Rescue teams are still searching for survivors.
On Thursday morning, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story condominium located in Surfside, Florida, suddenly suffered a partial collapse, affecting around half of the buildings 130 units. Rescue crews have been working nonstop since the incident to both search for survivors and determine the cause of the collapse. At time of writing, 4 people are confirmed dead, while 159 people remain missing.
Experts in construction and Florida topography have been brought in to offer potential explanations as how this kind of collapse could simply happen out of nowhere.
“In a general way, there are many things that could happen. Construction defects or engineering defects,” said Gary Slossberg, founder of the South Florida construction company National Home Building & Remodeling Corp. He added that while construction or engineering defects haven’t been confirmed, he has suspicions. “I think there is some value, and it makes some sense to do periodic inspections.”
According to Shimon Wdowinski, a professor in the Department of Earth and Environment at Florida International University, one viable cause is the land upon which the condominium was built. The building was first constructed on reclaimed wetland in 1981, but since 1990, it has been gradually sinking into the ground at a rate of roughly 2 millimeters per year. While a small amount, over time, those minor differences in measurement can lead to disastrous results.
It’s also been theorized that corrosion caused by rising sea levels could be a potential cause. As sea levels rise around coastal cities, there’s a greater concentration of sea salt in the air. Over time, sea salt can cause significant corrosion in exposed metal. “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, director of University of Florida’s International Center for Adaptation Planning and Design. “I think this could be a wakeup call for coastal developments.”
In the wake of the collapse, officials have begun calling for fresh inspections on all local buildings.
