Miami building collasped

[abbby]

How could it even happen? Not certified safe..? No checks?

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/wo ... e-15110850

[sundaymorningstaple]

Even if certified safe, if you are in certain parts of Florida (in other words virtually the whole state). You are always subject to the odd sink hold showing up under your property and watching the whole things literally slide into the hole. Apparently the building was sinking already. so there may well be limestone formations deep under the property. (limestone dissolves in water with the passage of time, creating voids which eventually create sinkholes that swallow up whatever is above it.

[abbby]

That sounds scary..is the limestone formation anything to do with the building close to the sea?

[Myasis Dragon]

This building was not certified safe. In fact, it was inspected in 2018 and found to have significant damage caused by saltwater and rising sea levels to cause the engineer to say that it needed immediate repairs to avoid a potential catastrophe.

Repairs were not made, partially because of the pandemic, and partially because they were extremely expensive, requiring more than an $80,000 assessment against each owner. Needless to say, there was pushback.

[abbby]

Oh dear...and residents didn't do anything about it too? Either cough up the money or move...seems like a hazardous place to live in. I think authorities did nothing to it too..

[PNGMK]

This is partly why I am ok with Singapore'e enbloc system.

[abbby]

Agree..enbloc is sometimes just the way to go for old buildings no amount of repairs can restore its structural

[Jgrif96229]

Rebar + near the ocean and a waterway + 40 years old adds up to an expensive unit owner asessments.

[Lisafuller]

Agree..enbloc is sometimes just the way to go for old buildings no amount of repairs can restore its structural

Exactly.

[Lisafuller]

Oh dear...and residents didn't do anything about it too? Either cough up the money or move...seems like a hazardous place to live in. I think authorities did nothing to it too..

They just ignored the problem, unfortunately this was to their detriment.

[Lisafuller]

This building was not certified safe. In fact, it was inspected in 2018 and found to have significant damage caused by saltwater and rising sea levels to cause the engineer to say that it needed immediate repairs to avoid a potential catastrophe.

Repairs were not made, partially because of the pandemic, and partially because they were extremely expensive, requiring more than an $80,000 assessment against each owner. Needless to say, there was pushback.

This is the case for plenty of buildings in Miami, unfortunately.

[Myasis Dragon]

Oh dear...and residents didn't do anything about it too? Either cough up the money or move...seems like a hazardous place to live in. I think authorities did nothing to it too..

It is an owner occupied building and it is the condo owners association that controls all the finances. This building regularly had ankle deep to two foot deep seawater in its basement parking garage, caused by limestone seepage and high tides, that had to be pumped out.

Miami-Dade County has required inspections of buildings over 40 years old ever since an FBI building on the beach in central Miami collapsed due to saltwater corrosion. But Surfside to the north has no such requirement and inspections are voluntary on the part of the owners.

That is very likely to change in the very near future as everyone living in a high rise is shitting little green apples, wondering if their building is going to be next. If you're a structural engineer, you can go make a killing inspecting buildings up and down the coast.

Because this is a real problem up and down the coast, as global warming has already raised average sea levels by 8 inches, and it is predicted to add 17 more inches by 2040. Cities are building seawalls but as SMS pointed out, the whole area is built on porous limestone and no one knows how to stop the seepage. Already streets flood regularly from seepage, and sewer lines have to have valves installed to prevent backups into houses.

Maybe this will be a wakeup call for Florida's hard right, trump sucking governor, who doesn't believe in global warming and has previously prevented state agencies from using the term in government publications.

Of course, these high rises cost millions per condo, and all these people living in these high rises have lots of money to buy them, and they are the ones that vote republikkklan. The tragedy is unfortunate and it is karma in spades.

[PNGMK]

I agree this is the fault of poor governance (regardless of the party affiliation). Of course the dumbasses are saying it was sabotage.

[Lisafuller]

I agree this is the fault of poor governance (regardless of the party affiliation). Of course the dumbasses are saying it was sabotage.

Definitely not sabotage, don’t see how anyone could possibly think that.

[PNGMK]

Desantis is horrible