Engineer Warned of 'Major Structural Damage' at Florida Condo Complex

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11. Could increasing assault of king tides and sea level rise contributed to Miami condo collapse?

Saltwater and brine-soaked air settle into the pores of coastal construction, growing a rusty crust around the steel skeletons that reinforce oceanfront structures. It weakens the bonds between metal and concrete creating cracks and crumbles in vulnerable areas.

“Sea level rise does cause potential corrosion and if that was happening, it’s possible it could not handle the weight of the building,” said Zhong-Ren Peng, professor and Director of University of Florida’s International Center for Adaptation Planning and Design. “I think this could be a wakeup call for coastal developments.”

“Even if when the building was built in 1981 the foundation was dry most of the time, with sea level rise pushing groundwater up to the surface, the foundation could be wet enough long enough to soften the concrete,” Slap said. “Many of these buildings with underground parking have sump pumps running and that means the foundation is in the water.”

A Florida International University study on the building found that it had been sinking since the 1990s at a rate of about 2 millimeters a year. FIU Department of Earth and Environment Professor Shimon Wdowinski was lead author on a report published in Science Direct on subsidence — land sinking — in Miami Beach and Norfolk, VA.

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/weather/2021/06/25/could-climate-change-have-contributed-surfside-condo-collapse/7779816002/