Constructing a building is no small feat. It takes lots of planning, lots of manpower, and can be quite costly. In fact, putting together any sort of structure is a challenge that not everyone can excel in. So, in a way, it’s no surprise that people make mistakes, it’s only natural. However, laughing at those mistakes is also as natural, if not more so.
The people responsible for the list below definitely made mistakes. Whether they were constructing, designing, installing, improving, or in any other way working on a construction, they didn’t do it right. More precisely, they failed. In some cases, majorly. And the people from the Facebook group Worst Construction Fails Everrrrrr kindly compiled all of those failures into one big list of laugh-out-loud construction comedy. So, get those safety goggles on, because you might be blown away by the sheer lack of competence.
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Come, Children. Play On The "Slide Down To Hell"
What would we ever have done if Mr. King hadn’t given us our precious Pennywise?😉😉😉
Load More Replies...It's a child sorter. The ones that are big enough land with their feet in the dirt and the little ones fall down the cull chute. /S I seriously don't get this playground. I can see at least two more of this leg breaker / tooth chipper holes in the photo. One at the bottom of that red hole and one far back center.
If you think people started cutting corners during construction in the last century or so, you are awfully mistaken. Back in 27 AD, as in, almost 2,000 years ago, a wooden amphitheater collapsed in Fidenae, near Rome. It happened after the gladiator fight ban was lifted and more than 50,000 people flocked to the theatre to see one.
Atilius, the entrepreneur that constructed the building, apparently was a bit too stingy with materials which caused a tragedy that resulted in 20,000 deaths and many more injuries. After the collapse, the government limited event hosting to people that had a capital of 400,000 coins or more. To this day, this is the worst structural disaster in history.
Clever, Really Clever
Are Pollack jokes still a thing? They were a thing when I was a little boy in the 60s but back then the world was much bigger and I didn't really think about how insulting that sounded to Polish people. (also, I never believed anything bad about the Polish. It was just a common joke theme. Could have just as easily been some other country)
Load More Replies...My wife's uncle bought a townhouse on the outskirts of Toronto several years ago. Before the driveways were put in, the city planted a tree in front of every garage, then tried to blame the builder because "how was the city supposed to know where the driveways would be if they were not marked?".
They were marked...by the GARAGE DOOR! LOL!.your poor uncle🙂
Load More Replies...How Do You Allow This?
This is what you get when your structural engineer and architect don't talk to each other
Let's face it. The structural engineer has to win. Or else ...
Load More Replies...Honestly I think parkour is about the only way to get down that walk way. Now wheel chair users, the person who made this clearly hates them
Load More Replies...I just don't understand how when it got to the construction stage that it was not corrected.
Think issue what’s yours gets when’s yours structured 👷 anderen architects don't talked together euch otherwise
The most famous construction failure that attracts millions of tourists each year is, of course, the captivating Leaning Tower of Pisa. The project was doomed from the beginning in 1178 when it was decided that a 10-feet foundation built on unstable soil will be sufficient enough to hold the whole construction. No wonder the tower started leaning the moment they began working on the second floor.
But they didn’t abandon the project. Instead, they took a 55-year break to let the soil settle and continued working on it. Talk about determination. In an effort to compensate for the lean, they adjusted the walls of the upper floors to be taller on one side. That is why the tower has a slight curve. The tower was finished in 1372 or 194 years after the beginning of the project.
The Handicap Bathroom Please?... Oh, It's Up The Stairs
As someone with mobility problems I just find this smackingly ignorant,!! However, so much of the world is not wheelchair friendly. Pavements, doors, Windows, light switches, plugs, idiotic parking. I really, really wish for a day when architects would actually talk to wheelchair users, rather then just doing what they think it's best.
Architect's could do it better but they're stuck with the ADA guidelines and city reviewers mandating idiocy.
Load More Replies...That's OK, because when you press the magic button, the door falls forwards and acts as a ramp.
Maybe it is the closet where they keep the handicapped people. You can see it locks from this side. /S I honestly don't get this one. It looks like an entrance door. Both locks operate from this side.
Yup, we're not supposed to be out in public, so they need somewhere to put us while the normies are eating.
Load More Replies...That’s not even a fail that’s people being horrible to other people who can’t even help that they can’t go up stairs
How Do I Get Out Of Here?!
Escalator to hogwarts? Arthur Weasley would be pleased.
Load More Replies...I wonder if there's a clear warning at the start to not use the escalator during the remedial works?
I can imagine me going to this place like “cmon bois we going to hogwarts”
That's a temporary construction wall...escalator was likely closed off.
Not Escher. His stairways were more functional than this.
Load More Replies...Smart Move
In public buildings the clocks are often part of a centrally controlled system. The clock plugs into a socket in the wall, and moving it to somewhere else isn't really possible.
Load More Replies...Considering that particular model of clock plugs into the wall via a 3" (7.5cm) cord from the dead center of the clock, they did quite a good job of improvisation, although the contractors did a lousy job reading the blueprints...
Plug in receptical is behind the clock, but they do make battery powered clocks that you can put wherever you want.
And the trouble, of course, didn’t end there. For years following the construction, people made numerous efforts to keep the tower from falling over. Many didn’t make any improvements while some even worsened the situation. In the end, the stabilization project conducted from 1990 to 2001 was successful. The engineers claim that the tower should stand for another 200 years.
Ironically, the soft foundations that caused for the tower to lean protected it from earthquake damage. The tower withstood strong tremors at least four times.
Useful
Or unfinished drink. Or keys. Various uses depending on where it is.
Load More Replies...I've actually done this several times. It's usually for an air admittance valve for a toilet. You can hide it by making it floor to ceiling, but it needs to have an access panel, and floor to ceiling whilst looking neater is wasted space, whereas this solution has some limited utility
Don't know how many times I have gone to the complementary breakfast at a hotel and needed this
Ok
I Hope There Is Never A Fire At This Place
if you look a bit closer, it appears that those bars can be removed. still a dumb idea though, since idk how long it would take to get those bars out of the way, and in a fire, every second counts
In case of fire, use your nearest grinder to cut off the railing.
Another structure that suffered due to cutting costs was Tacoma Narrows Bridge that collapsed in 1940, just four months after it was opened to public use. The original design of the bridge intended the use of standard materials. However, they were proven to be too expensive, costing more than 200 million dollars in today’s money. So, a lighter and cheaper option was chosen instead. Unfortunately, this made the suspension bridge twist and buckle on windy days. On November 7th, a 40mph wind hit the structure causing the support cables to snap, and for the bridge to drop into the river below.
Lotus Riverside Shanghai
The building collapsed because an underground garage was being excavated. The earth was being dumped on the side by the river. Heavy rains meant there was more pressure on the riverside. The garage side has not been reinforced, and the building collapsed. Totally foreseeable, and totally preventable.
Thank you. I assumed it was another tofu building but it's just a different type of total incompetence
Load More Replies...Whoever was responsible for the part above the foundation really did a fantastic job.
Load More Replies...I gotta say though, that's some darned good structural integraty, To stay intact like that when it fell over.
Everything in China is fake, full of scams and corruption, or are just taken advantage of
They built all 10 of them the same way, so they hae to destroy them all at the end... Classic
Don't Turn That Fan On!
Got paid just enough to do the job, not enough to care
Load More Replies...Even if they do turn the fan on (assuming it works) it won't get the momentum to damage the projector, it'll just get stuck
So the boss says, "I don't pay you to think, I pay you to do what I tell you." And once again, hierarchical management structures are shown to bleed errors.
Priorities I guess. Though it does look like the red cable got cut.
Closed Means Closed
A rather hilarious construction failure happened in Las Vegas hotel Vdara back in 2010. This time, the fail was related to hotel’s design. The surface of the curved south side of the building reflected the sunlight into one intense beam of light and heat creating what people started calling a “death ray.” And, so it happens, this death ray was hitting the pool deck of the building, alarming the guests. The hotel rushed to solve the problem by installing large umbrellas by the pool and covering the glass with non-reflective film.
Mother Nature Hits Again
They intend you to become spider man. Or spider-bike.
Load More Replies...Oh man I know exactly where that is, but also this is an old picture, because the arrow was on the tree circa 2014: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.4252015,26.079987,3a,42.9y,312.3h,86.6t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sDRPPTWvqs2H3qANKv3kHMw!2e0!5s20140601T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
its the fact that thy PAINTED AN ARROW ON THE TREE like just go thru it
its the fact that they PAINTED AN ARROW ON THE TREE like just go thru it, will u?
I Like Pines,,,don't You?
When the city gives you a building permit but doesn't allow you to cut the tree. I just wonder what happens when the tree grows bigger.
When the council says you're not allowed to cut down that tree. Eastern Europe?
Most Useful Garage In The World
Someone totally misunderstood the concept of using a garage door as an opening wall. Such as: kitchen-wi...e10793.jpg
What makes the previous story even funnier, though, is that the same architect made a similar “death ray” building across the pond, in London. The surface of the so-called “Walkie-Talkie” sky scraper would reflect the scorching light to the nearby street causing tile breakage and melting plastic in window displays. The heat also caused damage to a car parked on the street nearby. The journalists looking into this bizarre occurrence even managed to fry an egg on the sidewalk using the heat.
Almost, Man. Almost
Allo
For emergency services personnel during floods.
Load More Replies...I Saw Lots Of Those, My God
Looks like they had to retrofit the doorhandle on the right in order to comply with the A.D.A.
this just...this bothers me like why???? why???????????????????????????????????????
All that is to say that even professionals make mistakes. So, if there’s something important in your house that needs fixing or remodeling, maybe don’t attempt to do it yourself—it’s hard. And thoroughly vet the professionals you’re hiring. No one needs another door that leads to nowhere.
We had a door at the back of our house like that,in Ontario Canada.For when the snow gets so deep that you can still get out.
I was just gonna comment…. Drive through rural Ontario and you see this a lot
Load More Replies...It looks like an old house. They could have removed the front porch and balcony and kept the door as is.
My house is like that. There was an old rotten wooden porch that was no longer structurally sound and it had to come down. They left the door. It's great to open up on windy days with the screen netting in it to let in fresh air.
Load More Replies...I guess they ran out of money or couldn’t make the balcony structurally sound. Weird they didn’t turn it into a window and cover the plain wall with white boards to hide it.
It's usually so you can get to the barn or road when the snow is up to your roof. We have those doors in Northern Wisconsin
Load More Replies...Oh Don't Tell Me You Didn't Play This Game Before
ah, closely related to the one that hits the edge of the sink, causing the water to go fkn everywhere
This has happened to me in a restaurant! You wouldn’t be able to turn the cosset on all the way without having the water go out of the sink, I took forever to wash hands with.
While making it look like u pissed ur pants
Load More Replies...Outch
If it wasn't before, then it certainly is now. What rail authority would approve such a thing? Those are precast concrete sleepers, which makes the line less than 35 years old.
Load More Replies...This was also in Romania about 15 years ago, if I remember correctly. The rail line was brand new, it hadn't been put into use yet and this was a temporary structure used during construction, I think a diversion of a high-voltage line passing over the site or some such. If you look carefully, there is some plastic sheeting in between the concrete and the rail and the concrete is non-reinforced. After the building was done, they just dismantled the structure and jack hammered away the concrete. Since the line is in currently operation and I passed by not a week ago, I can definitely say, that, as stupid as that looks, it definitely worked.
He Said Fix It The Other Way
Possible logical answer - it is still broken and just barely hanging on by the one screw in the center bracket and thus it pivots on that point. You can see that the bracket closest to the front of the photo has not been moved and is still mounted to the wall in the correct place.
It looks like it was affixed correctly but let go and is now just sitting on the floor at the heavier end.
Still Wondering How They Get Robbed
Another Virtual Gate
I can't make any promises about loitering though
Load More Replies...Well
Helloooooo
I had a sliding window door that was high up and facing my backyard. Cue my dad building a balcony.
Nevermind
Yes I could turn it around but it's clocking off time so it's not my job
Isn't it annoying when you order the slabs and one comes with the strip painted on the wrong side, and you just have to finish the job that day.
No Problem
“And make sure you can use the lights still.” “Sure thing, boss!”
Load More Replies...The dispenser can't be any further to the right without going past the corner.
You Choose
That's just a vertical extention. Poorly done, but it might be nice inside. Maybe.
Above a garage? Who wants a garage with cathedral ceilings?
Load More Replies...Perfect For Stretch Armstrong
I’ve been to ones like this when I was little. Nearly cried because I couldn’t reach it
Clever
Horrible Construction
Really?
The accessibility ramp seems to have been added afterwards (presumably in response to legislation). Even if the door can be opened inwards that is still an extremely tight angle for someone to try and turn in a wheelchair or mobility scooter
yes but the point is how many of these ramps are not actually accessible to anyone, let alone someone on wheels.
Load More Replies...Wow...privacy
In this art piece, our architects are trying to make sure you don't leave without washing your hands
Also, Wheelchairs Probably Have Rockets Attached To Them
If the ramp was where the stairs are - and the stairs where the ramp is... wouldn't be a problem
The Contractors Want You To Go Off-Roading
Interesting Entrance
Yeah I Bet It's Better This Way
clearly it's made for observing any birds that may land in the trees! /j
I Hope You're Brave Because There's Only One Way Across
What would be great is if the white fence could be pivoted horizontally to fill that gap.
Don't You Love It?
Yes
Silly Man, This ATM Is For Hobbits Only...try The Previous One No One Would Be Able To See Your Pin :)
Close Enough
Maybe They Put In The Door Later
Banksy Art Installation, sponsored by Tracey Emin 'Going Nowhere'
When You Gotta’ Go, You Gotta’ Go
I would bet this is a very old building. The standard offset for a toilet f****e has been 12" for quite a long while, but before that it could be anything from 8" to 18" depending on the manufacturer. Toilets with odd offsets are now very expensive because you'll pay $500 extra to not have to tear up the floor in your bathroom to install a new toilet. Or you can install one sideways, or with a giant gap behind it.
Cool
Mother Nature Hits Again
"Frank, We'll Put Half The Lights In Here And The Other Half Elsewhere. It'll Be So Aesthetically Pleasing."
Wheelchairs Can Go Up Steps, Right?
Yes, if you have one of those really expensive ones with tank treads.
Clever
This is what happens when architects don't verify their design against building codes. Hand rail spacing is important for accessibility. Per IBC "All portions of the stairway width required for egress capacity are to be within 30" of a handrail."
Ohhhh Cute,,,,until
Euhhh...well
Chimneys Belong In Front Of Windows. That's Just A Fact
When You Don't Have Enough Space, Just Go Off The Wall. Who Cares?
Euh,,,decor
Maybe it's to provide a fire escape between the two adjacent rooms or something like that.
Who Knows
Well, see some people are handicapped. Some use crutches, some are in wheel chairs, some are too fat and knees to weak, and some are just too old to manage stairs or steep inclines. The solution, is to build a RAMP, likely from the road, possibly from the walkway in front of the building directly to the door. But if the stairs are already there, and there's any chance the ramp will no longer be needed in the future, you don't really need to remove them, do you? The only mystery here is how anyone, in 2023 is oblivious enough to overlook the glaringly obvious explanation.
It's Safer To Roll Down The Stairs
,,,
Bad guys. What do u expect. That’s snake’s favorite spot.
Load More Replies...Which Door Shall You Choose?
Don't You Like It ?
Bridge Of Pointlessness
Reallyyyy
Closed
It’s called a desire path. People walk the sensible and direct route, whereas city planners expect people to walk a longer route to get somewhere
in the Netherlands they are called "Elephants's paths" because apparently elephants always uses the shortest route :-)
Load More Replies...Woohoooooo
Would Be Interesting If They Use Tap Water For Flushing ...no?
Judging by the stains in the sync, wherever this is, already has!
Load More Replies...as a woman, I think it makes sense to wash my hands after, but as a man, I think it would make more sense to wash my hands before, no ?
With the a certain skill level it is possible to touch nothing during which would eliminate the need for washing before.
Load More Replies...Yup He Needs One
This Is What You Do When Someone Asks For Palm Trees
We kind of have something like this. The house we bought has a beautiful birch tree right at the corner of the garage. There was just a basic sidewalk leading to the front door. We poured a whole slab to the left of the tree and connected it to the original driveway, so now there's a tree just sitting in the middle because we didn't have the heart to cut it down.
A New Wave Of Faucets: Now You Have To Work For Clean Hands
We Wish To Inconvenience You By Placing This Pole In A Completely Pointless Place
You Shall Not Pass, Citizen, For This Gate Stands In Your Way
You Won't Need It Anyway
do they expect us to jump up and hit this block with our heads like Mario?
He Told Him A Half-Bath...yup
Just A Joke Folks,,,,he Parks His Helicopter There
The Best Seat In The House
Plus sales tax, processing fee, convenience fee, stadium fee, fee fee...
Load More Replies...No Window Shoppers Allowed
It is. but it looks rather old, so I guess that wasn´t the original purpose.
Load More Replies...You'll Never Escape This Class. Ever
Want To Escape? Jump!
Here, Let Me Place This Electrical Outlet Right Underneath The Gutter
Bicycle Obstacle Course
You Don't Need To Lift The Seat Up You Know
You just gotta squeeze ur Butt in and use the tp until the seat falls through, and then wait there because ur butt is Stuck
Yes I Told You...we Don't Need Stairs
Maybe there’s a rope ladder or abseiling rope inside to attach if needed.
One of those fireman things that people jump onto.
Load More Replies...A Footrail
I've heard of archtecture to STOP skating but never architecture meant to be friendly to it. that's so cool! Would much prefer that
Load More Replies...It's just fell off the wall, you can see where it was fixed at the correct hight.
You're Not Sure ? They Said
Now Don't Tell Me You Can't????
Cool
I've just moved house, and had to take the kitchen door off because of a setup like this.
Stoplights: The Game
Don't Buy A Level, He Said. It'll Be Fine, He Said
Well it's a design fail not a construction fail
Load More Replies...Don't Worry, This Kind Of Mistake Happens To Everyone
Don't Panic,,,it's Only A Design
In Case Of Emergencies: Fall To Your Death
if you're lucky, you can land juuuust right so that the death is instant!
Load More Replies...I'm Still Trying To Wrap My Head Around This One. What Even Happened?
"Where The Stairs End," The Lesser Known Shel Silverstein Book
Yes Told You...bricks Are The New Windows
probably a remnant of the old "window tax" if this is in England, Scotland, or France
Mother Nature: 3 Architects: 0
Wait,are You Complaining?
very common and useful in small spaces, we have become too used to washing our hands in the equivalent of an Olympic pool :)
some of these are really not usuable. I have one at work that you just cant use because your hand doesnt fit under the faucet
No Prob Ma'am,,,you Don't Need The Dishwasher Anyway
The problem is the drawer not being able to open all the way. A different dishwasher without the big handle would solve the problem.
Load More Replies...Some Pple Just Loveeee Those Doors
Men Upstairs
Having been in spaces like this it's a service crawlspace. They have refrigeration equipment up there for ice machines, etc.
Who Needs Stairs When You Can Just Fall?
I Saw Lot's Of Those,,,believe Me
Welllll...landscaping?
It's the law you must have a ramp...but we don't need one....but it's the law....but we don't need one. but it's the law......
Shhhh...virtual Gate
Really??????
Same situation with the other one - the bogs are to either side, you can see them. This photo is purposely angled to focus on the cleaning cupboard.
to be fair, the sign is placed in an odd spot, so I can understand how it would be confusing at first glance
Load More Replies...You Won't Need It Anyway
Eh....well...euh...... No Idea
well that just looks downright unsafe, I wouldn't trust that at all
Well
Further Proof That High Schools Are From Hell
Used to you had to have an elevator pass (joke to new students at schools with no elevator). Here you have to have a door ladder.
Mother Nature: 1 Architects: 0
Waitttt, Mother Nature: 2 Architects: 0
Bricks Are The New Windows
probably another example of a leftover result of the old "window tax" in England, Scotland, and France
Plus the Window tax was during the Georgian Era, so between 1714 and 1837.
Load More Replies...It's Hot In There
I give a pass to some of these because they look like they are a product of a retrofit/renovation rather than an initial construction fail (like…most people are not going to rip out an entire concrete stair just because they closed in a door.) A lot of these, sadly, are the product of bad communication and lack of firing synapses. Architecture and construction is a chess game - you have to always be thinking three moves ahead.
Shocking how many of these are public places that the local government is in charge of!
"30 construction fail" they said. (120 construction fails later) Oh, well.
I give a pass to some of these because they look like they are a product of a retrofit/renovation rather than an initial construction fail (like…most people are not going to rip out an entire concrete stair just because they closed in a door.) A lot of these, sadly, are the product of bad communication and lack of firing synapses. Architecture and construction is a chess game - you have to always be thinking three moves ahead.
Shocking how many of these are public places that the local government is in charge of!
"30 construction fail" they said. (120 construction fails later) Oh, well.
