Champlain Towers South Condo collapse investigation update
March 12, 2024 11:30 AM Subscribe
They're still working on figuring out what caused the Champlain Towers South Condo to collapse in Miami in 2021 [Wikipedia]. There was an update of the NIST engineering investigation earlier this month, and Jeff Ostroff will take a half-hour to explain everything they've learned so far. Photos, video, deep analysis... It's a fascinating update to a recent tragedy that is still getting resolved.
One of our college friends lost two of his first cousins in that collapse. I'm glad they're figuring out why it happened so future collapses can be avoided. At the same time, I imagine if I were in our friend's position, I would have a hard time if it proved to be negligence or other easily avoidable errors/corner cutting.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 12:36 PM on March 12
posted by gentlyepigrams at 12:36 PM on March 12
The Social Origins of the Miami Condo is a good read.
I would have a hard time if it proved to be negligence or other easily avoidable errors/corner cutting.
Condominiums are routinely under-maintained, or repairs are delayed, because homeowners and their ownership boards will routinely resist special assessments, even under emergency circumstances. Champlain Towers was hit with such a problem:
I would have a hard time if it proved to be negligence or other easily avoidable errors/corner cutting.
Condominiums are routinely under-maintained, or repairs are delayed, because homeowners and their ownership boards will routinely resist special assessments, even under emergency circumstances. Champlain Towers was hit with such a problem:
The documents show that more than two years after association members received a report about “major structural damage” in the building, they began the assessment process to pay for necessary repairs....posted by JoeZydeco at 1:16 PM on March 12 [5 favorites]
The Plainly Difficult youtube channel had an episode about this a while back. (PD is an engineering disasters channel, with a new 10-minute vid every saturday.)
posted by maxwelton at 1:53 PM on March 12
posted by maxwelton at 1:53 PM on March 12
JoeZydeco is spot on, condos and condo boards often do not handle either emergency situations or serious situations well. (And often aren't on top of routine maintenance and repairs either.)
My building had a major issue and resolving it (a 15k repair) was my unpaid part-time job for two or three months. Two years to get a $15 million project organized and funded sounds very realistic. It's awful that they ran out of time.
posted by mersen at 2:08 PM on March 12 [3 favorites]
My building had a major issue and resolving it (a 15k repair) was my unpaid part-time job for two or three months. Two years to get a $15 million project organized and funded sounds very realistic. It's awful that they ran out of time.
posted by mersen at 2:08 PM on March 12 [3 favorites]
And this isn't just a bill on the magnitude of "we need $50,000 to repave the parking lot." This was a bill that was around 15-20% of the entire value of their property.
I also fear that the $15 million tab would have grown out of control once they started work and realized how deteriorated the structure was. Would they even have found the construction problems that caused the tower to pull down? Even that NIST report above is unsure how it happened.
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:25 PM on March 12 [2 favorites]
I also fear that the $15 million tab would have grown out of control once they started work and realized how deteriorated the structure was. Would they even have found the construction problems that caused the tower to pull down? Even that NIST report above is unsure how it happened.
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:25 PM on March 12 [2 favorites]
between the property taxes, insurance costs, and maintenance reserve requirements, I don't know how anyone can afford to live in Florida, at these current condo prices at least.
I'm here living like a mouse in C. California w/ a PITI at ~75% PI and ~25% TI. Maintenance might be a new rooftop A/C later this decade I guess.
posted by torokunai at 2:38 PM on March 12 [2 favorites]
I'm here living like a mouse in C. California w/ a PITI at ~75% PI and ~25% TI. Maintenance might be a new rooftop A/C later this decade I guess.
posted by torokunai at 2:38 PM on March 12 [2 favorites]
Florida is just going to get inundated...
Have a friend who lives in Miami Beach. Visited him 5 years or more ago. MB was already about 50% flooded. And he has a condo there... Nope.
posted by Windopaene at 4:10 PM on March 12 [3 favorites]
Have a friend who lives in Miami Beach. Visited him 5 years or more ago. MB was already about 50% flooded. And he has a condo there... Nope.
posted by Windopaene at 4:10 PM on March 12 [3 favorites]
That was a fascinating video, looking forward to others of his. thanks for posting!
posted by Gorgik at 8:50 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]
posted by Gorgik at 8:50 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]
I also fear that the $15 million tab would have grown out of control once they started work and realized how deteriorated the structure was.
IIRC, that was part of the problem. When they first knew they needed to fix something, the number was outrageous, but lower. Let's say it was $5million.
Everyone freaked out and didn't want to deal with that kind of special assessment. So by the time they finally began to agree that something had to be done, the damage had gotten much worse, and the price tag had ballooned to $15million.
And then everyone got sticker shock all over again, because they were told $5million, so how on earth could it be $15million all of a sudden, etc. etc.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 10:57 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]
IIRC, that was part of the problem. When they first knew they needed to fix something, the number was outrageous, but lower. Let's say it was $5million.
Everyone freaked out and didn't want to deal with that kind of special assessment. So by the time they finally began to agree that something had to be done, the damage had gotten much worse, and the price tag had ballooned to $15million.
And then everyone got sticker shock all over again, because they were told $5million, so how on earth could it be $15million all of a sudden, etc. etc.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 10:57 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]
The Building Integrity youtube channel found something interesting in the design drawings for the building. The TLDR is that a step in the slap between the parking area and the pool deck was removed in the design. But when it was removed the structural function of the step strengthening the connection between the slab and the columns wasn't appreciated and properly compensated for.
posted by mscibing at 7:28 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
posted by mscibing at 7:28 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
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I had thought they settled it to be trouble with the pool deck that was left too long. Wonder what happened to that guy who was pencil-whipping the inspections -- I forget his name.
posted by Countess Elena at 12:10 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]