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Horrible Condo Collapse

The 'mits is down there visiting her mum, tells me there's wall-to-wall coverage locally. Horrible situation.
 
I worked for a construction company that had a division in Florida and was noted way back then that the coral base is tricky to build on due to its unstable porous limestone composition. I wonder if that was a contributor to the disaster? How horrible, so many lives lost. Sad, very sad.
 
I worked for a construction company that had a division in Florida and was noted way back then that the coral base is tricky to build on due to its unstable porous limestone composition. I wonder if that was a contributor to the disaster? How horrible, so many lives lost. Sad, very sad.
Anybody's guess at this point. I'm sure there will be a thorough investigation into the root cause(s).
On another forum I frequent, I read that a guy received an early AM call from his mother, who was staying there, and she said that some loud popping and cracking noises had awakened her and she was unable to go back to sleep. Presumably she was lost in the later collapse.
 
Local Miami news is saying the structure was sinking at a 2mm annual rate. Not sure when that measurement started.And they're predicting over 190 folks dead now. Won't know actual numbers for a while as they track down more info.

Most of South Florida is built on Jell-O anyway; layered of coral, water (the 'Glades), sand and fill... up here on th' Gulf side it's more like a chilled brownie. :p
 
Basil, how far away was where you bought your Corvette?
 
Mid 1990s the sinking was noticed according to the national news. And they were talking to a lady who lived there in the side that didn't come down who said that the underground parking garage always was wet with standing water, no matter how dry it may have been outside.
 
Engineers report in 2018 said there were cracks forming in some of the concrete, doesn't seem like anything was done to prevent further damage!? To me, that would indicate gross negligence!
 
You're welcome! I've been a researcher nearly all my adult life, now specializing in 1930s - 1940s aviation. If there's official background material on something interesting, I do my best to find and read it.

Here's the Surfside town webpage with links to a *lot* more reports on that Champlain building.

 
What a horrible thing to have happen. Will they be taking a good look at other buildings in the area?

A lot of buildings had concrete made using beach sand which has not had the salt thoroughly washed out of it, The salt goes to work on the steel rebar causing splatting and failure of the rebars. They have that issue in Montreal on their freeway overpasses. Also at one time they did not check carefully that the rebar was placed at the correct depth in the concrete.

David
 
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