FL- 12 Story Condo Partial Building Collapse, many still unaccounted for, Miami, 24 June 2021 #2

[Marysmith]

There's a condo building in San Francisco called the Millennium Tower that was finished in 2009 that was sinking 18 inches and leaning about 14 inches. It's costing about $100 million dollars to fix the problem. It was never built on bedrock just dense, hard packed sand. I saw two owners on tv who had spent $4 million on their unit. They packed their bags and just up and left.

Wow. But that was the safe choice and I can’t blame them. I hope they can sue.

 

[branmuffin]

Wow. But that was the safe choice and I can’t blame them. I hope they can sue.

They showed them rolling a steel ball along the floor of their condo. It rolled about 20 feet then stopped and came back to them picking up speed along the way. I just can't even wrap my head around a 59 story building anchored to sand in an area prone to earthquakes. SMH

 

[branmuffin]

Off topic but your avatar pic is hysterical!

I've realized that belonging to WS has opened me up to some questionable searches regarding murder, spouses, insurance and contracts.

 

[ilovewings]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2021/07/05/morabito-engineer-condo-collapse-florida/

Interesting article behind a paywall though: Mr. Mirabito appears to be in deep doo-doo and is being sued by several families, so far. Mr.Mirabito is the structural engineer for the structure that collapsed.

 

[Marysmith]

I've realized that belonging to WS has opened me up to some questionable searches regarding murder, spouses, insurance and contracts.

lol - all of us probably as well!

 

[Marysmith]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2021/07/05/morabito-engineer-condo-collapse-florida/

Interesting article behind a paywall though: Mr. Mirabito appears to be in deep doo-doo and is being sued by several families, so far. Mr.Mirabito is the structural engineer for the structure that collapsed.

Looks like he was hired to do the 40 year certification - this is from the Daily Mail…:
Engineer who surveyed Champlain Towers wasn't asked to check foundations | Daily Mail Online

 

[Warwick1991]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2021/07/05/morabito-engineer-condo-collapse-florida/

Interesting article behind a paywall though: Mr. Mirabito appears to be in deep doo-doo and is being sued by several families, so far. Mr.Mirabito is the structural engineer for the structure that collapsed.

Morabito was not the structural engineer for the building. Those original engineers, who designed the structure of the building, are now deceased. Morabito prepared the 40 year inspection report ahead of time in 2018, and later designed a repair project for the building. From what I can see, his report was fairly thorough. Morabito also noted failed earlier repairs by others using epoxy injection. This building had not been appropriately maintained for years. Morabito identified a critical design defect, the failure to waterproof the pool deck, which was also the roof of the parking garage. Morabito gave the board a competent report. The report is available on the town of Surfside’s website, linked earlier by other posters. The question is whether he could have successfully involved the town of Surfside. The answer seems to be no, as their inspector indicated no alarm at all. Undoubtedly, Morabito will be sued, but IMO he is the least culpable party here.

From what I have read, the condominium board balked at paying for the repairs he recommended 3 years ago, and only recently came to terms with paying for them. This situation has been described in earlier WS posts. Right until just before the end, the condominium board avoided doing what they needed to…. Although they began some of the repairs, they began at the roof first.

In addition to neglect and design defects, the problem of salt water infiltration on the garage floor and the pile driving operations for the new building next door also have potential impacts.

 

[coastal]

I had a similar experience when our house burned down, due to a wildfire. It was surreal, I remember being at Walmart, getting clothes, shoes, because we had nothing. And, I hated everyone around me, who was just shopping, having a "normal" day.

One thing, about losing every thing. You have an epiphany, that things really are "meaningless". But it takes awhile to get there.

Yes. The best things are not things at all.

 

[Warwick1991]

I’ve read in multiple articles that a contractor declared that they could not perform the needed work in part because of the extent of the damage and in part because the pool needed to be in service for the entirety of the project. I’m especially trying to understand the importance of keeping a pool in service when there is such a serious repair needed. It does make me wonder the extent to which the owners understood the extent of the problems.
Condo collapse near Miami: recent repairs delayed by unexpected damage

Till the last, the condominium board did not address the most critical repairs. The idea that the pool had to remain in service is simply ludicrous. The board is the decision making body here, and they couldn’t come to terms with the situation.

 

[JaimeInLA]

I don’t know if this is allowed here, but wanted to share a first-hand account from a rescuer. I have a friend whose husband was sent down from Ohio to help with the rescue efforts. She sent me this:

“Update: (NAME REDACTED BM) was on site shortly after the building came down, and they got right to work. It rained hard for a while. They were working in the area where they haven’t been able to work previously, and he said that he can tell what “room” he’s in based on the things he finds. For instance, he started pulling out lots of clothing, so he knew he was “in” a closet. Sometimes, he finds personal “artifacts,” which can be very emotional, and he said that it’s something different for each person that triggers the emotion. When they find an artifact, they call the Israeli team over. That team has an extensive forensic list of what was in each apartment, so they know that if they find, say, green carpet, then they know that’s where Mr. and Mrs. Smith lived. The Israeli team catalogs meaningful artifacts for family members.

He said the smell is unimaginable. In addition to the pulverized concrete, burnt wood, the dampness, and the obvious human decay, there are full refrigerators and other rotting food. That was something I hadn’t really thought about.

It’s supposed to rain again tonight.”

——
Heartbreaking but informative.

 

[cady]

I am really confused about the number of "missing" people. Are the 117 missing people NAMED by friends or family? How many condo's are we talking about that were totally destroyed in the initial collapse? Presumably, the owners of the condos are known. Are they the people who are missing? I keep wondering if the 117 is an actual number or a guesstimate. Also, if the condos were rented out to people, are THOSE people missing and reported? I wonder if there may have been some people residing there that could have been undocumented (without visas) and have deliberately not notified authorities, even though they may not have been there when the building collapsed. And not reported by condo owners. I hope that they have the names of all missing people. Obviously, if searchers were able to look for animals, they didn't come across any bodies of people in their search. Does anyone know anything about this? ty JMO

 

[Marysmith]

Morabito was not the structural engineer for the building. Those original engineers, who designed the structure of the building, are now deceased. Morabito prepared the 40 year inspection report ahead of time in 2018, and later designed a repair project for the building. From what I can see, his report was fairly thorough. Morabito also noted failed earlier repairs by others using epoxy injection. This building had not been appropriately maintained for years. Morabito identified a critical design defect, the failure to waterproof the pool deck, which was also the roof of the parking garage. Morabito gave the board a competent report. The report is available on the town of Surfside’s website, linked earlier by other posters. The question is whether he could have successfully involved the town of Surfside. The answer seems to be no, as their inspector indicated no alarm at all. Undoubtedly, Morabito will be sued, but IMO he is the least culpable party here.

From what I have read, the condominium board balked at paying for the repairs he recommended 3 years ago, and only recently came to terms with paying for them. This situation has been described in earlier WS posts. Right until just before the end, the condominium board avoided doing what they needed to…. Although they began some of the repairs, they began at the roof first.

In addition to neglect and design defects, the problem of salt water infiltration on the garage floor and the pile driving operations for the new building next door also have potential impacts.

Thank you. Awesome post.

 

[anneg]

I don’t know if this is allowed here, but wanted to share a first-hand account from a rescuer. I have a friend whose husband was sent down from Ohio to help with the rescue efforts. She sent me this:

“Update: (NAME REDACTED BM) was on site shortly after the building came down, and they got right to work. It rained hard for a while. They were working in the area where they haven’t been able to work previously, and he said that he can tell what “room” he’s in based on the things he finds. For instance, he started pulling out lots of clothing, so he knew he was “in” a closet. Sometimes, he finds personal “artifacts,” which can be very emotional, and he said that it’s something different for each person that triggers the emotion. When they find an artifact, they call the Israeli team over. That team has an extensive forensic list of what was in each apartment, so they know that if they find, say, green carpet, then they know that’s where Mr. and Mrs. Smith lived. The Israeli team catalogs meaningful artifacts for family members.

He said the smell is unimaginable. In addition to the pulverized concrete, burnt wood, the dampness, and the obvious human decay, there are full refrigerators and other rotting food. That was something I hadn’t really thought about.

It’s supposed to rain again tonight.”

——
Heartbreaking but informative.

Thank you for sharing this. I don't remember reading anything before about the smell of the site, but I've thought about it...

 

[cady]

Thank you for sharing this. I don't remember reading anything before about the smell of the site, but I've thought about it...

Me, too! Not to mention all the toxic cleaning substances and prescription meds. It's got to be horrifying and dangerous. jmo

 

[Wild Rose]

My family was vacationing in some northeastern states above CT and there are some cities and towns that have a moratorium on building beachfront properties such as multilevel homes, businesses and condos. This is not based on obstructing views but more on maintaining coastline habitat, and saving the ecosystem.

 

[Wild Rose]

IMOO, if you Google Earth Florida, you can see how overdeveloped it is. Any rainwater filters into the same narrow passageways. That rain/acid rain dissolving the limestone karst beneath the sand in a very discriminant way, destabilizing the bedrock over time. I don't understand how this was allowed by zoning IMO.

 

[LadyL]

I don’t know if this is allowed here, but wanted to share a first-hand account from a rescuer. I have a friend whose husband was sent down from Ohio to help with the rescue efforts. She sent me this:

“Update: (NAME REDACTED BM) was on site shortly after the building came down, and they got right to work. It rained hard for a while. They were working in the area where they haven’t been able to work previously, and he said that he can tell what “room” he’s in based on the things he finds. For instance, he started pulling out lots of clothing, so he knew he was “in” a closet. Sometimes, he finds personal “artifacts,” which can be very emotional, and he said that it’s something different for each person that triggers the emotion. When they find an artifact, they call the Israeli team over. That team has an extensive forensic list of what was in each apartment, so they know that if they find, say, green carpet, then they know that’s where Mr. and Mrs. Smith lived. The Israeli team catalogs meaningful artifacts for family members.

He said the smell is unimaginable. In addition to the pulverized concrete, burnt wood, the dampness, and the obvious human decay, there are full refrigerators and other rotting food. That was something I hadn’t really thought about.

It’s supposed to rain again tonight.”

——
Heartbreaking but informative.

what is the Israeli team?
also I don't understand how they can have an 'extensive forensic list of what was in each ap't' when many of the tenants are missing/dead

 

[Arkay]

@JaimeInLA
Thank you for posting your friend's first-hand account.

I had thought that the smell must be awful there, which of course we can't glean through watching the news. Of course the stench of death, but I hadn't thought of the rotting food, etc.

These searchers---my admiration knows no bounds. What they see and hear and smell and endure, yet they carry on ceaselessly. This despite the very real risk to their own lives.

IMO the Israeli team is the best of the best, probably in the entire world. Their 3-D modeling techniques are superb, their depth of knowledge in how to approach this hideous task is unrivaled, they show utter professionalism and compassion in every phase of what they have to do. They have shown up in so many places in the world with similar disasters. I didn't know that they had also catalogued the artifacts for the families. God bless them and all those who are searching in this madness.

As poignant as it was to watch the remaining tower be demolished, and such a devastation to the safe families who lived there, hopefully it opens up avenues to find each and every missing person. I know there will be a lot of body parts, and it had to be done to find everyone who is missing and presumed dead.

So many tragedies in the past have led to enormous changes in how we live our lives. Hopefully, this one will lead to real and lasting change in infrastructure. No one else should ever tumble from their beds straight to their death.

 

[everybodhi]

They showed them rolling a steel ball along the floor of their condo. It rolled about 20 feet then stopped and came back to them picking up speed along the way. I just can't even wrap my head around a 59 story building anchored to sand in an area prone to earthquakes. SMH

Unfortunately this is happening in a lot of cities. Above that hard sand is young bay mud which they placed contrete pilings through to the hard sand, so it's really even worse than building on sand. Several highrises in the Bay Area, Back Bay Boston, South Florida and on and on wherever highrises are built on the sea or a bay, are built the same way. The entire city of Jakarta is sinking, rising sea level is speeding it along.

 

[JaimeInLA]

what is the Israeli team?
also I don't understand how they can have an 'extensive forensic list of what was in each ap't' when many of the tenants are missing/dead

A team was brought in from Israel that specializes in search and rescue operations of collapsed buildings. They are supposed to be the best in the world because of how many buildings they have there that end up as rubble. I believe family members provided lists of what they could remember and they use photographs from family members as well to make the inventory list for each unit.