Florida Condo Collapse

[ruffdog]

From what I've heard on the news, the rescue crews are getting under the debris from the parking garage that is still open underneath everything. To me, that means it wasn't a sink hole. I also wonder how the building collapsed above the underground parking garage, but the parking garage is still supporting the weight of the collapsed building?

Actually, I saw pictures where most of the fake level (roof above the parking level) has collapsed. The edge of the collapse is near the pool and hot tub. Also, most pictures of the rescuers on the pile don't show that they had to first cross the collapsed parking roof and cars. Even some of the ceiling of the lower level fell where the cars are under the still standing portion of the building.

12-story building partially collapses in Surfside, Florida near Miami

 

[plowhog]

At the end of the day, people don't want to spend money, plain and simple.

This is likely a reason why building reinforcement was not done, or the time schedule stalled. Some rough math from news reports leads me to believe it would take about a $45,000 per unit one-time special assessment for the work.

I own a property in a 400+ unit HOA. Years ago we had a one-time special assessment of $7,200. Nobody likes special assessments in *any* amount.

Some of the owners revolted, refused to pay their HOA dues, lawsuits were filed, etc. It became extremely bitter with various warring factions of owners. Even fistfights. Eventually, about 20 owners lost their properties in foreclosure due to refusing to pay HOA dues. Over $1M in legal fees were accumulated, making this property the #1 in the State for the highest HOA legal bills. All over a crappy one-time special assessment of $7k. (The $7k expenditure was well justified.)

Now consider a $45k special assessment. It probably came as a surprise to the owners. A lot of people don't have that kind of money, and people don't like surprises.

 

[goeduck]

Could that already damaged building have felt any of the shock waves from the 40,000 pound bomb test 275 miles away weakening it even more?

June 18 100 miles off of palm coast, measured as a 3.9 earthquake. Almost 300 miles north. But who knows.

 

[fried1765]

Could that already damaged building have felt any of the shock waves from the 40,000 pound bomb test 275 miles away weakening it even more?

Are you serious??

 

[/pine]

FWIW...Generally down there the building foundations are set on top of driven pilings...usually driven to the limestone bedrock...
...If the garage below is intact...it says the structural is above that level...??

 

[5030]

Could that already damaged building have felt any of the shock waves from the 40,000 pound bomb test 275 miles away weakening it even more?

What bomb test? Maybe one of the tenants had a stash of Tannerite that accidently got set off....

 

[civilian]

What bomb test? Maybe one of the tenants had a stash of Tannerite that accidently got set off....

Or a meth lab going up in smoke. Though kidding aside, this is a tragedy for all residents. Jon

 

[Jstpssng]

Or a meth lab going up in smoke. Though kidding aside, this is a tragedy for all residents. Jon

Yes. And it also must suck for the first responders who have to dig through the rubble.

 

[civilian]

Yes. And it also must suck for the first responders who have to dig through the rubble.

First day or so, odor may not be bad after that and going deeper in the rubble, I would think the odor would get bad, from bodies and food rotting, etc. Jon

 

[Alien]

We have a couple of buildings in Australia that have been evacuated for the same reason. Not very old either. They have spent millions trying to 'fix' them but there is no way I would go near one. It is ongoing. Once again, someone else is to blame. Then another issue of building cladding. Perhaps hundreds of buildings are covered in flammable cladding. Apartment owners have to find millions of dollars to replace the cladding and none have the money to do so. Everything is built to a dollar nowadays which means as cheap as possible.