FL- 12 Story Condo Partial Building Collapse, many still unaccounted for, Miami, 24 June 2021

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Dontknow? said:
This building being demolished by hand collapsed 3 years ago with a worker hurt. It's 3 blocks from this building on Collins Ave. It is almost 20 years older though. Not finding out why or what happened to cause it to collapse. Implosions aren't allowed in Miami-Dade, per another article I read.

Worker hurt when building set for demolition collapses in Miami Beach

Building had demolition permit, but not implosion permit, police say

Worker hurt when building set for demolition collapses in Miami Beach

Found this

History of building, structure collapses in Miami-Dade County
Another condo collapse occurred along Collins Avenue as recently as 2018

https://www.wptv.com/news/state/mia...ding-structure-collapses-in-miami-dade-county
Click to expand...
The worker in question later died. The lawsuit his family filed cites an "illegal work method".
Worker Dies Days After Miami Beach Building Collapse
 
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So unimaginable that 159 residents are unaccounted for! Yet dogs haven't sniffed anyone in several days. There are probably not 159 who have additionally perished, but why haven't absentees notified friends or relatives or authorities? This collapse is known about globally. Frustrating! JMO
 
The town of Surfside has posted the entire set of construction drawings from 1979 online. This would be the set used to obtain a permit. This is public information in FL, but kudos to the town for making the set readily available. Link: https://www.townofsurfsidefl.gov/do...-collins-ave-1979-plans.pdf?sfvrsn=bd2a1194_2

Studying these drawings will be essential for understanding the building. I don’t see the specifications, which constitute the written requirements for the project, including material standards. There are 336 sheets listed. I see that the architects put the specifications on the drawings, not a common practice - especially for large buildings. Some of the sheets appear to be duplicates or possibly revisions. They are not in order.

After a quick scan, I can't find any sheets with plaza waterproofing details, paver setting details and drains, which would be what one would expect for the pool deck over the garage. This doesn't mean they didn't exist, however.
 
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Plans and other documents, including inspection reports (repost from earlier today)

Source: Champlain Towers Public Records Documents

List o documents (PDF files):
Resolution No. 2021-2803 State of Emergency-Champlain Tower Collapse
 
Surfside tower had ‘major structural damage’ — but enough to cause a collapse?

Excerpts:

“These things are very unlikely to cause the building to collapse,” said Sinisa Kolar, a senior structural engineer with The Falcon Group. “Can they cause a balcony or piece or chunk of balcony to fall down? Yes. But the whole building as a result of these things? No.”

The pictures that I’ve seen really don’t show substantial structural damage of the columns,” Kolar said. “Something that would be indictable stresses, rather than, let’s call it, relative corrosion.”

Jason Borden, a structural engineer for O&S Associates, told ABC News that his firm conducted an hour-long site survey of the building in January 2020. He said what he observed “was typical of a 40-year-old building that had had some deferred maintenance,” in that parts of the building had reached their “expected useful life” and needed to be repaired or replaced.

Borden said his team did not see anything potentially catastrophic, or even out of the ordinary.

Kolar said that “this collapse is definitely an outlier,” which echoed the initial thoughts of John Pistorino, a structural engineer for 54 years who has been retained by an attorney to investigate the tragedy.
 
Am I reading this article right? The north tower is still occupied and they are considering evacuation?!

“DeSantis said officials are considering evacuation of the condominium complex's north tower, which like the collapsed south tower was built in 1981 according to the same design. “

Florida building collapse update: Death toll at 4, Stacie Fang ID'd
 
Yesiamapirate said:
Am I reading this article right? The north tower is still occupied and they are considering evacuation?!

“DeSantis said officials are considering evacuation of the condominium complex's north tower, which like the collapsed south tower was built in 1981 according to the same design. “

Florida building collapse update: Death toll at 4, Stacie Fang ID'd
Click to expand...
The north tower is a totally different building (with a similar layout) down the street. It was built the same year as the south tower.
 
Complaints about What?
indicolite22 said:
Champlain Towers Public Records Documents....8777 COLLINS AVE - CODE COMPLIANCE CASES....
Click to expand...
@indicolite22 sbm Thanks for your post w many links. :)Enlightening about the bldg.
And other subjects too like Turtle Lighting complaint, pages 13-14 above, tickling my curiosity and leading to websites discussing problems* that artificial lights on/near beaches cause for marine turtles. Something new for an inlander like me (and others?).
Back now to the Champlain Towers.
___________________________________________
* "Lights from these developments discourage females from nesting. If a female fails to nest after multiple false crawls, she will resort to less-than-optimal nesting spots or deposit her eggs in the ocean. In either case, the survival outlook for hatchlings is slim.
Lighting near the shore also can cause hatchlings to become disoriented and wander inland, where they often die of dehydration or predation."
https://www.conserveturtles.org/information-sea-turtles-threats-artificial-lighting/
https://www.conserveturtles.org/beachfront-lighting-turtle-friendly-fixtures-lights/
 
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indicolite22 said:
Surfside tower had ‘major structural damage’ — but enough to cause a collapse?

Excerpts:

“These things are very unlikely to cause the building to collapse,” said Sinisa Kolar, a senior structural engineer with The Falcon Group. “Can they cause a balcony or piece or chunk of balcony to fall down? Yes. But the whole building as a result of these things? No.”

The pictures that I’ve seen really don’t show substantial structural damage of the columns,” Kolar said. “Something that would be indictable stresses, rather than, let’s call it, relative corrosion.”

Jason Borden, a structural engineer for O&S Associates, told ABC News that his firm conducted an hour-long site survey of the building in January 2020. He said what he observed “was typical of a 40-year-old building that had had some deferred maintenance,” in that parts of the building had reached their “expected useful life” and needed to be repaired or replaced.

Borden said his team did not see anything potentially catastrophic, or even out of the ordinary.

Kolar said that “this collapse is definitely an outlier,” which echoed the initial thoughts of John Pistorino, a structural engineer for 54 years who has been retained by an attorney to investigate the tragedy.
Click to expand...

And combined with the soil/sand recession of that one particular zone, the structural damage has evidently tipped the balance of the building. IMO


A Florida high-rise that collapsed early Thursday was determined to be on unstable land a year ago
The building ..... has been sinking at an alarming rate since the 1990s
USA TODAY

Underneath its foundation is sand and organic fill — over a plateau of porous limestone — brought in from the bay after the mangroves were deforested. The fill sinks naturally, and the subsidence worsens as the water table rises.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/06/25/rising-sea-levels-condo-collapse/
 
indicolite22 said:
Plans and other documents, including inspection reports (repost from earlier today)

Source: Champlain Towers Public Records Documents

List o documents (PDF files):
Resolution No. 2021-2803 State of Emergency-Champlain Tower Collapse
Click to expand...

Whew, that's a long download.

Pages 22 and 58 have schematics of the parking garage.

It looks to me as though it is one level, with parking spaces 1-114. The entrance is a ramp on the north-east side of the property off of 88th st. There is another driveable entrance into the building on the NW side that appears to be a trash/ deliverly entrance. There appears to be a port- coche're type drive way on the west side (the front of the building) which leads to those above ground parking spaces on the south side of the property.

Based on that diagram, the first sign we see of collapse is not at the entrance to the garage, but nearer the front of the building, in the middle of the parking spaces.
 
SouthAussie said:
And combined with the soil/sand recession of that one particular zone, the structural damage has evidently tipped the balance of the building. IMO


A Florida high-rise that collapsed early Thursday was determined to be on unstable land a year ago
The building ..... has been sinking at an alarming rate since the 1990s
USA TODAY

Underneath its foundation is sand and organic fill — over a plateau of porous limestone — brought in from the bay after the mangroves were deforested. The fill sinks naturally, and the subsidence worsens as the water table rises.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/06/25/rising-sea-levels-condo-collapse/
Click to expand...
Is it just a matter of time before the next beach high-rise collapses?
 
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