Partial Collapse of 12-story Condo Building in Miami

[FoxtArt]

There was a family right next to the collapse that got out... They said it seemed like the first floor (where they got out) had sunk 3-4 feet. Not counting on the accuracy of that too much (fish stories anyone?) But in any event, first hand accounts are pointing to geologic. Apparently climate change space surveys studying ground swell also had noted unusual settling in that specific spot, but failed to actually inform anyone since they were not studying buildings....

[Gman]

There was a family right next to the collapse that got out... They said it seemed like the first floor (where they got out) had sunk 3-4 feet. Not counting on the accuracy of that too much (fish stories anyone?) But in any event, first hand accounts are pointing to geologic. Apparently climate change space surveys studying ground swell also had noted unusual settling in that specific spot, but failed to actually inform anyone since they were not studying buildings....

I agree with that assessment based on the photos I've seen. In one areal shot you can see the pool decking is several feet higher than the surrounding area including where the collapsed building is located. The Colorado woman who was on the phone with her husband prior to and at the time of the collapse had mentioned a hole opening up near the pool.

ETA: I should have fully caught up on this thread before posting.

Further ETA:

[BushMasterBoy]

I really doubt it was a sinkhole-global warming theory. The building just rotted from the inside. I have seen 20 year old beach side commercial buildings demolished because of this. The truth is coming out that the building needed major structural repairs and probably should have been condemned. You can see that the entire ocean side of the building collapsed. We will probably see more of this in the future. High rise condos on the beach is just a bad idea.

“Abundant cracking and spalling of varying degrees was observed in the concrete columns, beams, and walls,” Mr. Morabito wrote. He included photos of cracks in the columns of the parking garage as well as concrete crumbling — a process engineers refer to as “spalling” — that exposed steel reinforcements on the garage deck."





https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/26/u...stigation.html

[Irving]

Seems like the standard response from property owning corporations. Do nothing cause it costs money.

[BushMasterBoy]

The highest density condos I can think of is Galt Ocean Mile in Fort Lauderdale. These condos have everything including mini malls inside. I always got a weird feeling driving through there. Such high density living on the beach. They make the Miami Beach area look small.
Click on the picture in the link below to see the condos

https://janeshistorynook.blogspot.co...e-who-was.html

[Eric P]

Salt and concrete do not mix well. Florida DOT leads the country in salt vs chloride research.

They have stopped the use of epoxy coating on rebar. You can slow the migration of chloride to the rebar by densifying the concrete with fly ash, metacaolin, aggregate gradation, silica fume, nano silica, ect.

Rusting is not the only concern with salts. A relatively new understanding of a reaction (calcium oxychloride) that causes a gel to form and expand when it freezes. Freezing of this gel is in the 50-60F range and causes damages similar to freezing & thawing. Given that this is Florida thier concrete is not air entrained so damage is greater as the gel has no where to expand. This causes map cracking and for chuncks of concrete to "spall" off. To prevent this reaction fly ash or other pozzolans can be used to consume the CaOH reaction byproduct from cement hydration. This reaction not only mitigates the reaction but also densifies the concrete. Most concrete in FL did not contain fly ash until a few years ago.

Sinkholes are always a possibility in Florida with its limestone bedrock. Raising ocean levels can contribute to new sinkholes and accelerate thier growth. Increased CO2 increases the carbonic acid in rain water which increases the dissolving of limestone.

[BPTactical]

Salt and concrete do not mix well. Florida DOT leads the country in salt vs chloride research.

They have stopped the use of epoxy coating on rebar. You can slow the migration of chloride to the rebar by densifying the concrete with fly ash, metacaolin, aggregate gradation, silica fume, nano silica, ect.

Rusting is not the only concern with salts. A relatively new understanding of a reaction (calcium oxychloride) that causes a gel to form and expand when it freezes. Freezing of this gel is in the 50-60F range and causes damages similar to freezing & thawing. Given that this is Florida thier concrete is not air entrained so damage is greater as the gel has no where to expand. This causes map cracking and for chuncks of concrete to "spall" off. To prevent this reaction fly ash or other pozzolans can be used to consume the CaOH reaction byproduct from cement hydration. This reaction not only mitigates the reaction but also densifies the concrete. Most concrete in FL did not contain fly ash until a few years ago.

Sinkholes are always a possibility in Florida with its limestone bedrock. Raising ocean levels can contribute to new sinkholes and accelerate thier growth. Increased CO2 increases the carbonic acid in rain water which increases the dissolving of limestone.

Was waiting for you to chime in on this, thanks.
I was remembering “rust bloom” or similar but didn’t want to say for sure.

[BushMasterBoy]

Building in Cocoa Beach collapsed in 1981. Engineer compares it in link below.

https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/...able-collapses

[FoxtArt]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/27/u...ion-clues.html

Buried in this lengthy report is the detail that a resident was on her balcony, on her phone with her husband and she told him that a hole just opened up near the outside pool. The call cut off shortly after that. She is MIA.

[Aloha_Shooter]

The more that comes out on this, the more I see some massive lawsuits getting generated.