Millennium Tower resident posts video of rolling marble to demonstrate building's tilt

A Fraste machine runs tests in front of Millennium Tower, a residential building which is leaning, in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. A Fraste machine runs tests in front of Millennium Tower, a residential building which is leaning, in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 49 Caption Close Millennium Tower resident posts video of rolling marble to demonstrate building's tilt 1 / 49 Back to Gallery

A Millennium Tower resident named Frank Jernigan posted a video on Vimeo last week in an effort to demonstrate the building's tilt, which is being caused by the structure's sinking.

The 58-floor tower, which contains luxury apartments, has sunk a total of 16 inches and is now tilting at least two inches.

In a video Jernigan claims was shot in the building, a marble is rolled on a hardwood floor, but then it changes direction, ostensibly provoked by a tilt.

Although an engineer named Ronald Hamburger determined in early October that the Millennium Tower was safe in the event of a big earthquake, the building's residents aren't convinced. Several residents have sued the building's developer, Millennium Partners, claiming the value of their condos has dwindled due to safety concerns.

Millennium Partners are claiming the unforeseen sinking is due to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority dewatering, which the Partners' spokesman says "[has] drastically dropped the water table beneath 301 Mission St. and has caused excessive settlement."

Next, San Francisco will test Hamburger's findings in a rigorous peer review process to conclude how safe the building truly is. For more on the state of the Millennium Tower, read the San Francisco Chronicle's most recent report.