the base of the towers created a particular challenge. The difficulty was in the coordination of transferring sewer and storm water services through the deep transfer beams and large transfer slabs.

“Due to the height of the building which imposes excessive pressures on the pipework and fittings installed on the lower half of the building, the WGE team came up with a unique dual stage pressure control concept and conducted a series of experimental tests to simulate the real working condition of the system before specifying it for installation in the building.”

The website for the Opal Tower says the building has 392 apartments, commercial spaces, a childcare centre and community centre. It cost $165 million to build.

Trains have been stopped as a result of the operation, the Transport Management Centre confirmed on Monday.

Exclusion zones remain in place, with Australia Avenue closed in both directions at Bennelong Parkway and traffic being diverted into Sarah Durack Ave.

Buses have replaced trains between Lidcombe and Olympic Park.

Comments

  • +8

    Some weirdo already gave the building 1 star on google lol wtf

    • +7

      "Really nice place for about another hour or so" lmfao

    • +1

      others have followed suit :)
      a Google local guide too

    • People are leaving bad comments but then rating the place 5 stars.

  • +1

    It's going to be a nightmare, wonder who is going to pay for this. Owner / Builder / Engineer (insurance) ?
    Also, that's like 14 units per floor (assuming 2x podiums) , wonder how they fit that in.

    Poor dog.

    "We had a dog in the apartment," he said. "The cops at the entrance said if it’s a child they would get it out but if it’s a dog they wouldn’t."
    The couple were told to expect to be waiting for 1-4 hours, but that it could be as long as "a couple of days" before they can go back inside.

    • "We had a dog in the apartment," he said. "The cops at the entrance said if it’s a child they would get it out but if it’s a dog they wouldn’t."

      perfect occasion for PETA to bark like mad, I hope they take the opportunity

      • +3

        perfect occasion for PETA

        It's a perfect opportunity for PETA to stage their own animal rescue. Strap on a body camera and run in.

        • Don't give me a reason to hope that the building actually collapses…

      • It’s a perfect occasion for the fireies to get the dog if it is safe to do so.
        No emergency services person will let an animal be at risk if they can safely save them.
        Nobody should be rescuing animals if it isn’t safe.

    • +3

      Should get this guy rent the place there.

    • +2

      That's messed up about the dog. I hope it isn't true.

      • There's no imminent danger if the building isn't about to collapse - a dog can last a few hours on its own. If there is any imminent danger, I wouldn't want to be putting firies in danger to save a pet.

        • Where did I mention firies going in to save pets? As a pet owner, I would push any firies or cops aside and risk my own goddamn life to save my pets - I wouldn't expect anyone else to do it, and I'd much rather die with my animals than watch them die.

          My comment was made with anguished empathy for the pet owners themselves and their sense of helplessness in such a horrible situation. That's all.

          • @[Deactivated]: That's no better. They can send one fire fighter to save a pet if absolutely necessary. But if you run in, they'd have to send several.

  • +12

    Should post it as a deal "Sydney property prices come crashing down"

  • +3

    It kind of surprises me that apartment buildings aren't falling over all over the world given how many crooked and corrupt people there are in the world.

    • +5

      The rest of the world doesn’t let builders self certify their work!

  • +1

    That's what happen when you build something over a swamp.

    • Disney World?

      • +4

        It sinks into the swamp, then you build a second one which sinks into the swamp. The third one burns down, falls over and then sinks into the swamp but the fourth one stays up.

        • +1

          Someday all this will be yours.

      • I mean, that just means free alligator attractions for the guests.

  • Even if it all ends up being fine, I wonder how much it will affect short term houses prices (for that building)

  • +1

    well, the Tower in Pisa is still standing. we could learn from the Italians!

    • +2

      Sydney Olympic Park

      Leaning Tower of Geezers

      • +1

        They should use cable ties

  • Is the external cladding flammable just for a double whammy?

  • +6

    These fancy new apartment towers are not all they are cracked up to be

  • This email was sent to residents:

    https://imgur.com/gallery/5L55vmR

    https://www.reddit.com/r/sydney/comments/a96aoc/opal_tower_s…

    Value of the newly built units and apartments in Lidcombe and Olympic Park is probably going to plummet.

    • +3

      Value of the newly built units and apartments in Lidcombe and Olympic Park is probably going to plummet.

      That's what happens when you get a crack house in the hood.

  • A crack has opened upon on one of the floors. Engineers are looking into it.

    • That joke only works if it's a ladies changing room…

  • +1

    I heard the RSPCA is getting all the animals and will contact the owners to come and get them (if they can be traced).

    • Thank fark.

      So a sick twisted part of me really wants to see this building come down spectacularly - just not with any deaths, human or animal.

      • Why, what's wrong with a few deaths buddy?

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