Miami Condo Collapse: How A Pool Deck Brings Down Buildings

In this video your host Jeff Ostroff helps you narrow down a root cause for the condo collapse in surfside, Florida by analyzing everything we know about this Pool deck, and how a pool deck can bring down an entire building with it. We have several slides to explain to you in simple terms the construction of the pool deck and building, and the Achilles tendon that may have aided the Miami condo collapse. The Champlain Towers South condo complex collapse was located at 8777 Collins Ave. in Surfside, FL, which is just north of Miami beach.
⛔⛔ Official Surfside Support Pages, only send aid to vetted support sites! There are scams related to disasters, you should avoid unvetted fundraisers.
⛔ Support Surfside: supportsurfside.org/
⛔ GoFundMe Official Vetted Pages for Donations to Surfside collapse victims: www.gofundme.com/c/act/surfsi...
4K Drone Footage We showed you in this video from The Dolo Experience:
• Surfside Building Coll...
Champlain Towers South - Crane Collapse (June 9, 1980)
• Video
Champlain Towers South - Hurricane Wilma (October 24, 2005)
• Video
Watch our Other Videos from this series:
📺 WATCH: Miami Condo Collapse: Could Pool Deck Work 2020 Cause It?
• Miami Condo Collapse: ...
📺 WATCH: Analysis Garage Video BEFORE Condo Collapse: Water Everywhere
• Analysis Garage Video ...
📺 WATCH: Here's Cause Of Miami Condo Collapse Champlain Condo Towers, Surfside
• Here's Cause Of Miami ...
📺 WATCH: "Miami Condo Collapse 4K Video From Street What News WON'T Show!"
• Miami Condo Collapse 4...
📺 WATCH: "More On Miami Condo Collapse Live From Street You Won't Believe Scene"
• More On Miami Condo Co...
Here we look at more evidence that has come to light in the last few days, like videos Mike videos touring through the parking garage where we are able to now see some of their pre-existing damage on the ceiling of the garage of this collapsed condo and possibly identify the exact member column support column that might have failed.
We also show possible causes such as construction work that was done on the pool deck area back in 2020. We also look through building permits to examine everything that was done to the property over the years and try to determine if that could have had something to do with accelerating the problematic areas that caused the pool deck to collapse by way of a punching shear failure. This collapsing pool deck left most of the columns standing, yet managed to collapse an entire 12 story condo building minutes later.

[@jeffostroff]

⛔⛔ Official Surfside Support Pages, only send aid to vetted support sites! There are scams related to disasters, you should avoid unvetted fundraisers. ⛔ Support Surfside: supportsurfside.org/ ⛔ GoFundMe Official Vetted Pages for Donations to Surfside collapse victims: www.gofundme.com/c/act/surfside-condo-collapse-fundraisers

[@barrywilliams991]

One cubic foot of water and weighs ~62 pounds. A cubic foot of wet sand is ~120 pounds. Add the weight of the pavers and the weight of possibly water saturated planters and it likely exceeds the maximum load capacity of the pool deck slab.

[@jeffostroff]

@@barrywilliams991 Yes that is a lot of downward force, and even more important, it's more important, it is a lot of downward force on cement that is likely nowhere near the rating that it once enjoyed when it was 1st built as years of water and cracking and spawling have taken its toll on it.

[@deborahbates470]

@@jeffostroff have you seen this video w/ Allyn Kilsheimer inspecting Champlain North? You will like what he says about taking the core sample. (Says it at 2:00, but start it a little earlier.) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHTSgI2gocSVfa8 I’d be interested to hear your thoughts about him comparing the two structures. He took core samples of the 12th floor (which we know would have originally been poured to be a roof) to see what waterproofing they installed/or didn’t install and is going to use that sample to examine the debris from the South tower. That might be normal, idk cuz i know nothing about engineering but it’s the first time i heard anyone use the north tower to help interpret the construction of the south tower.

[@d.e303-anewlowcosthomebuil7]

@@jeffostroff bad concrete?..it looks sooo chaulky, and it doesnt stick to the rebar in the normal way. Also, is there any pebbles in it? I dont see any.......incorrect building methods, built to minimum, paid off inspector?....planter box added later with no extra support....rust and rot ( lots of water leaks for years).....undersized columns.....what did i miss?.....bad maintenance, too much cost for condo owners( $200k each?)...engineer and co. inspector paid?, to not scare people( reduces property value $200k ea.).......etc..... .... So, no one could just put up some shoring underneath the pool deck, remove the planters, demo down to solid concrete, add structural crete to the deck, and lots more strength to the posts?.....i just shake my head....

[@theaverageDon]

As an engineer, and someone who just got done binge watching all your videos for the past few hours on the Miami collapse, I think you're correct in saying that the lateral beam between the two columns connecting the building to the pool deck is the main contributor to the building itself collapsing. The main cause to me, aside from the columns being very skinny, is the beam not being on top of the column. You essentially then have a zero moment on the beam between those two columns. However, as we saw from the tourist video, that 12×16 column had collapsed to the side due to the pool deck for its own reasons. This would then create essentially a cantilever scenario where the fulcrum is now outside the remaining column holding up the beam. Think about holding a bat by the end as opposed to choking up on it. Which way is heavier? From there, the beam would be pulling the column towards the now collapsed pool deck, creating a torquing moment on column that it wasn't designed to withstand. Thus creating a domino effect and the subsequent manner in which the building collapsed inward, towards the pool deck. Added load on top the column, along with possible years of internal water corrosion to the rear can also be contributing, but the initial catalyst which triggered the building collapse (separate to the pool deck collapse) was that beam losing its lateral support when that 12×16 column collapsed to the side

[@jeffostroff]

good info thanks Corey

[@eringemini7091]

I don't know why this condo collapse reminds me so much of a 100 yr old giant( cypress) tree that VERY slowly fell across my front yard. In 2006, here in Hawaii, it literally rained 40 days & nights. In the mountains, where I lived, it rained 8 feet during that period. I recall how the 🌳 made the weirdest noises, as the wood cracked/ broke, as the ground around it gave way over a series of weeks.That being said, I wonder if the condo inhabitants heard sounds, or groaning in the weeks or months preceeding the collapse? Or, if within individual units, there were odd noises of the building settling?

[@cliffordpenn7981]

Comment on sloping of pool deck: he talks about this from engineers letter at 27:00. I Have seen this error done before. The original architect designed the deck with a slope to drains. On a job I saw years ago, a pool decker had a contract to install paver stones. He didn’t like the slope because his paver stones could not sit nicely on the slope so he put in a skim coat to “level” the deck before he installed the paver stones. His job looked nice afterwards but the owners complained to me that now the rain water no longer drained off his pool deck. He would have to take push brooms to push the water off his pool deck.

[@mowtivatedmechanic1172]

I’ve also seen the same thing. Also clogging drains in the process.

[@nopenotgonna175]

As a resident of a (second attempt at) a high-rise that collapsed during construction, thanks to your videos I pay much closer attention to the concrete in the parking garage than I used to. The garage looks pristine but I do throw a little side-eye at the pool these days. I hold on to the hope that the towers survive if the pool deck fails.

[@froter1]

I want to personally thank you my friend , for being so very thorough ! Your analysis of this building and it's construction and defects in construction , is right on target ! I have viewed and listened to other engineers and their perspective of this building and possible failures that might bring a building down . I have to say , most of them leave me with more questions than when they began . I'm in construction and I have been for 50 years , both commercial and restoration. And for the past 25 years , concentrating more in building restoration and historic restorations. I have to say , I would definitely , without a doubt hire you to engineer any building I have worked on are will work on in the future . It is very refreshing to see someone with your skill level and knowledge of construction . Again , thanks so much for your excellent analysis on this building . Sincerely , Joe Guest

[@ivosan11]

I used to live in a building with a very similar structure and also deck issues. From the early 80s as well. But there was a key difference: the deck structure was independent from the building. Instead of having two columns 20 feet apart like Champlain South, each structure ended with its own columns just 2 or 3 inches from the other and some flexible synthetic compound to fill the gap. Had the deck collapsed (and maybe someday it will) it would not pull the building with it

[@raven4k998]

it just goes to show how everything can be connected in ways you wouldn't think when they get built that is how a pool deck can take down a condo building

[@kristensorensen2219]

This is what journalists once were all about!! Thank you!!👏👏

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks you Kristen!

[@tomsparks3259]

Jeff is a construction specialist. Journalists are most often generalists. A typical journalists wouldn't know where to start.

[@Veronica.John10-10]

exactly, not like CNN or MSNBC is today!

[@nancylloyd1183]

Absolutely fascinating. It seems like Jeff Ostroff's analysis is just nailing it with the information he has available. About the palm trees that were removed...it brings to mind the scenario when characters in movies are impaled with something -- a sword, for instance -- and someone just yanks it out and the person is pretty much ok. In real life, you're not supposed to remove the object if a person's impaled because of the damage it'll cause. So what if removing the palm trees did more damage than the trees themselves could ever have caused?

[@Jamie-zs2bl]

As an epileptic, THANK YOU SO much for this! I can now watch the part regarding the palm trees. I'm glad you realized the problem and corrected it. 💚 Says a lot about you as a person and content creator!

[@jeffostroff]

You are so welcome! It took 2 hours, but it re-rendered nicely

[@Jamie-zs2bl]

@@jeffostroff that's a long time. Sorry it took that long, but I Definitely appreciate It and I'm sure others do as well!

[@mariatamburro]

@@Jamie-zs2bl I agree. He changed some issues and inconsistencies in other videos and admitted he made a mistake. Very cool dude.

[@paedahe4975]

@@jeffostroff Great job Jeff. Your one class act. 👍

[@SmoresySmores]

I was trying to write my comment in response to yours about our new found interests in structural engineering during that part of the initial upload. I kept copying my comment and closing the app because I thought it was just my phone being weird lol... not going to lie I closed and reopened the app/ the initial upload like 4-5 times before I was like maybe it actually is the video itself! 😂 Not sure if you’ve watched the videos on the Building Integrity channel but if not I highly recommend you do. Both that channel and this one do an amazing job breaking things down while keeping it simple enough for just about anyone to understand. They are both so informative and engaging I just can’t get enough of their content!

[@robinwells8879]

A disaster rarely if ever, has a single cause. Usually there’s a series of coincidental issues that combine to lead to the ultimate failure. The Swiss cheese analogy is often used where all the holes have to line up for disaster. I will wager that some holes are incorporated in the construction phase and others were added along the way. Only the totality was sufficient for disaster. Exponentially is not a word added lightly in a contractual document a bit like “time is of the essence”. 😳

[@ChristopherATX]

Ironically, I just got to the palm tree section on the first video and had to turn it off then I saw this one posted with the correction. Thank you sir! Good job on all your videos. I don’t get into all of this building stuff but this has been very intriguing and you keep me coming back!

[@sherribrawn3757]

I totally agree!! This stuff is greek to me, but having someone break it down, and explain it in terms I can understand is really appreciated.... ;)

[@amymusick5455]

@@sherribrawn3757 Yes! I had no idea all the computations involved for architects/engineers/construction. 'not sure if that makes me feel safer or more paranoid! We have stayed in many (family owned rentals) condos on Clearwater beach over the years. I'm going to stick to my trailer out in the boonies from now on!

[@Seashellsbytheseashore21]

Thanks for posting these. I know nothing about what goes into creating buildings, but I am consumed with wonder/sadness in regards to what happened in this tragedy and am learning so much due to your insight.

[@ler3968]

For the non-engineers here, you do an excellent job of presenting the details and graphics about engineering variables that could be factors.

[@davehutchinson773]

Working in construction almost 25 years,your explanation has so many contributing factors,which are most likely cause of the failure,negligence,shoddy repairs and failure to see the urgency of repairs needed to fix this resulted in catastrophe...

[@AP0110Music]

I don’t disagree with any of the theories you are exploring and explaining. But I just want to mention as a videographer that the weird bendy artifacts you are unsure of in screen grabs from the garage cellphone video could also just be banding from the fluorescent lights or some rolling shutter from low frame-rate video from walking Cellphone in a not so well lit area…Im not saying what you are stating is wrong..just dont want you to overlook how inaccurate YT compressed cellphone video screengrabs can be with weird artifacts. Keep up the great work and thank you for the great uploads providing great insight.

[@davidpoulton7694]

As a video editor myself. That looks that way to me as well. Cellphones lack contrast details.

[@katenunyabizness9221]

I agree. If you look in the background of that shot, column 18 looks pinched in from the car roof height to the ceiling. Column 17 looks stepped just above the number which I am fairly certain is a trick of the lighting.

[@raakhanaten1035]

He already said it might be a photographic error. What? You want everyone to know you take pictures or something?

[@stormcherry6064]

@jakesgrl6378 yes, he does need to go cool off - and it doesn't matter where he is from.

[@dukeofhaas]

@@raakhanaten1035 Amazing how one comment can change the entire focus. In much of North America, many viewers believe that your comment was rude. Yet the farther East one travels, many believe it is rude to publicly boast about oneself. Instead of personally inserting oneself into the topic of the original video, perhaps more people, regardless of their cultural history, should contemplate the subject at hand, which in this video concerns looking down upon the open grave of nearly 100 humans. "Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend." (c) Lennon/McCartney

[@estherdelaney9819]

I was watching your videos and listening to your every word when suddenly I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I finally gave in to the soothing sound of your voice and went into a sort of relaxing period that I can’t say was sleep, a semi awake sleep maybe. You have a great voice.

[@LanceHKW]

Thanks for uploading this version - had to watch again as there are so many interesting details you gave us!

[@Jamie-zs2bl]

Ooh. And those palms will really do some damage to the concrete under them (if there's already cracks in it)... my mother in law had some in her yard and they were also in planters. The roots broke through the planters at the drainage holes, grew under the concrete pool deck, cracked it more, and she ended up having to redo her whole pool deck as well as do new plaster on her pool because of the damage. Just thought I'd mention that. Not saying that is what happened here at all.

[@punker4Real]

We see cracked concrete all the time here in California from trees roots...

[@Jamie-zs2bl]

@@punker4Real Yeah, I know. I only mentioned the palm trees because he was talking about them in the video. If he'd been talking about oak trees I'd have mentioned the one at my house that lifted and cracked the sidewalk.

[@jeffostroff]

@@punker4Real yes we see it too

@@jeffostroff , is there a shred of evidence that palm tree roots were growing through the planters, and then....? So far I haven't seen one plausible suggestion of it. Just a lot of wild speculation. Meanwhile, in the photos from above of the palms in the planters -- do they look healthy to you? I can tell you from my building's experience that it's not easy keeping palm trees alive in such an artificial planting scenario, much less, healthy.

[@tompastian3447]

A town house in Hialeah I work in has a couple palm trees planted right in front of the house. One tree root grew under the floor of the front bedroom, cracked the floor tiles. The owner refuses to blame the palm tree, and thinks blasting from developers west of the area caused the tiles to crack. Don't underestimate the damage that tree roots can cause.

[@sebastiannai4381]

I'm loving the series, great investigative work. I'd like to see you and Building Integrity colloborate. It's obvious you are watching each other's videos and already collaborating in a sense. The epoxy injection port was a giveaway, and his videos also have similar instances of gaining clarity from yours.

[@jeffostroff]

They are true pros who work this stuff every day

[@coeneschamaun1735]

@@jeffostroff and evidently the forensic building failure engineer, that the city of Surfside has hired, has not been allowed to examine the site, or any materials from the site. What's up with that? Local police say it's a "crime scene". Removing all the actual materials, and not allowing an expert to examine them "in situ" as much as possible, is wrong, and possibly political??

[@jeffostroff]

@@coeneschamaun1735 NIST has the lead on this. Now that they cleared the area they should let him into the site, but too little too late all evidence is being analyzed by NIST at off site locations. IT is their party and no one is invited.

[@jkhtravelrn]

Excellent video. Your memory and attention to detail is humbling to those of us who thought we had those qualities as well. I’m really REALLY enjoying your channel.

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

Very informative videos on the sad disaster. I’m a geologist and worked during my whole career for a big, international engineering company. I’m always very interested in listening to what engineers have to say, and your discussions are very good, thank you. I appreciate you taking the time out of what must be a very busy engineering practice. The more we all can be educated about engineering and construction, the better. It’s a complicated built environment we live in today!

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks, glad to help!

[@missmelodius]

Thank you for reuploading. Glad to see all the work you did on this presentation and to understand the questions you are asking.

[@jeffostroff]

Glad to help Melodi!

[@leavesongrass]

Thank you for this! I love the way you narrate it-sort of like you are whispering in our ears! So interesting.

[@jeffostroff]

glad to help!

[@firewalker1372]

This has been a very great series, if you have no problems with this. I would like to use this series with my crew at the firehouse when we discuss building construction this week.

[@jeffostroff]

would be awesome!

[@firewalker1372]

@@jeffostroff we do not have buildings in our city this large, residential anyway. But we do have many two and 3 story buildings that contain the “Stars and Bars” or star anchors in our city. I would definitely like to incorporate these into my discussion, thanks man and keep up the great work.

[@DARWINZOO]

You know we sit here on the web looking at things. And then suddenly it's so worth it

[@gracieg7601]

@@firewalker1372 I want to tell you as you as a fireman, thank you for whst you do. Firemen have come to me at the absolute worse time of my life. I hope you know and please tell your fellow firemen thank you snd God bless you all! I alwsys pray that y’all are safe when your working a scene like this. My home growing up wasn’t far from a fire hall. Like 5 blocks. Since we lived so close and my dad made Friends with them. My dad as he got into his 70s got memory issues like dementia. He liked to walk but now and then he’d get lost but he knew where the fire station was. He would go there and tell them he was lost. So he’d give them his drivers license to show them his address. They would put him in a fire truck which he loved and they’d bring him home. Lol my dad was quite the character. Anyway, he got on his roof one day and he knew it wouldn’t be long till he couldn’t get up there so he talked my mom also around his age into climbing up there too. But mom got scared. So the neighbors called the 911, and they came over with a bucket truck and got her down. So thank you guys for being the best of the best. Theres other times not so pleasant when we needed firemen. God bless you all for your caring.

[@gracieg7601]

@@jeffostroff I found thus video of collapse from inside one apt. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5S3oJygopusnbs

[@Stellra52]

I just want to say I love how thorough you are. I am so tired of just hearing blurbs and sound bites about this.

[@nancylpr]

I agree, most accidents are not caused by just one thing. It's usually a combination.

[@theylietoyouall.5051]

Swiss cheese model I think they call that. I could be wrong though.

[@marlorodo]

Watch this video! Champlain Towers South-Crane Collapse (June 9, 1980)

[@MrMaxyield]

Oh it's one thing... Money 💰🤑

[@honolulublues5548]

Thanks for the reupload. I had to stop the video because I have a seizure disorder. You and Building Integrity do a very good job without access to the site.

[@jeffostroff]

this one will be better!

[@celestialdragon3989]

I know nothing about construction, building, blueprints etc but I’m mesmerized by these videos, as u dissect each time. This is a huge puzzle to figure out but you’re really putting your all into it! In beginning, I only heard about a flat pool & sunny day flooding. Think it extends to much, much more than that & you will figure out this puzzle 😃

[@fuyu5979]

Jeff very interesting analysis of the condo collapse. So many unanswered questions as u go methodically through ur analysis. Kudos for ur video. Anticipating ur next one.

[@booterone1]

Thanks for the re-load. I thought it was my poor connection! Great video.

[@donnasantiago5016]

Thanks for fixing the video!!! I watched the end and heard some more, very interesting info. Thanks again!!!

[@jeffostroff]

Awesome, thank you!

[@JP-lq6us]

Thank you, was happy to help. You have a Fantastic series. Love your videos

[@vinscully4283]

Thanks for your kindness and feelings of the loss once ,God will strengthen we all to keep moving, I believe you’re lovers of Dodgers baseball 💙🏈⚾️ and it be great to know you, The voice of Dodgers Vin Scully: reach me on Gmail sections Okay : [e-mail]

[@Bluegrl77]

Thank you for all your hard work on this video.

[@deekayvixen]

Thanks for correcting the video issue! Very insightful and thorough analysis.

[@jeffostroff]

There was an issue on the first attempt at uploading this earlier tonight with the codec in the rendering process of the video processing software causing flashing and glitching. I re-rendered the video and re upload the video under the same after 3 hours, it works perfectly now.

[@AnnabelleJARankin]

Another great video. Glad that you addressed the planter issue.

[@wickedcatsrodriguez]

Thank you so much form making the cursor easier to see. Makes following along easier. Amazing work here.

[@Kimbyrleigha]

I was so sad! The video was gone while I was watching. So glad it’s back

[@nk361]

Me too, but I got close to the ending of it and it was spazzing out like crazy and not showing what he wanted to show. I think that was the reason for the re-upload

[@lilacscentedfushias1852]

It’s so annoying when that happens! Especially if it’s the end of something or the next part.

[@kev03103]

The sister bldg is in much better shape. I've heard that this building had a lot of cheap skates living there. The kept putting things off. Finally they realized that they better get going but WHAAMO, too late.

[@cdmcgillion]

@@kev03103 I would definitely moved out of the sister building if I had an apartment there. 😬

[@andresmonterrey887]

Water flows through the path of least resistance

[@jimsuard]

Thanks for fixing the glitch so fast.

[@mikebayless4268]

Best analysis on KZbin PERIOD!!

[@lynng233]

Thanks so much Jeff for this considerable display of knowledge and detail!!

[@musicalgamer354]

Awesome video Jeffostroff! I think you’re spot on with your theory of the pool deck sample, column 27 collapsing, and the beam warping and collapsing, which led to a failure of other columns. Your video truly sums it all up as a combination of issues that contributed to the collapse. I’m curious if the beam in the sister building is also warped… I want someone to go and check it to see if it’s having the same issues or not!

[@rubyoro0]

“I want someone to go and check it”, L0L.

[@AmauryJacquot]

one of the essential issue was that the pool deck was integral with the building... they should have been build separate with a sealant join in between

[@davidperets9997]

agree, another right conclusion.

[@cproteus]

And an expansion gap.

[@davidschwartz5127]

Somewhere along the southern building face with the 5 BMA's tied into the pool deck columns and then the building columns, the pool deck, and building must have been tied together. It could have been possible for the pool deck to rise up slightly in a teeter-totter action before dropping and causing rapid tension than compression waves like an earthquake which most likely causing considerable damage to the building's concrete structure and no longer had the strength to hold that section up.

[@MatTZI014]

Yeah I agree. I think it was a way that the developer at the time could "legally" save money and costs on construction but didn't think of the negative implications it would have years ahead. Just because it's legal and it's the bare minimum does not mean its safe and sound engineering construction.

[@dr_shrinker]

According to the tourist video, the pool deck fell and the building was unaffected. Something else must have caused it. I would think the deck did shear cleanly from the main building. Based on the evidence in the tourist video. However! You are correct when it comes to the West end of the building, where the cars were laying on the slab. That part was a corporates into the building. It’s very puzzling for sure.

[@melissashwartz4110]

Thank you for posting this helps giving closure to my family

[@sylviabeam9343]

I'm so amazed how intelligent of a person you are. How you are able to get spot on the possible cause of this collapse. Thank you for your time helping others to understand

[@davidjr9838]

Great content, thanks!

[@oscarmarban5163]

Hey Jeff I know this is a serious video but I wanted to take the time to thank you. You have saved me tons of money in home renovation projects within the last couple of years. I appreciate your work man!

[@janegilmore102]

For putting all those drawings together. Now that’s dedication!

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks for the love Jane!

[@feledorjones2648]

You Are on Point. I like your Expertise, the music playing in the background. It's relaxing how you lay your theory out, Awesome.

[@ketelin4285]

I will disregard the issue of the 3/3 excavation . It let the waterproof membrane in place so from the water "point of view" the deck was just like before . What i'm interested is how rebar got pulled out cleanly out of slabs . Usualy the slabs break and chips of concrete hang onto the rebar . (LE - i see you observed that too , nvm)

[@fraidykat]

Completely inundated by water, the rebar corroded and then the water washed out the corrosion. End result, the rebar is smaller than the hole it occupies...

[@jeffostroff]

yes I had pointed out a few times how even on the rubble pile every single pie of rebar was stripped clean

[@kellyanneree3252]

The architect noted that the waterproofing membrane was in a failed state! It wasn't holding water which is why all the water is in the garage. The pool deck was hosed down DAILY! With a failed waterproofing membrane underneath!

[@T5RABBIT]

It appears to me that the rebar pulled away from the ceiling is from the rebar placement in the slab, laying directly on the form when it was poured, at the very bottom of the slab. For rebar to be effective, it must be a few inches above the bottom of the slab. In my opinion, it pulled away cleanly because it was not installed correctly.

[@goldteethman8720]

@@T5RABBIT Use to do concrete "Tied Rebar" Thats what I was thinking. Plus water laden concrete bad combo

[@electrojones]

Whenever a building fails, the reason was money.

[@kineahora8736]

Pretty much true. Cheap design, poor maintenance…

[@barbaraseymour3437]

Absolutely.

[@FAB-ix9fu]

Especially if you're dealing with the "notorious Miami mob". . Miami has the most corrupted public officials in the entire country!!

[@wesleyhurd3574]

Money, in addition to one or more of the following factors: apathy, procrastintion, corruption, or incompetence.

[@kineahora8736]

@@wesleyhurd3574 corruption = money. The others are independent🤙🏻.

[@bewell4743]

I love insightful people! It's great to ride along with the pros.

[@HydroMaester]

Thanks for this video, its great info!

[@hmbld1]

The 1/2" Sprayed urethane under the slab for the building is for insulation, not water proofing.

[@RedHotMessResell]

Whoever did my mom’s patio didn’t make it at an angle, and every time it rains a lot, the water pools and gets really close to flooding our basement. 😨

[@barbarakornacki8599]

We had a basic cement patio put in years ago and I always disliked the slant of it; I could notice it looking at the table. I now am thankful - no water pooling or flooding.

[@RedHotMessResell]

@@barbarakornacki8599 yes exactly. I mean I guess sometimes contractors will slant it too much, because I’ve had some bad contractors on my recent reno investment, but yes exactly. Keeps the patio lasting longer too. Mom’s is cracked and falling apart. We had to get rid of the firepit benches and the firepit is pretty much just a hole in the ground now with the rocks crumbling around it.

[@naiduk]

I learned so much! Thank you for breaking it all the way down! And in terms and language we can all understand. Strength and light to all the families who lost loved ones. This was such an avoidable tragedy! Smh

[@valeriepaquin-gould2508]

Thanks for the great videos!

[@abe39]

I thought the first upload was for a private audience only. Thanks for posting!

[@jeffostroff]

There was an issue on the first attempt at uploading this earlier tonight with the codec in the rendering process of the video processing software causing flashing and glitching. I re-rendered the video and re upload the video under the same after 3 hours, it works perfectly now.

[@d.t.4523]

@@jeffostroff Thank you. 👍

[@gracieg7601]

@@jeffostroff thanks. I saw that too.

[@greatwhite3219]

GREAT SERIES😉

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks Greay White!

[@jaydenp4975]

One of the best videos. Thank you for creating these and for the hard work you have put in.

[@alaskajax2]

Thank you for using larger pointers in this video. Excellent presentation.

[@nancyswan2056]

I read in another video the palm trees were removed because the condo homeowners could not see the ocean view they were paying for. So wanted their removal.

[@PlasticAssasin8]

something that doesn't sit right with me is that where it looked like the fire sprinkler system got ripped down. I don't think it was the sprinkler pipes that were ripped out because if it was, the whole system would have gone into alarm because of the pressure drop and set all the evacuation fire bells off. people would have gotten out , at least some would have. Seems the fire system wasn't working either in the way it should have if they were sprinkler pipes that came down.

[@markdouglas7029]

I can't argue about evacuation bells, but my memory of listening to one of the uploaded videos that played the 911 videos is that one of the early calls to 911 was from a person who said they were from a company monitoring the fire alarm and that they had a signal from a building, he read the address out, that indicated that the water pressure drop, or something like that, triggered his formal response to contact 911 to report the fire and so he was doing just that, letting them know that there was a fire. I think it is one of Jeff's videos.

[@sherribrawn3757]

Yes, I suppose more people would have gotten out wouldn't they?? Having the sprinkler system in your condo go off would definitely get a person moving especially at 1:30 a.m. This is all so horrible, and it should never have happened to these innocent people living their lives as the rest of us do every day. Ugghh

[@whirlwind8825]

The roof was overloaded with roofing materials . The roof collapsed and took the building down. The garage filled with water from the roof. More than likely the deck drains clogged from materials and garbage from torrential rains we had . If the pool deck collapsed the fire alarm would have went off , the main pumps would have come on. And the fire department would have been alerted directly . this would have happened 7 minutes before the building collapsed if the pool deck collapsed ***Monitoring and fire department notification in new and existing apartment buildings must follow the requirements established in NFPA 101, Section 9.6.4. ***

[@ACE-gj9zq]

@@sherribrawn3757- 100% agree.. Alarms/strobes installed throughout bldg. And to turn on when any sprinkler head is activated....Safety or is it rent first?

[@twm1452]

@@whirlwind8825 No

[@stephenfallis9374]

Fantastic video, best iv ever seen on a epic event that needs explaining. I feel like I was invited to listen to professionals sort thru all the facts that caused so much trauma to so many innocent lives. Absolutely brilliant. Thanks

[@scottmcclure8933]

Thank you for such informative videos! Explained well enough for people other than architects can understand. Highly appreciated!

[@erichaynes7502]

Wow, you fixed this quick! Thanks Jeff!

[@billj5645]

The 16x16 column is carrying load from every floor of the tower, the 12x16 is only carrying load from the pol deck. Also note that the 16x16 has 8#11 reinforcing bars, the 12x16 only has 4#7. The 16x16 has 4 times as much reinforcing steel as the 12x16. The beams around that area are there primarily to be transitions between different slab levels. If you study the drawings for that area you can see that there are a lot of different slab elevations involved. It is not possible from the crude video to tell how the concrete framing was constructed. Normally all of the beams would be poured over the columns, even the beams that are narrower than the columns. Without paint you should be able to see a cold joint there. If they did not do this then they did not build it correctly per standard practice of every contractor I've ever seen. However if they had built it incorrectly by pocketing the beam into the side of the columns then the beam A would possibly not have as much ability to pull as much on the side of the column. Yes the palm trees might be heavy but the outside pool deck should have been designed for enough live load to allow for the trees.

[@tubester4567]

Right. I think its more likely there are bigger problems like poor quality concrete, made worse from salt water intrusion around the foundations. One of the investigators said the drill samples were very soft and easy to drill.

[@punker4Real]

did it account for the roots of the plant? roots can tear apart concrete esp if there is plenty of water around

[@jeffostroff]

What about heavy equipment used to position palm trees? Id out that pedestrian pool deck is designed to have big heavy forklifts on them, with tall palm trees weight 1000 pounds each. Also if they had an isolation seam from the pool deck to the building, maybe it would not have collapsed the builfding.

[@billj5645]

@@jeffostroff I wonder if the palm trees are significantly heavier than that, 1000# would be insignificant, the concrete deck wouldn't feel it. Heavy equipment is a relative term, contractors always want to use heavier equipment than engineers think are acceptable. I think outside decks like that should be designed for 100 psf live load which would allow use of a piece of equipment with maximum total weight of 10,000 to 15,000 pounds.

[@billj5645]

@@jeffostroff The pool deck seems to have several deficiencies. It has not been shown how the pool deck did affect the building but having them as separate structures would have of course eliminated the influence. However this is almost never done for other reasons. Despite the water problems of this building, having an actual expansion joint between building and pool deck would have been much worse. And the additional columns in the basement have an affect on the parking layout and how many cars they can fit in.

[@rogerwilks6250]

your videos are absolutely awesome. absolutely hooked. clear and easy to follow and exclusive content. I think you will solve this long before anyone else. God bless everyone involved with this horrific collapse.

[@FattyFPV]

Vanished from the media cycle now. You work has been wonderful to follow.

[@barowt]

Make sure you get the credit for discovering that the two core samples and the shoddy repair work done last year is what brought it down..

[@jeffostroff]

I'm sure others will steal my idea and investigations

[@Suzanne1999]

@@jeffostroff 😅 Yup. I just want to take this opportunity to tell you, Jeff, how fascinating it is, you taking us on this trip. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and taking the time to put these videos together. Outstanding! 🌟🌟🌟

[@verruckterwissenschaftler]

Got her done I see, looking forward to this one!

[@jeffostroff]

yes took 2 hours to re-render after that codec failure caused glitches in the earlier upload tonight

[@michaeltranchina6358]

Excellent research, analysis and questions Jeff! The questions you are asking need to be catalogued. No doubt there was a number of small but significant chain of events AND conditions that brought this building down, and I think you have already uncovered many of them... Keep up the great work...👏👍

[@juniorfsonline]

Great video and analysis thanks

[@mariatamburro]

Have you seen the video done by rako studios? He gives you a lot of credits and he does an EXCELLENT job on the photo/video editing. Maybe you could collab with him. I would love to see your analysis of the enhancement he does. I also would love to see him enhance some of the higher resolution stuff you have.

[@amymusick5455]

Wow that picture from across the street really gave a lot more detail when lightened up. Thanks for sharing!

[@ReasonQuest]

I dunno if it's just me or what, but I could listen to your voice all day long.

[@billrutledge2441]

Thanks for making your cursor more visible. Makes it much easier to follow your narrative.

[@xtomvideo]

Great illustration and analysis.

[@Paul_Wetor]

One thing I don't understand about the construction of tall buildings is that the box structure seems to be the same size throughout the building, which distributes the load. But why doesn't the base have fatter pillars? It has to carry the weight of every floor above it. Why aren't the pillars like a tree, which is fatter at the bottom? Or are they really thicker, but I can't see them?

[@fraidykat]

MONEY. Thinner columns are cheaper and you can get away with the error for 40 years.

[@beehaven9949]

There are like a tree in terms of the compression load changes. Every 4th floor they go down 1000 in fc. There was a column that was thicker in the basement and skinnier on top (column type B was 24" x 60" and had a column type A on top 24" x 24" starting at the lobby) but these were changed to having a 24" x 24" all the way. I guess it makes it easier for the concrete guy to pour the same thing in the same forms over and over and only the concrete type in the truck changes to a lower compressive strength as they go up the floors.

[@eulinpetit-woodyear6816]

The construction of a building is not only an engineering exercise but also one of economics. Having a different and unique form size for each floor may not prove economical. From an engineering standpoint the weight of the entire building is transfered to it's foundation. It is here you see an increase in the size, number or type of column but it's no longer called a column but instead called a pile.

[@fraidykat]

@@Mike-bm6cf Grade and thickness of concrete both have a lot to do with what cracks.

[@fraidykat]

@@Mike-bm6cf Oh yes very, very much. If you use overly watery concrete, it will have lower tensile strength. If you make a column 12" instead of 24" thick, it will have less strength. If you embed the rebar 1" instead of 3", the concrete will crack much easier. All three scenarios lead to concrete work that has a greater probability of cracking and spalling. You're playing the stupid game contractors play when they cut corners to save money and expand profit, the stupid game if "everything cracks and spalls eventually" game.

[@ronbennett7885]

Wonder how much, if any, of the security videos from the collapse will ever be released to the public. Also, the city hired engineer can't get access to the site nor even concrete samples. So many questions. Hopefully, there's more clarity soon. Your videos, while speculative in some regards, are helpful. Keep them coming.

[@rongeremy5370]

There is footage from a security camera, does show flashes from explosives,

[@notgreatnotterrible48years63]

The security video has already been released man

[@CaptainCaveman1170]

@@rongeremy5370 Not explosives. This was not a controlled demo. You have to jackjammer explosives into many columns and run cables all over the place. Every floor was occupied and there was no place to "rig" the building with explosives. The only plausible way to bring it down "secretly" would have been a van in the garage, but we have video of the garage after pool deck collapsed and there was zero debris field, which there would have been had a van been blown up in the garage.

[@lucindaturley644]

Thanks for your videos

[@RedCan_Rick]

Glad you got the rendering corrected. Great videos sir

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks again!

[@Vslims4real]

They probably had to remove those palm trees because the roots were eventually growing too deep, as we know the roots of a palm tree grow very deep. What a brilliant place to put palm tree above a cement car port/garage.

[@dans4270]

Palm tree root system actually grow in a ball in order to anchor itself for storms. Highly unlikely it caused any damage.

[@k53847]

There are a few monolithic poured beams connecting the pool deck to the edge of building. So if the column under the pool deck shifts it will pull or push hard on the critical structural column. There is also an paywalled article in the Miami Herald implying the original structural engineer had some questionable events in his past. apparently mostly involving job-site supervision.

[@jeffostroff]

Miami herald charges to read articles, can you get me the name they were talking about?

[@k53847]

@@jeffostroff What I can get for free: Structural engineer Sergio Breiterman... Breiterman’s engineering firm, Breiterman, Jurado & Associates, www.sun-sentinel.com/local/miami-dade/fl-ne-mh-surfside-engineer-problems-secnd-building-20210718-m6ogb77fjfhmpnvzbro3crs4ue-story.html

[@comment6864]

Very nicely done video. Keeps moving along at a good pace, not too fast, not too slow, with clear depictions of the ideas

[@jeffostroff]

Glad you liked it!

[@jewllake]

Because of your videos I now refer to road barricades as Bob's Barricade. People look at me like I'm crazy.

[@michaelimbesi2314]

That "rippling" on the column is probably shadows of the pipes on the ceiling being cast by the light nearby. I don't think it's anything to do with the column itself.

[@suspicionofdeceit]

Shadows of fate no doubt.

[@mjp5129]

You said something about they had palms in those planters, at one time. Tree roots will invade into any crack. They are pretty tenacious. I don’t know much about palm roots, but I know other tree roots will breach into drain tile, of any type. Causing many problems. Just a thought. We all try to make sense of the senseless. Good video.

[@raver208]

So insightful...thank you for creating these. My wife & I had our bathroom completely remodeled 7 months ago & I noted the efforts by the ocntractor to make the shower floor slightly concave to direct water to the centered drain. Mold/moisture resistant sheetrock also used behind the tile. So true about "never knowing what lurks behind".

[@kborgy3322]

Keep up the great work! We love you!

[@brentgindelberger8851]

Another KZbinr (a structural engineer) was looking at the possibility of problems with water coming up from underneath the parking garage. A lot of those columns in the garage were saturated a couple of feet at the bottom. And, there was a large part of the garage floor replaced (the video from the prospective buyer).

[@lynng233]

I believe it was a 'perfect storm' of problems but I'm seriously wondering about the integrity of the concrete mix.

[@MainMite06]

I stopped reading forward when I heard that the building used a *basement parking lot* - IN FLORIDA (Read: limestone under soil=tonnes of ground water!)

[@mariusvanc]

Pretty sure the palm trees didn't help. Palm trees are known for growing very deep, strong roots.

[@bgs03548]

Thank you so much for the big arrow! Helps so much to follow your excellent presentation! Great job!

[@jeffostroff]

yes got lots of complaints about the tiny cursor on the first video of this series

[@annabananna44]

Great explanation of what you notice and i loved how you showed the construction of the shower install. God Bless!

[@samuellourenco1050]

The deck should be structurally separated from the building. The columns are too thin for a building of that size.

[@devoid24]

thats the problem with high-rises they may look great on the outside, but the bones of the building could be totally crap, and have substandard or illegal materials in them... no way id ever live in one....

[@1800imawake]

Very interesting, lots of details to go over, and I'm confident nothing will be missed.

[@jeffostroff]

Enjoy!

[@rondaniel1540]

Great and thorough information. Thank you.

[@rosemarywalker924]

The acid from the soil in the planter could also affected the concrete and in the first picture looking down at pool deck it a mixture of water and soil and I think the planters are compromised at the bottom .

[@jeffostroff]

the planters supposedly are waterproofed

[@rosemarywalker924]

@@jeffostroff thinks for your reply yes they are put we don't really know and if the planters are compromised around the sides some photographs show paint peeling around outside the planters at the bottom.

[@timhartherz5652]

Considering the building is right next to the ocean, i feel like the salty air would have done worse than the soil in the planters ever could have, given the damaged/uneffective waterproofing.

[@rosemarywalker924]

@@timhartherz5652 if the soil is peat which is acidic peat can hold a lots of water like peat bogs adding to the weight to the columns making the concrete like a sponge.

[@timhartherz5652]

@@rosemarywalker924 Possibly, though we have to wait until the final report to find out if this was a contributing factor. Personally i don't believe the weight of the Planters/Palms played a huge role, though i'm willing to change my mind in the face of hard evidence. The entire pooldeck was waterlogged, cracked and shoddyly patched multiple times, the planter just happened to be the first place the weight exeeded it's remaining carryload. Remember that tourist video after the first piece came down, there was water pouring into the garage, where did all of this water came from, can't just be from that one planter. The firefighter were kneedeep into water in one of the other vids, must have been several times the pools content worth of water down there, pretty sure they shut off the water supply rather quickly, can't all come from broken pipes.

[@haroldburrows4770]

I cant believe the builders used those pitiful toothpick columns to hold up a 13 story building

[@robi4387]

They seem to be shown as 12 x 18" on the original Breiterman Jurado Structural drawings. So not that slender.

[@AnnabelleJARankin]

I can't believe that punch-through collapses look fairly common...

[@Roholi]

Excellent video and description.

[@Deepanimosity]

Thanks for fixing the bugs and reuploading!