How a Manhattan skyscraper's vulnerability was discovered, and how the project's structural engineer responded to guide secret repairs.

By the time work paused in 2015, Goldin Finance 117's sleek exterior and diamond-shaped pinnacle were mostly finished, but it remained unoccupied.

A 117-story skyscraper in the Chinese port city of Tianjin has stood unfinished and empty for nearly a decade—but according ...