Miami Beach, Champlain Towers South apartment building collapse 151

[bugbus]

Partial collapse of 12 storey apartment building in Miami Beach:

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-building-collapses-sparking-huge-search.html

Was built in 1981. Not much information as yet.

Building profile:

https://www.miamiresidence.com/surfside/champlain-towers.htm

 

[Tomfh]

Ugh. Looks like a bomb site

 

[bugbus]

Interestingly there was a Magnitude 3.9 ‘earthquake’ off the coast of Florida in the last week caused by Navy bombing exercises.

It seems like a stretch to relate the two, but could it be ruled out as a cause?

Can someone with local knowledge give an idea of the seismicity of that area and whether a M3.9 earthquake would be significant compared to what it would (should) have been designed for in 1981?

 

[Cool_Controls]

There is a underground parking garage under the portion of the building that collapsed.

 

[OHIOMatt]

Gusmurr, when this building was constructed, Miami did not require seismic design. It would have been designed for significant winds though.

I can’t see the military exercise being the culprit. If I were doing the investigation, I would think corrosion first. We will have to see as it plays out.

Prayers to anyone trapped in the rubble or injured in this.

 

[LittleInch]

That's total and complete system collapse. You couldn't get it to pancake like that if you tried to demolish it.

Looks like panel construction - echoes of ronan point maybe?

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Cool_Controls]

Approximate area of collapse.

 

[OHIOMatt]

Cool_Controls, we’re did you get the information that there is underground parking? With the buildings proximity to the Atlantic, that would be a very complex design and construction.

 

[Mbrooke]

Wow! And tragic to put it in a single word. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone effected.

Does anyone if this building was concrete or steal framed? Or know any specifics?

 

[ACtrafficengr]

"Complete collapse of a part of the building" is a better description than "partial collapse."

My glass has a v/c ratio of 0.5

Maybe the tyranny of Murphy is the penalty for hubris. -

http://xkcd.com/319/

 

[Enable]

This might be important:

Authorities have not yet determined what caused the building to collapse but confirmed that renovations had been underway on the roof

Overloading leading to progressive collapse?

 

[JoelTXCive]

I cannot tell from the photos. Does it look like post tensioned construction or conventional rebar? Is 1981 construction too early for post-tensioning?

 

[bones206]

Current Google imagery shows construction in the adjacent lot:

 

[bradw1128]

Local news now has a video:

https://twitter.com/wsvn/status/1408054046808805379?s=20

Construction PE (KY)
Bridge Rehab, Coatings, Structural Repair

 

[JoelTXCive]

April 13, 2021 Image from Nearmaps

 

[bradw1128]

Construction PE (KY)
Bridge Rehab, Coatings, Structural Repair

 

[bradw1128]

Here is a view of the garage entrance that was mentioned above.

Construction PE (KY)
Bridge Rehab, Coatings, Structural Repair

 

[OHIOMatt]

[pre][/pre]It looks like a pseudo pan joist system formed with insulation. I am not familiar with that technique. It looks cast-in-place. I cannot tell if the reinforcing is PT or conventional.

 

[azcats]

Video of Bradw1128's screengrabs.

[URL unfurl="true"]https://twitter.com/wsvn/status/1408054046808805379[/url]

 

[Rabbit12]

Very odd for a 40 year old building to fail in a catastrophic way like that. Be interesting to see what the cause may be.

I can't see a re-roof causing this. From the video it looks like failure initiated at the base. It would take an awful lot of materials to add enough load to a column to fail it.

Being so close to the Atlantic it could be some sort of long term corrosion.

Or something nefarious in the parking garage.