After Florida building collapse, authorities evacuate similar tower

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: Reuters

SURFSIDE, Fla. (Reuters) - Two days after the collapse of a seaside Florida building, authorities said they would help residents of a similar tower nearby evacuate as they examine it for structural flaws that might indicate a similar risk.

"I need to be able to say it's safe, and I can't right now," Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told Reuters. “In an abundance of caution it’s probably prudent to let folks relocate for a couple of weeks while we check it.”

The effort underscored the confusion and uncertainty surrounding the sudden collapse of the 12-story Champlain Tower South, which left four dead and 159 missing in an upscale beach community north of Miami.

-snip-

That condominium was built in the same year by the same developer as Champlain Tower North, a similar tower that stands nearby.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/after-florida-building-collapse-authorities-evacuate-similar-tower/ar-AALu1x3?ocid=DELLDHP&li=BBnbfcL

[Phoenix61]

5. That's not true.

Engineer Warned of ‘Major Structural Damage’ at Florida Condo Complex

A consultant in 2018 urged the managers to repair cracked columns and crumbling concrete. The work was finally about to get underway when the building collapsed.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/26/us/miami-building-collapse-investigation.html

[dweller]

2. It. Took.

Two. Days …

unbelievable

✌🏻

[Hugh_Lebowski]

16. If my neighbor's house, 1/2 a mile away from me, but in the same complex

collapsed on his head, I wouldn't run screaming from my house, even if we had the same exact floorplan.

Hell, half of the very building that collapsed ... is still standing. Literally only feet away from the part that fell.

Seems logical it might take a little while for authorities to decide whether another, completely different building (albeit with the same design and built roughly the same time by the same builders, like all my neighbors would be vs. my house) needs to be forcibly cleared out in the interest of safety.

As an authority, you also have to think about the panic that could arise if you start evacuating OTHER buildings in the neighborhood.

[dchill]

3. That's NOT an "abundance of caution," that's missing a beat.

[Deminpenn]

4. Nobody would need to tell me to leave

that's for sure.

[PoliticAverse]

7. Yeah really. If I was in one of the "sister buildings", I'd be immediately looking to stay elsewhere

in the near future just so I could sleep better.

[hadEnuf]

6. So were these buildings slapped up as a result of the new Reagan

deregulation uphoria in1981?

Previous building regulations may have been eased making the actual construction compromised, never mind the constant assault on other regulations since then.

I wonder.

[Deminpenn]

9. Reportedly Miami has very strict building codes,

but these condos were built on "reclaimed wetlands", probably not an ideal location given Florida's geological structure.

[PoliticAverse]

12. Also what is code now wasn't necessarily code 40 years ago...

(even assuming the codes were actually enforced).

[lark]

17. Bazinga.

Building codes in & around Miami and really throughout FL back then weren't sufficient, just look at what happened in Hialeah and Homestead back in the late 80's. AFter Andrew, building codes throughout FL and especially in and around the Miami Beach area were totally strengthened. Anything built pre-Andrew in that area is extremely suspect.

[csziggy]

20. Not until after Hurricane Andrew in 1992

After Andrew, people realized that one reason so many houses and buildings were destroyed is that building regulations did not require sufficient strapping and strengthening to withstand the winds. In addition, the building inspectors allowed even less than the building codes called for.

After 1992, all of Florida saw serious improvements in building codes and inspections. In fact when I built my house in 2007 and wanted to hire a private building inspector to oversee the construction, I was told that the local private companies do not bother with inspecting the framing and basic structural work since the building inspectors are so strict about making sure the structure is strong. So I didn't hire the private inspectors - I could inspect the cosmetic part of the construction myself.

[GulfCoast66]

11. The federal government has no power on these issues. It is a state issue.

And before you lay it on Florida republicans, Democrats controlled Florida then. But none of that matters. If you are not familiar with ocean front properties it ages 10x faster than inland properties and needs constant, very expensive maintenance. Neither building owners or condo boards want to pay it. That may change now.

The fact is until Hurricane Andrew we had horrible building codes.

Developers have always called the shots in Florida.

In the 70’s we did pass some of the best growth control laws in the country allowing counties to limit development. But then it was just a matter of buying off county officials. Read Carl Haaisen’s books.

And now we have no growth control laws. Modern republicans killed them.

[hadEnuf]

19. It seems like someone may be suspecting design or construction flaws

hence the evacuation of the similar sister building.

It may very well be simple neglect but deregulation was the word in the 1980's. And it still is especially with the GOP.

We'll have a better understanding once the cause is determined.

[Submariner]

15. The Cocaine Cowboys needed to launder millions

through Miami banks, so a huge condo construction boom took off.

Maybe a lot of shortcuts made there way into the deign and engineering of the buildings, while the building inspectors were maybe getting some bribe cash on the side..imho.

[wnylib]

8. Wonder who the developer was and

if they are still around.

[Solly Mack]

10. Finally. I am glad they are out of the second building.

I've been worried.

I would have left day 1.

[PoliticAverse]

13. Be kinda hard to sleep knowing the identical "sister building" collapsed. n/t

[Solly Mack]

14. It would be for me.

[sarchasm]

18. I assure you, NO ONE in ANY high rise residence anywhere is sleeping well tonight.

[Cryptoad]

21. i suspect,,,,,

many inspectors with blind eyes to turn,,,,,,

[The Jungle 1]

22. I was in the Miami airport for 17 hours yesterday.

On the second floor in departures the floor keep shaking. It would be still and then it would violently shake. We were right above baggage handling. I am guessing something down there was making the floor shake.
No way can it be right for that floor to shake like that. I couldn't wait to get on the plane.
SOMETHING IS WRONG IN THAT AIRPORT BUILDING!
We departed from D43

[PoliticAverse]

23. Mayor of Surfside announces voluntary evacuation plans of Champlain Tower South's sister towers