Miami condo collapse

[WPOZZZ]

Happened about 30 minutes ago, so most people were sleeping.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/06/24/surfside-building-collapse-miami-dade/

By Tim Elfrink
June 23, 2021 at 9:38 p.m. HST

A large condo building along the beachfront in Surfside, Fla., partially collapsed early on Thursday morning, prompting a mass search-and-rescue response from local authorities.

More than 80 units from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue rushed to the scene in the city just north of Miami Beach after 2 a.m., the agency said on Twitter, joining first responders from multiple other agencies.

It was not immediately clear whether anyone lived in the affected section of the building or was injured in the collapse. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said its Technical Rescue Team had responded to the scene. The team is “specially trained in the treatment and removal of victims trapped in complex or confined spaces,” according to the agency.

Photos from the scene suggest that a full section collapsed in the tower, which appears to be at least 12 stories high, leaving a massive pile of concrete rubble and balconies sheared in half.

One nearby hotel guest shot video after the collapse, just as first responders began to arrive at the scene.

“We were right there on the second floor,” the man shooting the video says. “The building, one of these huge buildings, gone, right here beside us. The craziest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

[dad911]

I suspect combination of post tension cables, spalling concrete.

I was an owner in a condo association in the fl keys, other owners fought engineer reports and repairs for years claiming the issues were just cosmetic, until 1 of the balconies was failing and the local building department threatened to pull the CO for the whole complex. Deferring maintenance turned it into an 8 million dollar repair project.

[ckelly78z]

Godspeed to anyone trapped in that mess...possibly a sinkhole ?

[URY914]

Post tension buildings are up and down the beaches in Florida. Tough environment. This won't be the last collapse.

[Seahawk]

I can't imagine.

[Baz]

The entire condo did not collapse.....only one side.

1 confirmed dead - 10 treated for injuries, so far.

[Baz]

Just about very single ocean front codo building here has gone through restoration due to corrosion of the rebar inside the concrete from the sea air.

I don't know if this was a factor in this incident. But in looking at the photos - those balconies are the parts that are typically affected.

There's usually plenty of advanced warning signs so a condo building doesn't just fall apart before restoration work can be arranged.

Article mentioned roof work was being done when this happened.

No idea here. Guess we'll find out......

[dad911]

Originally Posted by Baz

The entire condo did not collapse.....only part of one side.

1 confirmed dead - 10 treated for injuries, so far.

I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like more than 1/2 the building is gone:

[masraum]

Originally Posted by dad911

I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like more than 1/2 the building is gone:

I would agree with your analysis.

[David]

Very sad situation. Considering what was 12 stories is now less than 1 story tall, I can't imagine anyone inside the collapsed part of the building is alive.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Damn, that looks like a bomb went off.

[wilnj]

A much more caustic environment but I did a chiller replacement job in a hospital where the existing absorption chillers used lithium bromide as the refrigerant. The chillers were poorly maintained and had been leaking for years, more likely decades.

When we saw signs of concrete decay under them, we started investigating.

While probing the concrete directly under one of the chillers, the crowbar punched right through the 8” concrete slab under it’s own weight.

When we finished removing the decayed concrete, there was a 30’ x 40’ hole before we got to something we could build back on.

We sometimes take concrete for granted but it’s not the forever material we often think it to be. Much older concrete that was made before the science was well understood was often over designed.

These newer buildings constructed on the cheap and poorly maintained that went up when the science was understood by the designers, allowing more efficient designs but the skill not available in the workers are worrisome.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[craigster59]

CCTV of the condo collapse. It was half the building!

https://twitter.com/catturd2/status/1408056149677576196

[URY914]

They will most likely find that cracks in the concrete balconies allowed water intrusion and rust to develop on the rebar and/or post tension cables. Lack of proper maintenance. Lawyers are circling I'm sure.

[David]

WOW!

https://twitter.com/wsvn/status/1408054046808805379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5 Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1408054046808805379%7Ctwgr% 5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yahoo.com%2Fnews%2Fbomb-went-off-photos-show-124848278.html

[GH85Carrera]

Wow, that is something I would only expect to see in a strong earthquake or in some third world country.

I bet there will be a LOT of building inspections in Florida starting today. That video is just scary. I can't imagine the terror of hearing the building collapse next to you. I assume the building next door has been evacuated.

[URY914]

"The collapse has left at least one person dead—though authorities are expecting far more fatalities. A huge rescue operation is underway with at least 35 people pulled alive from the rubble and 12 reported injuries. Some 51 people remain unaccounted for, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally Heyman told CNN."

[speeder]

If only one person died in that, it would be a miracle. Unless it was unoccupied. Sad situation.

[stealthn]

Originally Posted by craigster59

CCTV of the condo collapse. It was half the building!

https://twitter.com/catturd2/status/1408056149677576196

Holy shat, that’s horrible. God bless those people

[astrochex]

Originally Posted by craigster59

CCTV of the condo collapse. It was half the building!

https://twitter.com/catturd2/status/1408056149677576196

It was about a 20 sec event.