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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,120
Registered: ‎03-29-2019

CONDO BUILDING IN MIAMI PARTIALLY COLLAPSES!

[ Edited ]

This happened overnight, but a condo building in Miami partially collapsed. One side of the building is just gone. 

 

From pictures, it fell from the top down.

 

 

They don't know how many are injured, or have died, or what caused the collaspse.

 

 

 

I just heard that there is one confirmed death, and they pulled one boy out alive.

 

 

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The Sky looks different when you have someone you love up there.
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,994
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: CONDO BUILDING IN MIAMI PARTIALLY COLLAPSES!

I've been following this story on the news this morning.  What causes a building to just collapse?  People were sleeping in their apartments and it just falls?  The building was built in 1981, so not terribly old.  Were there warning signs?   

* A woman is like a tea bag. You can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. *
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,120
Registered: ‎03-29-2019

Re: CONDO BUILDING IN MIAMI PARTIALLY COLLAPSES!


@tototwo wrote:

I've been following this story on the news this morning.  What causes a building to just collapse?  People were sleeping in their apartments and it just falls?  The building was built in 1981, so not terribly old.  Were there warning signs?   


 

 

 

@tototwo 

 

 

My first thought is that when it was built, somebody decided to cut corners to save money.  But that's a total and complete guess on my part.

The Sky looks different when you have someone you love up there.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,681
Registered: ‎05-15-2014

Re: CONDO BUILDING IN MIAMI PARTIALLY COLLAPSES!

That's exactly what my husband said to me, shotty construction in the 80's........praying for those who are trapped under the rubble. 

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,987
Registered: ‎05-13-2021

Re: CONDO BUILDING IN MIAMI PARTIALLY COLLAPSES!

I live about an hour from there. The condo buildings and homes in S Fl are made of  concrete block and concrete with steel rebar imbedded in the concrete.  The building pancaked only on the ocean side, the apartments on the street side are intact. I suspect this was an engineering error when it was built, rebar is well known to corrode and fail from salt air near the ocean. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,367
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: CONDO BUILDING IN MIAMI PARTIALLY COLLAPSES!

What caused it to collapse? Way too early to say for sure, but it appears to have been a largely concrete structure, likely made with post-tensioned concrete. Post-tensioned concrete is very strong but its strength depends on the tensioned steel rebar/cable that gives it strength staying tensioned. When that tension fails, so does the concrete. In an environment like Miami where corrosion from airborne seawater mist can create corrosion, it's possible the rebar/cables deteriorated to the point where the tension failed and the structure collapsed. That would be my initial thought. 

 

If there was an underground parking garage (unlikely in Miami, but you never know) then I'd also be looking at the possibility that a vehicle hit and damaged one of the structural members in the garage. Being in Florida there's also the possibility of a sinkhole developing in the wrong place.

 

A failure in the post-tensioned concrete would still be my prime suspect. Those types of structures are unlikely to age well in a marine-type environment. Forty years of exposure to saltier air tends not to be good for steel. Post-tensioned members tend to leave some steel exposed to the atmosphere and corrosion becomes an issue. The steel cables often used as tensioners are especially susceptible to issues as they're made up of individual wire strands woven together. Those strands can almost act like a wick allowing moisture to enter deep into the concrete. Rebar is much less wick-like, but even that can fail in those types of environments.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,685
Registered: ‎07-21-2011

Re: CONDO BUILDING IN MIAMI PARTIALLY COLLAPSES!

How does this happen in America?  Using cheaper materials?  Mistakes by engineers?  This is awful and I hope there are no more casualties.

kindness is strength
Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,190
Registered: ‎04-28-2010

Re: CONDO BUILDING IN MIAMI PARTIALLY COLLAPSES!

My first thought was maybe the ground shifted.  Maybe built on sandy soil?

 

But, looking at the photos, looks like it collapsed from the top going down?

 

RIP, and hopefully many others will be rescued.  

 

Very dangerous for the brave rescue people and firefighters.

 

Let's hope for the best of safety and good luck.

'More or less', 'Right or wrong', 'In general', and 'Just thinking out loud ' (as usual).
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,054
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: CONDO BUILDING IN MIAMI PARTIALLY COLLAPSES!

I looked at the slide show of photos a few minutes ago.  My first thought was erosion.  

"Live frugally, but love extravagantly."
Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,232
Registered: ‎10-01-2013

Re: CONDO BUILDING IN MIAMI PARTIALLY COLLAPSES!

Very sad, I will wait for more facts to become available before drawing any conclusions.