The Citibank Building

The Citibank building in New York City had a structural flaw, and had the potential to fall down. There was a misunderstanding between the Engineer and the Contractor and the building was not built right. When the flaw was caught in 1978 (a year after completion) it was found that there was a 50% chance of collapse during winds over 78 mph. (typical in a hurricane). At the same time there was a hurricane heading up the East Coast heading straight for NYC. The Engineer and building owner secretly had the flaw corrected in the middle of the night (some of the bracings were bolted instead of being welded). There were rumors about the 'glowing Citibank building' because the welding could be seen across the skyline. It was estimated that 156 blocks would have been demolished due to the domino effect the building would start had it fallen over. [Source: Archived in the Boston Globe]