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Miami condo

I lived in a highrise condo for 9 years and everyday I thought what if this thing fell. You never actually think it will. Sending out prayers to all the residents and families.
I heard on the news they think it may be a terrorist attack since so many Jewish people live there
 
I heard on the news they think it may be a terrorist attack since so many Jewish people live there
Haven’t heard this. Honestly the coverage for this is so much less than if the media is trying to push their politics. 99 people are unaccounted for…which means this is very deadly. Shows that a lot of times it’s not about the lives of the people rather than the agendas that need to be pushed.

Miami is loaded with Jewish people. I figured this would be a “theory” but hadn’t heard anyone credible pushing this.

This is a tragedy that’s off the charts. Can’t imagine what the families are feeling and going through right now. They hear banging sounds coming from the rubble, but no voices. So sad to think people could still be alive and trapped in there and may not be rescued.
 
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Haven’t heard this. Honestly the coverage for this is so much less than if the media is trying to push their politics. 99 people are unaccounted for…which means this is very deadly. Shows that a lot of times it’s not about the lives of the people rather than the agendas that need to be pushed.

Miami is loaded with Jewish people. I figured this would be a “theory” but hadn’t heard anyone credible pushing this.
I don’t see that theory being pushed anywhere either. There was a study mentioned in one article that said they knew this building has been sinking since the 90s… Sounds like a foundation or sinkhole/ unstable ground issue.
 
That was my very first thought. Lots of sinkhole problems in Fla.
I'm not outright discounting this theory, but the sinkholes we hear about are mostly through Central and NW Florida,
Keep in mind that Miami Beach is on a barrier island where these buildings are built on shifting sands, and the city of Miami Beach has been dealing with the problem of rising sea level for several years, which can exacerbate that problem.
It's not unusual to see some streets flood during high tide.
 
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Apparently this building has been sinking for years if not decades . I’m sure there will be a massive lawsuit and there should be . There is no foul play involved at all . Nice try
 
Apparently this building has been sinking for years if not decades . I’m sure there will be a massive lawsuit and there should be . There is no foul play involved at all . Nice try
Interesting lawsuit with the family of the victims suing the victims via the HOA.
 
Haven’t heard this. Honestly the coverage for this is so much less than if the media is trying to push their politics. 99 people are unaccounted for…which means this is very deadly. Shows that a lot of times it’s not about the lives of the people rather than the agendas that need to be pushed.

Miami is loaded with Jewish people. I figured this would be a “theory” but hadn’t heard anyone credible pushing this.
And for good reason.
 
I'm not outright discounting this theory, but the sinkholes we hear about are mostly through Central and NW Florida,
Keep in mind that Miami Beach is on a barrier island where these buildings are built on shifting sands, and the city of Miami Beach has been dealing with the problem of rising sea level for several years, which can exacerbate that problem.
It's not unusual to see some streets flood during high tide.
Looks like you are right. They are saying the building was on “reclaimed” land. So, sinking land, but not the usual sinkhole.
 
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article252340108.html

From the linked Miami Herald article -

"Several engineering experts, speaking from experience and reviewing chilling surveillance footage that showed the northeast, beachfront portion of the building collapsing around 1:20 a.m. Thursday, suggested a number of factors could have played a role, including saltwater corroding the concrete and potentially weakening beams that hold up the structure.

But while a critical, county-mandated process designed to catch any serious structural damage was underway at the Champlain Towers South, it was not yet complete. The 12-story, 136-unit building was erected in 1981 and was still early in its recertification process, which is required for most non-single-family structures countywide once they turn 40 years old."

The first paragraph seems like a very plausible explanation.
 
I'd bet just about any amount of money that any structural components that are seen (above ground) were not the problem, the problem was below ground. Whether that be a sink hole, lot not compacted properly before foundation (possibly fill dirt involved), or the total structure not accounted for when the foundation was poured. Things can tend to be rushed in projects like this because of time limitations, and penalties to the GC if it runs over. Doesn't happen on such a large scale like this too often, but in residential (which I'm more familiar with) it happens more than it should. People cut corners, and dirt does what it does, settles and shifts.
 
If you're living in one of the neighboring buildings would you feel safe right now? I don't think I could stay there with my family. If I were a single man, then maybe.
 
At least the mayor of Miami didn’t claim terrorism like the mayor if Ft. Lauderdale did without any proof.
Completely different incident. Ft. L mayor was commenting on auto crash during a Pride Parade. As far as I know he has not made a public comment on the condo collapse in Surfside.
 
I'd bet just about any amount of money that any structural components that are seen (above ground) were not the problem, the problem was below ground. Whether that be a sink hole, lot not compacted properly before foundation (possibly fill dirt involved), or the total structure not accounted for when the foundation was poured. Things can tend to be rushed in projects like this because of time limitations, and penalties to the GC if it runs over. Doesn't happen on such a large scale like this too often, but in residential (which I'm more familiar with) it happens more than it should. People cut corners, and dirt does what it does, settles and shifts.
Chief, this building would have been built on pilings driven deep into the earth and not simply on excavated soil. There were some comments that the building shook when the adjacent structure pilings were driven which would occur since they drive into the same rock below. Additionally, a project like this requires third party testing of structural steel, pilings, any fill dirt and concrete samples from every pour. Engineers would have been required to inspect as well to ensure that the design was followed. You would have triple redundancy in inspections. All the data would be preserved and will be re-examined. Miami has some of the toughest building codes in the world because of their unique landscape. However, the constant exposure to salt and high winds are sure to affect any structure. That,s why at 40 years old, building must be examined and recertified. That process was just underway on this structure. My only question is, why did they start on the roof and not in the foundation ?

A terrible tragedy to be sure. This one will be studied for years.
 
Haven’t heard this. Honestly the coverage for this is so much less than if the media is trying to push their politics. 99 people are unaccounted for…which means this is very deadly. Shows that a lot of times it’s not about the lives of the people rather than the agendas that need to be pushed.

Miami is loaded with Jewish people. I figured this would be a “theory” but hadn’t heard anyone credible pushing this.

This is a tragedy that’s off the charts. Can’t imagine what the families are feeling and going through right now. They hear banging sounds coming from the rubble, but no voices. So sad to think people could still be alive and trapped in there and may not be rescued.
Sad situation indeed.
 
I'm not outright discounting this theory, but the sinkholes we hear about are mostly through Central and NW Florida,
Keep in mind that Miami Beach is on a barrier island where these buildings are built on shifting sands, and the city of Miami Beach has been dealing with the problem of rising sea level for several years, which can exacerbate that problem.
It's not unusual to see some streets flood during high tide.
You definitely don't live in the low country. We deal with flooding every day it rains. Engineering not up to standards! That's the problem. Bad engineering with new construction very close by taking place for a while now. That would be my first guess.
 
I heard on the news they think it may be a terrorist attack since so many Jewish people live there
LOL. I live a few miles north of there on the 18th floor of our building. I have never consider it collapsing. But the Association announced that they will be having it inspected ASAP. Good times for Structural Engineers in MIA.

I would say half of our building is Jewish, the rest are South Americans. So any condo you blow up here will kill a lot of Jews.

Surfside has more religious Jews because there is a big Chabad Temple there. They live there so they can walk to it on Shabbat.
 
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One thing i had not thought of was occupancy through Airbnb. That may make it more difficult to get an accurate count. I think that no matter the cause of the collapse, we can come together as fellow humane and send prayers or good thoughts or entrance your belief is, to those families affected. I was glad to see the local community there step up in a way that they are asking for cash instead of materiel donations
 
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The first lawsuit was filed today, it did not say who is being sued though? Do you sue your own building association, can they pass that back to you as a special Assesment? Do you sue their insurance company? Probably they will sue the engineers who inspected the building that very day and the construction company that was working on the building. It came out that this building and some others in that area have been sinking for many years, it was an academic study so the professor said nobody in Surfside probably knew about it. Next time maybe mail a copy of your study to the Mayor…
 
In 80 years Miami beach and most waterfront properties in Miami may be under water. I dont know why they are still building new waterfront real estate. Guess you live for now.

https://www.businessinsider.com/mia...arket-home-sales-sea-levels-underwater-2019-3
In the 10 years that we have been here I can tell you the ocean has not moved, still right where it was. If you watched Al Gore’s movie I think he predicted that we would already be under water.
 
I just watched a video of it. Seems a little more fishy by the way it appeared to happen. There was one section fall down, then a few seconds later a second portion comes down. They both went straight down, no lean or wobble as you would expect with bad engineering.
 
I am sure this will provide more supporting evidence for people that can't envision their city without mostly single-family homes.
 
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When you see the video, its clear the middle section comes down first and then the north tower comes down 10-15 seconds later. Now look at the top down snapshot of the rubble and look at the area b/t the pool and the standing building. It looks to me as if that entire section of slab work dropped 8’ thus leading me to believe this collapse is sinkhole related.
 
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