South Florida building collapse

Local news just mentioned that they found a cat, Sphinx, alive. This cat is now reunited with the family.

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An update:

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/report-evidence-of-extensive-corrosion-in-collapsed-condo/

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Thanks for posting the article. Wow, sounds like really crappy concrete and poor reinforcing steel detailing. I’ve detailed long-span prestressed concrete bridges and it is challenging - sometimes the design engineer shows way too much steel for the room available. The design drawings tend not to be drawn to scale, and it’s the detailer’s job to let the engineer know if stuff won’t fit properly.

Usually concrete strength is tested during construction, but maybe that didn’t happen in this case. Ugh. It’s very upsetting to me.

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Can you explain why too much steel is a problem?

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There is a range of reinforcement percentage for reinforced concrete that is ideal. You don’t want it under-reinforced or over-reinforced. Concrete is excellent in compression and steel is excellent in tension, and they have to work together. Also, if you have too much congestion with reinforcing bars, there’s not enough room for the concrete to flow and you can get voids, which is not good.

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This is the content I come to CC for! Thanks for sharing your expertise!

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Thank you for explaining this.
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You must have gone to a really great engineering school. :wink:

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And had an excellent professor (my dad).

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Another Florida tower is in trouble…

https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/05/us/south-florida-building-evacuated-unsafe/index.html

I hope that people step up to help any seniors in the building. Scary enough for anybody, but for seniors uncertain if their lifetime of memories could potentially be lost, I can’t imagine.

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Also figuring out where to relocate to and how to afford it, especially for folks with limited means. Moving is very hard for SRs.

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