The Latest: Crews working to level tilted concrete slab

SAN FRANCISCO – The Latest on a giant concrete slab tilting on top of San Francisco skyscraper (all times local):

8:15 p.m.

A San Francisco fire official says crews are working to shore up a 1-ton concrete slab sitting on top of a skyscraper under construction that tilted on one side after a hydraulic strut holding it failed.

San Francisco Assistant Fire Chief Tom Sirogusa said some of the closed streets in San Francisco’s South of Market will reopen Wednesday night after workers level the platform on the 35th floor of a luxury apartment building.

He says construction crews alerted authorities after the giant slab tilted Wednesday afternoon because a 30-ton concrete pump was sitting on top of it.

Sirogusa says officials decided to evacuate 16 office buildings and shut down several surrounding streets out of an abundance of caution.

Earlier, he said one a strut in a crane had malfunctioned.

He says the concrete pump sitting on top of the platform will be removed Thursday.

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6:15 p.m.

San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Officer Jonathan Baxter says there is no danger of a 1-ton concrete slab falling from the top of a San Francisco skyscraper under construction.

Baxter says city building inspectors made that determination Wednesday evening after checking the concrete slab on the 35th floor of a luxury apartment building in San Francisco’s South of Market neighbourhood.

Baxter said 16 office buildings around the construction site were evacuated and several streets were closed to traffic, causing a massive traffic jam during rush hour.

San Francisco Assistant Fire Chief Tom Sirogusa says workers had just finished pouring concrete and something gave way, leaving the slab listing on one side.

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5:25 p.m.

At least 10 office buildings in San Francisco’s South of Market neighbourhood have been evacuated after an unstable 1-ton concrete slab started tilting and a crane atop the skyscraper malfunctioned.

San Francisco Assistant Fire Chief Tom Sirogusa says workers had just finished pouring concrete and something gave way.

He says one of the crane’s nine struts is out of place. A construction engineer is being brought in to help.

Fire officials say the concrete slab is intended to be a wall on the 30th floor of a high-rise luxury apartment at 41 Tehama Street.

The buildings around the construction site were evacuated and several streets have been closed to traffic, causing a massive traffic jam during rush hour.

If the slab topples over it could damage at least two building below.

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4:20 p.m.

At least eight buildings in San Francisco’s South of Market neighbourhood have been evacuated after an unstable 1-ton concrete slab started tilting to one side.

San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Officer Jonathan Baxter says the concrete slab was going to be a wall on the 30th floor of a luxury apartment high-rise under construction on 41 Tehama Street.

Baxter says the buildings around the building were evacuated and several streets have been closed to traffic.

He says that if the slab topples over it could damage at least two building below.

Baxter says he doesn’t immediately know what caused the slab to tilt.