What Caused Fatal Jersey Shore Condo Collapse?

The Spinnaker Tower Condominium in the Jersey Shore town of Sea Isle City suffered a partial collapse of an 8th-floor cantilever patio concrete slab, which sheared off and dropped down to the 7th-floor patio slab below it. Jeff Ostroff investigates videos and photos from the scene to analyze what might be the significant root causes of this engineering disaster, which killed one construction worker and injured 2 others. Patio collapses are fairly common.
00:00 Into to NJ Condo Collapse
01:38 Google Street Views of concrete damage on Spinnaker condo
02:07 Description of Condo partial collapse cantilever balcony
03:53 Analysis of Fire Department photos to determine collapse cause
05:58 Standards for concrete repair: Were they followed?
09:14 Why weren't shoring poles used to prevent collapse?
11:18 Bayshore Garage Collapse in Glendale/Milwaukee

[@gerardacronin334]

If you are correct, what they did was equivalent to climbing onto a tree branch and sawing off the branch behind them.

[@jeffostroff]

That is a perfect illustration

[@thedman1696]

How very Warner Brothers

[@ph11p3540]

Wile E Coyote would be proud

[@rubyoro0]

Op, that was exactly my thought.

[@markmaki4460]

So sad they basically killed the brother of one of then thru negligence. I can't imagine having to live with myself after doing that to any of my brothers.

[@jasons8479]

Props to the 7th floor balcony for holding up even with the weight of an additional balcony slamming down onto it, stopping any further collapse. Maybe they'd already completed restoration work on that one.

[@jeffostroff]

yes that was a well built 7th floor slab

[@JasonHenderson]

He didn't skip leg day

[@PowderMill]

Likely strong because they had not yet “restored” it yet. I’m not familiar with all of the details involved in this tragedy but my family has owned a shore home fairly close by since my grandparents bought the house for $13,500 in 1952. (According to Zillow, it’s currently worth $4,200,900 - but my parents did sink around $200k into it back in the 90’s and it’s beachfront). I spent my younger years as a volunteer firefighter/EMT (actually 5+8 point FA before the DOH EMT program began) down there. For “jolly vollies” they were and still are top notch!

[@turbo2ltr]

the fact that nearly all of the rebar sticking out of the wall is still straight tells you everything you need to know.

[@victormalgieri7733]

Rebar not in the middle of the slab

[@topangachronic9463]

​@@victormalgieri7733 being a cantilever it should cheat to the bottom

[@DieselRamcharger]

good eye. look at all that rebar, its not even an inch deep!

[@edsloan8535]

Means there was no downward force on the rebar during the collapse. It was literally doing nothing to support he slab at that point.

[@4bibimimi]

GRAFT! Lowball bids. Pocketing the difference

[@richardross7219]

Very good video. I'm a retired PE who designed shoring for some big projects 2 decades ago. Contractors often think that hiring an engineer to design the shoring/reshoring is a waste of money. One project, I had designed several overhead slab pours that went very well. The contractor decided he'd do the next one himself. It cost him over $6 million for the damage and time lost when his design collapsed mid pour. I think that several men were hurt too. After that, the owner's engineer would not let them pour without my plans and stamp on them. For 50 years old and right on the shore, that concrete seems to have weathered very well. Another very interesting video. Keep up the good work. Good Luck, Rick

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks so much Rick!

[@mjmooney6530]

Indeed, people can rationalize anything. It is less cost to do it right the first time than to cut corners. I tell them: pay now or pay way more later!

[@user-sm3xq5ob5d]

Proof of how solid the construction is is the fact that the balcony slab crashed on the one below but didn't break it. That's some solid construction! So I take it it must have been a singular issue with that proper balcony.

[@jeffostroff]

Exactly!

[@pjcraney]

It was actually an issue with all of the end unit balconies but they were staying ahead of the issue, he wasn't wrong about the rust spotting, it shows up in a lot of places up there

[@iancozens8574]

I'm a licensed Structural Engineer specializing in Building Rehanilitation work like this. I agree it does appear they cut the rebar which caused the failure. Very unfortunate, but liability likely ends with the Contractor on this. I have been involved with many Balcony rehab jobs, and frequently they are not shored as it's unneceasary. Often times we repair the concrete and treat the existing rebar with corrosion inhibiting coatings. If the rebar has substantial section loss we will add more adjacent to it, but leave the existing bar in place and coat everything with a corrosion inhibiting coating. There are situations that call for shoring to be installed, but this wouldn't typically be one of them.

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks Ian!

[@donw3912]

First off, condolences to the family of the deceased...I can't imagine the rough road ahead for them. As for the failure...I have to agree with you in that it's more likely then not of their own doing. So sad and so preventable.

[@jmcenterprises9591]

This is a big concern, thanks Jeff for making us more aware of these dangers in commercial and residential multiunit buildings.

[@jeffostroff]

Glad to help JMC

[@EstorilEm]

I think you're spot-on with this one; the patio below this one actually tells much of the story here. The fact that a complete pancake-style collapse of the patios didn't occur is clear evidence that there likely was NOT any major structural or inherent defect with this design. It's usually very difficult for the lower structure to STOP such a cascading failure, and requires nearly 200%+ design loads, especially when you account for the initial spike in impact forces. Having said that, it's clearly compromised now, but you can see how it's "bending" from the wall, which is obviously indicative of intense loads on the rebar as concrete doesn't really "bend" (and the rebar here is doing it's job FAR beyond what they were designed for.) Yet the upper one failed? The workers essentially un-poured the concrete as if they were rewinding time to the initial construction when it had forms and shoring in place as everything dried. Whelp you can't do that - you can if you want to expose the LOWER portion of the rebar and/or remove the lower portion of the concrete, but removing the upper surface simply disconnects the patio from the building structure allowing it to fall away. I think the critical error here was actually CUTTING the rebar. It seems as if it may have remained sound even if the rebar was fully exposed, as it would still be under tension from the outside edges of the patio - almost like a suspension bridge. By cutting the rebar, they "cut the cables of the suspension bridge" so-to-speak. If you just look at the length-to-thickness ratio of these patios and the leverage involved, you can tell immediately at first glance how critical the rebar is (and it appears very heavy-duty/dense as such). Again with the suspension bridge analogy, these guys just cut the cables essentially, and paid a heavy price. 😕

[@jonny-b4954]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. MAYBE you could cut out the bottom of the slab, but the top rebars are what are truly bearing that load. Once they cut them in half, they weren't going all the way to the end and weren't tied in with everything anymore.

[@Charlie-xoxo]

Confucius says... the cheapest quote isn't always the best...

[@jeffostroff]

So true in this case

[@agostinodibella9939]

These people did not know what they were doing. This is a lot more complicated than working on a ground level patio.

[@jeffostroff]

Yes, if only they installed poles first

[@hopefultraveller1]

Thanks again for your excellent insights, Jeff, which clearly should be shared with those who train construction workers.

[@electricalron]

trained construction workers command money, real money. Most people would rather save that money for their next boat or ski trip.

[@sebastiannai4381]

What a delight for another one of your collapse analysis vids, Jeff. Keep up the great work buddy.

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks, will do!

[@tuomasholo]

I wouldn’t touch a seaside condo made of reinforced concrete. If the corrosion doesn’t kill you, the HOA dues will.

[@jeffostroff]

YEs the HOA dues will kill you for sure

[@rubyoro0]

Or the repair people.

[@clouddancerss]

Awesome video as usual Jeff! Thank you for doing it, this is truly scary stuff.

[@jeffostroff]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@bcochnov10]

How is it appropriate to work on the 7th floor beneath a concrete slab that is being worked on?

[@DashPar]

Sadly, the cheapest bidder is usually cheaper for a reason. Sometimes a deadly reason 💔😢

[@frankcastle5294]

It is not Pleasant avenue. It is Pleasure avenue. I have lived in Sea Isle my entire life. On 33rd st and Ocean Drive literally right behind the Spinnaker north tower. I remember both towers being built in the early and mid 70's and the wild sounds of pilings being driven into bedrock for months on end. These buildings have held up very well for almost 50 years now and have taken a pounding from storms...winds...rain...heat....cold...constant onslaught of salty sea air mist. We are all shocked that this happened and feel horrible for the poor guy who was trapped and killed.

[@markn8866]

Excellent analysis - thanks for sharing your insights and supporting documentation.

[@jeffostroff]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@iro6758]

The image of apparently cut/exposed rebar that was left behind seems fairly damning. All but 3 or 4 of them didn't even bend when that patio fell, because they weren't supporting anything... nothing was holding onto them, to pull them downward. And 3 or 4 that were bent, looked clustered as far to 1 side as possible - leading me to believe they were still in the process of exposing/cutting the entire top layer, and it finally gave way near the end.

[@jeffostroff]

Yes, maybe one side of the patio started to drop first then the other

[@davidholmes9643]

Hi Jeff.Not sure how the video came up.Many thanks for an excellent explanation of what you think was the problem. You were spot on with tools and names. My view is in the 70s and 80s the pressure was on to finish the buildings ASAP and a lot of the metalwork was left open to the elements and were rusty before installation. It is clear detailed maintenance or inspections had not been carried out. My concern is many properties have similar problems that go uncovered untill it is to late, the buildings may have been painted to smarten them up but when the Attorney probes it will open up litigation for many and will even involve the painting contractors who would have known about the problems.

[@jeffostroff]

David I think this will be the first of many similar collapses

[@brucehain]

Great to hear your insightful commentary again and see more collapsing concrete structures! (Wouldn't wish it just for the content though.)

[@jeffostroff]

Good point!

[@GnarlsGnarlington]

I am amazed by the depth of your knowledge. 😳

[@lrc87290]

Thanks Jeff for reviewing this unfortunate situation. I live in the next town up in Ocean City. Another point is that the side of the building faces north East. That's the direction of most of the wind driven rain. Hence the term NorEaster Storm.

[@jeffostroff]

So it takes a lot of abuse

[@getx1265]

Interesting observations Jeff. Unfortunately, it looks like you have located potentially even more future subject matter for yourself to be covered later. smh Thank you for your hard work bringing explanations to us.

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

[@DanEBoyd]

Ugh, the first thing which comes to mind for me is 21st century workmanship. Perhaps employee turnover/retention for that contractor has become such a problem, that they sent woefully inexperienced employees out on that job, from the foreman down to the lowest laborer. Maybe they were expecting/assuming/counting on there being another layer of rebar lower in the pour. I'm certainly no pro, but I don't like the way that there are only straight perpendicular rebars tying the balcony to the building itself. I'd like to see some toe-angling of those rebars, or even some perpendicular (parallel to the building's wall) cross-rebars welded to the ones we do see. Though if you remove concrete all the way down to the solitary layer of rebar, I don't know how you can expect the bottom of the balcony to not snap right off. Heck, I don't even know if you're not supposed to weld rebar - when I see rebar, it makes me think of a tootsie roll!

[@jeffostroff]

Rusty tootsie rolls! I love it

[@someone6170]

It appears there may have been cross-reinforcing (based on the situation it would be expected to be below the main reinforcing you can see). It is typically tied to the main reinforcing with wire (not welded) and the concrete is expected to hold it all together once set. Welding and heating is usually avoided with modern reinforcement because it can weaken the reinforcing or make it more brittle. You can get mesh reinforcement which is welded however this is done under closely controlled conditions in the factory. On a cantilever slab like this the top reinforcement is doing all the work, so a lower layer of reinforcement probably wouldn't have saved them.

[@tedsmith6137]

One thing you could say is that the balcony below showed full structural strength, to support the impact of the balcony from above, without doing a domino collapse. You can see, at 4:35, that the blue paint was applied before the collapse and the yellow after as the debris has yellow paint but not blue. BTW, Pleasure Ave, not Pleasant Ave.

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks Ted~!

[@Mickt6]

Hey Jeff always on top of stories and always interesting . Any new developements Champlain towers ?

[@jeffostroff]

June is supposed to be the next. Update from nist

[@edwardhartmann1798]

Wow, I have no idea what they were supposed to be doing, but I'm certain there was never an engineer anywhere near the project.. Not only did they cut the single layer of rebar in half, they also demo'd down to the rebar across the entire deck. The whole slab was left dangling from the bottom of the rebar. I'm not even sure there would be a "fix" for that had it not already collapsed. Had they made it through the project, at best there would have been two slabs waiting to fail. The existing lower slab, and a new top slab as fresh concrete does not in any way bond to existing concrete. This is just a total mess all around.

[@jeffostroff]

If they installed shoring poles before, then it would not have collapsed

[@someone6170]

Not saying they knew what they were doing, however you can bond new and existing concrete. Scabble the existing concrete surface, coat with a concrete bonding agent and possibly drill in and epoxy at regular intervals vertical bars cogged around the upper reinforcement. However I would have propped this slab two or three floors below to distribute the load prior to doing this work.

[@Fuff63]

Well done great channel. Cheers

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

[@rdbuckels]

Is it possible that those terminated bars were left like that during the initial construction? Like they used rebar that wasn't long enough instead of replacing them with the correct length rebar at their expense. These guys might have exposed this not knowing what they had found before it was too late. Just a theory, but you know the stories of some companies cutting corners in construction.

[@jeffostroff]

Robert I doubt that is the case since you can see on the patio they had two cut off saws whose purpose is to cut through rebar

[@freecycling6687]

Also, Jeff pointed out in the photos where the rebar was cut, and the ones that fell with the deck can be seen extending all the way to the railing - for example, at 7:48 in the video.

[@rdbuckels]

@Freecycling I watched the video too and what I saw was terminated ends of rebar. The ends were dark so they could have been cut or they could have come out of the concrete that way. My opinion is derived from the ends further away from the cameraman's position that sticks out longer than the rest. Unless they were in the process of cutting those shorter ends when the collapse occurred, then that would explain it. Also, I asked this in the form of a question for Jeff, not to start a debate.

[@Hello-rl6lp]

Jeff, I love your videos. If I were younger and had the aptitude for structural engineering, I would have studied that. I agree! It appears the workers cut deep into the slab slashing the rebar. Thank goodness the remaining balconies did not pancake down to the lower levels.

[@jeffostroff]

Yes in fact that the 7th balcony held on after the 8th floor landed on top of it is a Testament to how well it was built.

[@rubyoro0]

Thank goodness the other two survived.

[@Alan_Watkin]

yep i think your right Jeff, i think they likely hadn't got a clue what they was doing, stupid,,,, love your break downs like this you do a great job at of them

[@jeffostroff]

Yes too bad for them that they likely did not know any better and the poor guy suffered for some time afterwards because people said they heard him crying to. Get the patio off of him

[@Alan_Watkin]

@@jeffostroff yeah both construction and demolition in most forms aren't really the the thing the untrained should just turn up an have a go at,,, i sadly think thats what we have here, looks simple but far more to think about, if you plan on a long healthy life

[@matthewgregory8218]

You also may see videos from my friend about an apartment building that’s poorly being taken care of. It has lots of cracks

[@billj5645]

The top reinforcing is what is holding the cantilever. If they cut through the top bars then there is nothing to hold the cantilever. Maybe they were scoring the top of the concrete to create controlled areas for chipping and repair and maybe they didn't cut too deep and cut bars. But when the chip off the top layer of concrete then the top reinforcing bars would not be anchored and nothing is holding the cantilever. The top bars have to be in place, they can't be cut, and they must be solidly anchored into the concrete. If there is corrosion in the reinforcing steel that might be causing cracking in the slab top surface or even spalling, then the method of repair is to chip the concrete off the top of the reinforcing and chip deeply enough that you can clean the entire perimeter of the bar, then you put the concrete back with special patching concrete. The edges would normally be cut with the cutoff saw so the edges are somewhat square and don't taper out to a very thin layer of patching concrete around the edges. If you are patching a slab in an area where the reinforcing is important then the slab has to be temporarily shored until the patching is complete and the patching materials have cured completely.

[@ChristianWagner888]

Excellent explanation!

[@iggymac3473]

wow Jeff thats so close to home thanks

[@jeffostroff]

Yes this can happen anywhere

[@Rich-dw9ii]

It’s a shame that some poor working guy never made it home to their family because of this.

[@michaelsimpson9779]

Thanks for the content. If it's available, you may want to set the mouse cursor to an auto contrast setting to make it clearer as you move accross varying image colours.

[@COORS5766]

@1:40 what you are calling cracks in the "concrete" parapet wall is actually a "cinder block" parapet wall and what you are seeing is mortar bleeding through the paint! Doesn't look like cracks when you zoom in!

[@jeffostroff]

yes we see that stairstep pattern all the time here in FL with concrete block walls

[@intheshopnyc849]

There's no I-beam support under the deck you could see by the break There should be at least 1 3 to 4 ft I-beam supports coming out of the building for every 4 to 6ft of those decks THERE ARE NONE

[@grahamvincent6977]

Hi, that is interesting: you advocate an I-shaped beam transversal and in the same attitude as the "rebars" as a support back-up should the rebars themselves fail? I can appreciate that; although it's not clear, according to the program-maker, why the rebars themselves were cut through: do you think the workmen would also have severed the I-shaped girders you speak of? Or would they have proved too robust for them to have done that ( I hesitate to use the word: foolproof)?

[@byugrad1024]

You can tell that the fire department painted the crack because debris from the fall were also painted. As well as the extension cord itself.

[@bradleydruce6313]

Thanks for the insight. For your editing, it's "Pleasure" Ave, not "Pleasant." Grew up on 87th in TI.

[@jeffostroff]

I should have just called it boardwalk

[@grungerfox1571]

I used to be on many Jobsites down the shore. Many of those buildings are not properly maintained. The salt air also doesn't help much.

[@JBoo]

I honestly didnt know that part of NJ had a spot kind of like surfside

[@KlabauterManiac]

My god looks like they just cut through all the rebar, without support? I mean that's just asking for it. Also, they cut away so much of the rebar that even if you used support, the balcony underneath might not even hold that weight, especially if it's in need of repairs. Better save than sorry, work from the bottom up so you can use the repaired balcony to support the next floors repairs.

[@jeffostroff]

It's the Classic story of the lumberjack cutting the branch that he Is sitting on

[@sharon94503]

We all know that rust never sleeps. The salty humid air mixed with 50 year old rebar....

[@stevep7950]

After your description of a slab with rebars an inch or two from the top, then lower ones and inch or two from the bottom, this balcony seems to be missing the lower rebar rods. Could it be that the original constructors just left out the lower rebars on this balcony and that's why it came down?

[@jeffostroff]

Yes we are still trying to figure this out. Almost looks like a small metal truss was used as the lower

[@CoolerQ]

Maybe there's not enough info yet, but can you look into the recent ceiling collapse at the Harvard Square subway station in Boston?

[@jeffostroff]

I saw that! I lived in Cambridge when I was 10 and 11, spent a lot of time in harvard square on my bike

[@fredashay]

This is why I never liked to live in buildings where the balconies just stick out with no visible supports for the overhang. I much prefer balconies to be set back into the building with little or no overhang, or have walls on the sides for support.

[@andysmith8221]

Jeff, if you look at the picture of the rebar sticking horizontally from the building, can you see any lower rebar. I can't see any evidence. Did they believe that there were two levels of rebar and then expose the top layer unaware that the balcony was then unsupported?

[@jeffostroff]

No lower rebar is visible in photos. Also looks like there was some sort of rafter shaped reinforcement used also

[@ropeyarn]

The workers may have also ignored warning signs that they were cutting through rebar that was under tension, although I can't tell you exactly what that may have been.

[@patearley]

Jeff live in Jersey and most all the building on the Jersey shore have major structural issues from the salt water

[@jeffostroff]

If they can just keep them sealed and painted won't be a problem

[@pjcraney]

wow, I knew what happened looking at the rebar and the fact that it dropped straight down but holy crap, I knew they took some concrete out but I can't believe they took that much out I'm betting that was the first balcony they were working on, 9 doesnt have any cover so maybe they decided to start on 8

[@edwardgarea7650]

What factor, if any, do you think the sea air played in weakening the concrete in the patios?

[@jeffostroff]

The salt air doe snot help, but likely the rains and snow combined with not keeping up a good topcoat of paint are likely contributors

[@hellen70666666]

...Always enjoyable listening to your Observations and Views----Seem to me, Construction folks World-wide, should talk to You before Starting any Building Projects....!!!!.....:)

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks Hellen

[@hellen70666666]

@@jeffostroff .....😍😍😍

[@robertfarrimond3369]

I caught the shoring part before you mentioned it. Probably the wood was a stop gap until they could get some steel. You can't always get what you need on short notice. Is that Eifs around the edge of the deck?? (lipstick on a pig) At T = 9:03, looking at the exposed rebar ends sticking out of the remaining edge of the deck? I don't see a lower layer of bar?

[@utubewatcher806]

reminds me of my many childhood dreams of a high-rise with outdoor balconies that collapsed.

[@kennixox262]

Am I correct in presuming that during the initial construction of this and many other buildings with cantilevered balconies, that the balcony is part of the floor slab and just extends beyond the walls? Also, is it possible to replace the balcony?

[@kennixox262]

@Omar Rodriguez Thank you very much for the reply.

[@jeffostroff]

They usually get poured at the same time, yes

[@kennixox262]

@@jeffostroff Just wanted to make sure. Many thanks for your reply.

[@someone6170]

It is usually possible to do most things, the decisions mainly come down to cost. Yes they could replace the balcony or they could cut it off flush and seal off the doorway. The main structural issue with replacing the balcony is tying the main reinforcement sufficiently into the existing slab, however given the amount of reinforcing currently sticking out of the existing slab this may not be a major issue.

[@jomama5186]

Ooo that's scary !!!

[@analogidc1394]

Thank God the balcony below held up and didn't collapse with the force of weight falling on it.

[@jeffostroff]

Yes there might have been 3 deaths

[@williamhaynes7089]

amazing how the 7th floor balcony held up..

[@jeffostroff]

Yes, I think the building was likely built ok, but these lumberjacks sawed through the log they were standing on.

[@adriandunne4382]

There were several balcony collapses in the Chicago area during parties when the balconies were overloaded by people and equipment, and the floor of a wedding hall in Israel collapsed with many killed and injured when a large number of guests were leaping up and down doing a traditional Jewish dance.

[@jeffostroff]

I saw that video years ago of that wedding collapse, it was horrifying

[@billynomates920]

that's a really nice orchid you've got there behind you! 😃

[@jeffostroff]

I think so too! I got a few comments from others about it, I got it at Costco in November.

[@russell7489]

Thanks for the opportunity to mental floss.... So, you made two comments worth commenting on. The blue and yellow might be after collapse - I wonder, there seems to be material over the blue line to the left, conversely, I've never seen this done by an engineer during inspection, though it might have been done by GC to indicate to crew something, work to here, be careful here, call me when you get here? The other is that there was no sign of spalling on top surface - there's no top surface left, which screams spalling or surface degregation. Lets start with the deck surface. I'm betting they removed all the material because it was loose, I'm betting it was loose because it had been covered at some time by something that held water and kept water from evaporating out of concrete, indoor outdoor carpet comes to mind. More water in concrete, more freeze / thaw damage, more leaching out minerals that hold concrete together. If they surface was being removed all over the slab, that screams brace me underneath, or better, only do a few feet at a time AND brace me underneath. It is even very possible the directions from the engineer put limits on how much area to do at a time, though it could have been in the written directions which virtually never are read by field workers, and often by no one. It is common to note with rusted rebar to scrape and brush to bright metal, weld on new rebar overlapping old - some say tie on rebar but only welding will create a continuous rebar that won't fail if the concrete does. It is also common to not that if brushing and scraping reduces rebar dimensions past a certain point, to replace the rebar, hence cutting it out. Again though, often there are notes as to how much of an area can be worked on at a time and or that bracing is or may be needed for work over a certain amount. So, now we can surmise the workers were doing 'as told' to some extent, remove loose chipped, cracked, soft concrete until you find solid concrete, remove rebar that can't be saved. So, now we can surmise the contract documents limits as to maximum work areas and shoring were missing or ignored. That's enough to explain what happened. GC and or Engineers negligence What else can be told from the pics? Where is the lower rebar. While lower rebar would do little to support the slab by itself, it would have probably kept the slab from crashing down on the balcony below, which could have had people on it, or broken falling to next balcony, etc.. There is no sign at all of lower rebar, or if there was lower rebar, it had totally lost all structural integrity leaving only small rust stains behind after collapse. That the lower balcony is intact, screams that it was either in WAY better condition, that the design was indeed very strong, that is was built per design AND it might well indicate the balcony above was in HORRIBLE condition or was not built to the same design as the one below ie, rebar left out, rebar too close to concrete surface, etc. I see a zig zag pattern in concrete at the line it cracked off, typical of horizontal reinforcing in brick joints. Did this rust, expand, crack the concrete letting in water to attack rebar at this 'line'. This would be more possible than with typical rebar as there is more steel, thinner steel, more evenly distributed across the cross section - meaning lots of easy to rust steel permeating a 'shear' plane from end to end on the balcony. Rust is EXPANDED metal and as such would expand and crack the concrete. The concrete from the outer edge of balcony would then only have had the top rebars to transmit load back to the building. This is if not what they were designed to do (as there is redundency in structural design, ie, either the concrete or steel would be sufficent to prevent catastrophic collapse like this (note, concrete lends itself to catastrophic collapse, which is why MULTIPLE layers of rebar are used in it, so there are multiple steel elements to keep it from totally failing). A crack in the slab across the entire deck would also explain why top (and only?) rebar was rusted and perhaps rusted away to near uselessness, uniformly, across the entire length of balcony. Shoring - a word on shoring. No one will pay an engineer to design that into the project, as the engineer, being liable for life for their work, would insist on ANYTHING at risk being shored to 2x what is needed (standard overdesign value for structure). No owner wants to pay for that much shoring either. Shoring up high in a building means MORE shoring below that, all the way to ground, or shoring to transfer load to known good structure that has been calculated to take the additional load. So in this instance, every balcony below would have had shoring posts under those above, rendering them all un-usable, as you can't let people 'live' around such, as they might tamper with it, even accidentally, ie, smart alec kids.. Therefore the need and design of shoring is left to GC, with at best a requirement to submit such for review by the engineer (who sort of takes it as a 'make sure you got work in this area covered it looks bad), as well as noting if planned shoring screams 'junk'. Thanks for fun to think again If only any firm could have been able to kept paying me to figure out sick tired old buildings, but as I noted, no one wants to fork out the kind of money needed to do it such that such accidents, or disasters as in Florida, happen. If clients won't pay firms, firms can't pay staff.

[@grahamvincent6977]

Wow. Home truths. I work totally not in construction but in legal translation. Many years ago, I formulated a "wisdom" that may be "smart alec" or close to the mark. That a set of legal terms and conditions (STCs) will definitely be read by one person, with a potential to be read by a second, and are destined never to be read by the third. And that's it. Three people - there's no one else. The first is the translator (he can't translate what he doesn't understand). The second, who may, all being well, never get his chance, is the judge. The third is in fact the drafter: drafters don't read their own documents; after all, they wrote them, didn't they? Then: costing is the domain of the GC. Costing determines contract acceptance, by the owner. Safety affects costing, which influences acceptance. In that configuration, as in so many, safety, a matter within the realm of specialised engineers on behalf of the GC is ultimately made a decisional matter for the least specialised of them all, the owner. If the workmen pulled the carpet from under their own feet, does such a chain of responsibility not already start tugging from the outset?

[@Nash1a]

It appears from all the pics you have shown that all the rebar was at the very top of the concrete, and there was no second row at all. How is that legal?

[@changeofattitude8781]

Sincere condolences to the deceased construction worker and his family. Especially his poor brother who had to witness horrible accident that caused his brother’s death. 🙏🏻

[@electrictroy2010]

He killed himself with incompetence

[@firesurfer]

The roof collapsed near me at a store parking building. I wonder what the cause was. A bobcat went through the roof. There is no way it should have happened. ''liquidators parking collapse yonkers''

[@GNX157]

It’s not Pleasant avenue, it’s Pleasure avenue, and if you put 3614 Pleasure and go to street view, you get a look at the balconies.

[@jeffostroff]

I showed the balconies in this video from Google street view

[@johnzee691]

crazy event. had that #7 balcony not held 1-6 certainly would be gone. one has to wonder who made the plan for the repair and if anyone was overseeing the work. things can appear to be one thing and be another and / or things can change on a dime requiring a skilled set of eyes to spot the potential or in this case a new actual problem. I hate those cantilever designs, because they just will not stand the test of time. concrete or wood. I'd feel different if the railings were engineered supports but they are not even tho to some eyes it may convey a false sense of security. in my mind certain buildings are to be considered long past their life span and once red flags show up I have suspect feeling for the rest of the building. times and building methods have (only kind of 😬) changed since the 1970s. curious your take, I have to see if you've made a video regarding it, referring to the luxury condo tower in san francisco that is sinking / leaning. that one I believe effects the surrounding streets as well not just the actual building.

[@SJR_Media_Group]

Looks like there was a single layer of rebar at top of slab in tension. Bottom of slab was in compression. There was just concrete without rebar transferring compression. That means the top rebar is super critical. Doesn't take much to completely compromise this cantilevered slab. It was a fatal accident just waiting to happen.

[@jeffostroff]

It's like the lumberjack cutting the tree branch he is standing on

[@SJR_Media_Group]

@@jeffostroff Thank you for comment. This mistake cost a life.

[@terran5569]

At 4:52, not a walkie-talkie, I think it is a Milwaukee M18 battery for one of the demo tools. The rebar should be in the middle of the slab with bars tied into the floor slab and with cross rebar to code. Insufficient rebar and not properly placed.

[@jeffostroff]

This is not an M18 battery. I have tons of them, does not look like one

[@Rekless70]

Minimum rebar enbedment is 1.5 inches , or 2 inches for 5/8 or larger. Most engineers are aware of this.

[@leonardothefabulous3490]

You're saying, "cantilever" but I don't see any rebar perpendicular to the building face in the exposed edge of the patio slab or signs that the patio was actually "cantilevered." Am I missing something?

[@jeffostroff]

It was sheared off.

[@lrc87290]

I talked to a local that said the contractor wasn't licensed in NJ. And not licensed to do that type of work. I have no way of confirming this. The majority of these condos were probably purchased by people of modest means years ago. The board members tend to not do necessary repairs or look for the cheap way out.

[@jeffostroff]

Yes that happens a lot here in Florida as well where the homeowners association ignores things like painting. If they just kept the buildings painted well, then water and weather would not make its way past that barrier and into the concrete to start the spalling process of corroding the rebar rods

[@jonny-b4954]

4:08 Fire dept painted it. Since some of the rubble lying around it have yellow paint on them too.

[@Michelle2A]

That cutoff saw looks like a Stihl rather than a Husqvarna.

[@jeffostroff]

yes, you might be right on that

[@bogey19018]

Looks to be the rebar was set too high in the slab. A 6" slab with rebar set 2" from the top of the slab, on a building next to the ocean is a recipe for disaster.

[@jeffostroff]

That is the normal depth. I think these guys sliced through it

[@Gooselip]

Thank you for making this video I live right near there I was there when it happened

[@jeffostroff]

I hope they get a resolution soon, too late for the poor guy who died

[@garykirk1968]

Remember the cartoon of the guy sawing the tree limb he was sitting on???

[@jeffostroff]

yes, a classic

[@kmagnussen1052]

But where is the bottom run of rebar? It looks as if it is missing.

[@jeffostroff]

We noticed it too, I could tell if they used a steel joist inside the concrete or not

[@ReedmanFL]

Refer to the Berkeley, CA and Chicago, IL balcony collapses.

[@graywolf2694]

Wait, I live in Jersey, how am I only finding out about this now? Wtf.

[@jeffostroff]

Dude, I talked to a guy in our gym who goes back and forth from NJ to hear in Ft. Lauderdale, he knew about it

[@wideglide60]

Just watched this. Does appear they may have cut the rebar, but all the bar that remains in the wall could have been lapped on the bars that remained in the slab. Either way, shoring was required. I’ll bet it was low bid got the work.

[@smakfu1375]

Yeah, that sounds like a Jersey, Joey Bagadonuts Construction kinda thing to do: piece by piece removing the concrete and rebar of the balcony you’re standing on.

[@tuck6464]

Find it hard too believe that there was no structural steel, I's or C's in that construction, in the 2/3's in 1/3 out fashion and rebar added to that. This does appear to be contractor/ workman error.

[@erika8627]

Serious question, would it be typical for a worker to be under a structure which is being worked on in such a way? I'm not trying to blame the workers at all, since obviously the balcony was already compromised. It just doesn't seem like the best idea from a lay person's point of view.

[@jeffostroff]

It appears to me based on the evidence that they likely were in the very situation you are describing. It's the classic example of a lumber jack sitting on the very branch that he is cutting off the tree period

[@WholeCosmos]

There is not enough rebar and bad placement. you can also see water infiltration and mold at the seam where it gave way. they definitely caused by removing the top layer of spalling and cutting. it but the builder also didn't build it with enough rebar. this is also water damage that resulted in a bad repair coupled with construction error.

[@A.Martin]

Looks like they took off material above the rebar holding the slab up and so the rest of the slab just dropped off the rebar.

[@ronaldhofmeister3780]

They need to replace all of the Patio’s right now before any more Damages happen. Could Heavy Snow have caused it?

[@jeffostroff]

Patios are fine, I think they made a huge error on repairing it

[@HappyHarryHardon]

Even the condos don’t want to be near the Jersey Shore now.

[@JelMain]

Those rebars sticking out from the wall are straight. If they'd pulled out, they'd be bent (as in the CTS West Block demolition. Can it be they'd exposed them to work on, relying on the lower row to carry the weight, only to discover they weren't there? There's only one line of bars protruding, not two.

[@paulkurilecz4209]

Looks like shear pullout on the reinforcing steel.

[@arov235]

It’s awful that Mr. Pereira lost his life in this manner. However, if your theories hold true which I believe they are, this is negligent homicide. There are still so many questions: - Who trained these workers? - Was an engineer from Ferguson managing the project? Now the HOA has damage and negative publicity they can and will likely sue for. The whole situation is awful.

[@SteveBueche1027]

Looks like the rebar wasn’t centered in the slab as well.

[@someone6170]

The rebar in a cantilevered slab should be as near to the top as possible whilst still allowing sufficient concrete cover to protect the bars from corrosion. Not sure what slabs you would centre the reinforcing in.

[@youtbe999]

Makes no sense why they would cut the rebar like that.

[@jeffostroff]

YEs I would like to know what their thinking was for cutting this

[@youtbe999]

@@jeffostroff Usually you would jackhammer the concrete around the rebar to access the rebar. These dudes just cut the concrete as if it was a slab laid on the ground. I will bet they have no permits or insurance.

[@kennethhacker3014]

A I beam should of been counter levered then pour concrete...not rebar... great presentation

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks Kenneth

[@mjb12141963]

People don't take into account the sea salt in the air that will corrode metal. It may take longer than if it were in the rust belt, but it will get you if you don't take it into account.

[@jeffostroff]

They must keep those buildings sealed and painted

[@c.e.anderson558]

I'm just a homeowner carpenter but the first thing I'd do is shore . Maybe chains from above? Sad. Workers from South America just doing what they are told. Then you may have a language barrier telling the guys what to do. But that's a lot of work done. Seems like an engineer or supervisor of some sort world have been keeping an eye on the progress of the job. They didn't do all that work in a day.

[@billiamc1969]

Americans do NOT value lives...look at what we are promoting in Ukraine...you think these con-men contactors care about immigrant workers???

[@michaeld_68]

Looks like a battery for the millwaukee concrete saw to me

[@jwilcox4726]

A very good lookin' man, I'll watch if he keeps popping up when he narrates. LOL. Nice. xo