Bizarre activities, most of which took place in Florida

[tfcrew]

... the intrusion of a giant Asian water monitor, which barged through the store and scaled shelves next to the beverage cooler, drink cartons cascading down in its wake.

Just wanted some chips and soda [or some beer]

[Grumpy]

Life’s a Bitche for one historic town in north-east France that has received an apology from Facebook after its page was shut down for apparently using offensive language.

Bitche in the Moselle, population 5,000 and home to the Bitchois, fell foul of the social network’s algorithm, which deemed it insulting and removed it without explanation last month.

After Facebook restored the town’s page, Kieffer said: “I and my fellow citizens would like to humbly invite Monsieur Mark Zuckerberg and Monsieur the president general of Facebook France to our lovely fortified town, which has distinguished itself in history several times.

“Together, we can honour together the memory of compatriots and our American friends who under the flag of the 100 Infantry Division came from South Carolina to liberate our town: liberators who called themselves, with pride, the ‘sons of Bitche’.”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/13/lifes-a-bitche-french-towns-facebook-page-shut-down-over-offensive-name

[2tallbill]

Police in Maharashtra's Jalgaon have busted a factory using discarded face masks to
stuff mattresses in the place of cotton or other material. This comes at a time when
the state is witnessing a sharp surge in Covid-19 cases

http://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/maharashtra-mattress-stuffed-used-covid-face-masks-factory-jalgaon-1790020-2021-04-12

[BillyB]

Bizarre activities happening in Florida again. No social distancing and they aren't wearing masks.

[tfcrew]

Live Updates: 99 unaccounted for after deadly high-rise collapse in Florida

At least 99 people were unaccounted for after portions of a high-rise condo building north of Miami Beach collapsed early Thursday, killing at least one person, officials said. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said 102 people have been accounted for so far.
The 12-story building, called Champlain Towers South, collapsed just after 1:30 a.m. local time. It's not yet clear why the building collapsed — but when the dust settled, the building appeared to be sheared in two, with bunk beds, dining rooms and entire homes left blowing in the wind.
Rescue teams are tunneling below the building in a race against time to find survivors, but officials said it is still too dangerous to send searchers on top of the pile. Hundreds of first responders are on the scene, and President Biden is promising federal aid.
Multiple people were hospitalized, officials said. Ten people were treated at the scene of the huge pile of rubble, according to Ray Jadallah of Miami-Dade Fire & Rescue.


Engineers searching for clues about collapse
It isn't yet clear what caused the collapse, but engineers are looking for clues. One study from a researcher at Florida International University found that the building, constructed 40 years ago on reclaimed wetlands, has been sinking at a rate of two millimeters per year for the last three decades, which may have impacted the building structurally.

http://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/florida-building-collapse-surfside/

[BillyB]

There is a colossal failure involved in the making of that building. The structural engineer would draw up the blueprints and choose the materials necessary to build that building. The blue prints would be reviewed by the city's structural engineer to verify everything is okay. The contractor building the building would buy those materials and there would be city inspectors to make sure the materials meet specifications and were installed properly. If anybody took a shortcut or or failed at their duties, it could lead to catastrophe but usually they overengineer those buildings so if thickness of concrete in the support columns was an inch short, a few pieces of rebar were missing or wasn't tied together properly, it wouldn't lead to a major collapse. A building is one thing. Lets hope they didn't fail on the manufacture of vaccines.

[GQBlues]

My initial thought was liquefaction being relatively close to water.


40 years ago, there were various ways to build structure under these conditions. Piles and stabilization/bridging comes to mind. Marina Del Rey, a coastal suburb on the west side of LA, is literally a man-made landfill. The site was underwater not very long ago. We built rows of grand multi-million dollar homes that runs along the Venice Canal, and we had to 'bridge the footprints with rocks/gravel with sheets of geotextile and geogrid to stabilize the bottom before we can fill with with dirt as 'engineered fill'. This types of construction do have the possibility of settlement. ground shaking, like earthquakes, makes it exposed to liquefaction.


Piles greatly minimize that probability.


Another way to combat settlement these days is to install thickened 'mat foundation'. Thickness are site specific. That's a reinforced concrete pad the same size as the building footprint that is placed below the building foundation.


Another possibility that caused it may have been the deterioration of one, maybe two support columns that was slowly undermine by irregular settlement. If you look at the side of the building that is still standing beside the ruin, you can see 3 columns that supports the same side of the building that collapse just beside it.


159 persons are still missing. Sad.

[Trenchcoat]

Could be weak foundations due to them sinking into the wetlands or too weak a mix of cement when originally built. I'm going to guess the foundations being built on wetlands is probably the problem, such a tall and heavy structure being built on wetlands and well you've only got to get it not quite there in sorting out the bedding the foundations will go on and you're in trouble. A huge heavy structure is going to be a big liability being built in such areas. Over here in Wales the ground is full of stone and deeper down boulders even particularly on hillsides so you can hardly go wrong, the bedding is essentially already done though often is redone for large structures of course but its real good load bearing ground. It will be interesting to see what their findings are with regard to the collapse. A horrible nasty thing for the poor families involved though.

[BillyB]

My initial thought was liquefaction being relatively close to water.


40 years ago, there were various ways to build structure under these conditions. Piles and stabilization/bridging comes to mind. Marina Del Rey, a coastal suburb on the west side of LA, is literally a man-made landfill. The site was underwater not very long ago. We built rows of grand multi-million dollar homes that runs along the Venice Canal, and we had to 'bridge the footprints with rocks/gravel with sheets of geotextile and geogrid to stabilize the bottom before we can fill with with dirt as 'engineered fill'. This types of construction do have the possibility of settlement. ground shaking, like earthquakes, makes it exposed to liquefaction.

Solid ground liquifying is possible but still no excuse for it to happen. Before building a structure on the ground, they drill into it to see what they're dealing with. They'll also be able to note where the water table is at. The geotechnical report will make recommendations to the structural engineer. I've seen a geotechnical report recommend piles but the structural engineer decided on wider footings which saved the owner a bunch of money but still did the job. The geotechnical report and structural design gets sent to the city for approval. Assuming nobody was cutting corners in design and construction and the ground liquifying brought the building down, then the geotechnical report may have provided the engineers with faulty data. There's going to be a lot of finger pointing on this one.

Could be weak foundations due to them sinking into the wetlands

the foundation(footings) would need to be wider or piles be used so they wouldn't sink under the weight of the building. In America when a pour of footings or columns happen, samples are taken and tested in a lab. It would be hard for a contractor to cut corners unless they bribed the inspector.


It's possible to build a structure on air and it not sink. We call that a bridge.

[Trenchcoat]

the foundation(footings) would need to be wider or piles be used so they wouldn't sink under the weight of the building. In America when a pour of footings or columns happen, samples are taken and tested in a lab. It would be hard for a contractor to cut corners unless they bribed the inspector.


It's possible to build a structure on air and it not sink. We call that a bridge.

Well it wasn't built like a bridge at its base as it's unfortunate occupants found out. Here is a witness account of what happened who horrifyingly for her was on a balcony of the building that collapsed, surfice to say it looks like she was aware that she was doomed poor lady:

"'Honey, the pool is caving in': Woman says sister was on phone to husband as she stood on collapsed Miami building balcony | US News | Sky News" http://news.sky.com/story/amp/miami-building-collapse-relatives-of-the-159-missing-searching-for-answers-and-accountability-12342076

If the pool caved in first then the building followed it says to be that something had gone very wrong at the sub-base level. To my mind whatever the foundations were built on had given in. Either the foundations were not enough or what ever was beneath the foundations gave way big time under the shear weight of it all. To me I'm thinking it may have gotten very soft under the foundations kind of like building on infill. Possibly some water had gotten in over time and turned it very soft like swamp like. Guess we'll find out at some point.

[BillyB]

If the pool caved in first then the building followed it says to be that something had gone very wrong at the sub-base level. To my mind whatever the foundations were built on had given in. Either the foundations were not enough or what ever was beneath the foundations gave way big time under the shear weight of it all. To me I'm thinking it may have gotten very soft under the foundations kind of like building on infill. Possibly some water had gotten in over time and turned it very soft like swamp like. Guess we'll find out at some point.

Your link showed an outdoor pool before and after photo and it looks undamaged and full of water. If there was an indoor pool and it caved in first before the building, then the problem is most likely a broken pipe. The sand the building is build on is considered structural fill but when wet, it can easily pour into a broken pipe undermining the pool and eventually the nearby footings. Inspectors better check out storm and sewer basins and pipes for evidence of sand downstream from the building. I've been on jobs with sinkholes and the culprit is usually a broken pipe.

[Trenchcoat]

Your link showed an outdoor pool before and after photo and it looks undamaged and full of water. If there was an indoor pool and it caved in first before the building, then the problem is most likely a broken pipe. The sand the building is build on is considered structural fill but when wet, it can easily pour into a broken pipe undermining the pool and eventually the nearby footings. Inspectors better check out storm and sewer basins and pipes for evidence of sand downstream from the building. I've been on jobs with sinkholes and the culprit is usually a broken pipe.

Ah that could make sense, the way the building went down kind of gave me the impression of something sink hole like, will be interesting to see what they find.

[GQBlues]

I went to Google Earth to look at the overview of this location as I wasn’t familiar exactly where Surfside is. Holy Kamala! It’s literally a narrow mass of land in between bodies of water!

What immediately jumped at you is the fact, for hundreds of units in each of these apartment buildings, there’s no visible sight of parking lots to accommodate the vehicles these tenants will likely own and require parking spots for. This leaves the only option of subterranean parking.

With the pool being placed on a deck, which technically is a constant live load, makes one wonder what the safety factor they calculated in this condition to maintain structural integrity. Remember, at the bottom of the structure, which can be as deep as two level underground to house that many cars, you will need to engineer to exceed the upsurge pressure force of the water underneath, with the constant live load pressure occurring at the top.

I marvel that it had even stood for 40 years as it is.

[tfcrew]

Could be weak foundations due to them sinking into the wetlands or too weak a mix of cement when originally built. I'm going to guess the foundations being built on wetlands is probably the problem, such a tall and heavy structure being built on wetlands ...

There is a whole beach full of more just like it. Surfside Beach--------------

http://www.google.com/maps/@25.8732796,-80.1197486,3a,84.2y,330.59h,90.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWYeaBqRD49OFiLULspbD4w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

[Trenchcoat]

I went to Google Earth to look at the overview of this location as I wasn’t familiar exactly where Surfside is. Holy Kamala! It’s literally a narrow mass of land in between bodies of water!

What immediately jumped at you is the fact, for hundreds of units in each of these apartment buildings, there’s no visible sight of parking lots to accommodate the vehicles these tenants will likely own and require parking spots for. This leaves the only option of subterranean parking.

With the pool being placed on a deck, which technically is a constant live load, makes one wonder what the safety factor they calculated in this condition to maintain structural integrity. Remember, at the bottom of the structure, which can be as deep as two level underground to house that many cars, you will need to engineer to exceed the upsurge pressure force of the water underneath, with the constant live load pressure occurring at the top.

I marvel that it had even stood for 40 years as it is.

That's some good research GQ. Like you say shocking that it had stood for so long and likely a critical long term error in its build to put a subterranean car park underneath. Like tfcrew says there's loads more built just like it along there so they could potentially be at risk also. Could make all those apartments practically worthless, even unusable. That's a lot of expensive real estate down the toilet and it's occupants could be set to lose a lot of money over it I'm guessing. If they are even now sellable it could be a cheap place to buy a once expensive flat for however long they stay standing.

[2tallbill]

Nude sunbathers, startled by deer, get lost, fined $1,000 for breaking COVID-19 lockdown orders
http://www.foxnews.com/world/nude-sunbathers-startled-by-deer-get-lost-fined-1000-for-breaking-covid-19-lockdown-orders

[2tallbill]

Too bizarre to even comment on this, I started to write something, then I stopped.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=HpgPjf8ble0&feature=share

[2tallbill]

Angry ex-girlfriend sets $31,000 motorcycle on fire
http://nypost.com/video/angry-ex-girlfriend-sets-31000-motorcycle-on-fire/

Fans Miss Hungary-France Game After Traveling to Bucharest Instead of Budapest
http://www.si.com/soccer/2021/06/23/france-fans-miss-euro-match-confuse-bucharest-budapest

[GQBlues]

That's some good research GQ. Like you say shocking that it had stood for so long and likely a critical long term error in its build to put a subterranean car park underneath. Like tfcrew says there's loads more built just like it along there so they could potentially be at risk also. Could make all those apartments practically worthless, even unusable. That's a lot of expensive real estate down the toilet and it's occupants could be set to lose a lot of money over it I'm guessing. If they are even now sellable it could be a cheap place to buy a once expensive flat for however long they stay standing.

Apparently there was a structural engineer that was consulted to assess the condition of this building and gave a report saying minor damages, and some deterioration required attention and repair to keep the structural integrity of the base concrete decking in the underground parking intact.

That was back in 2018!?! Repairs were supposed to be scheduled earlier this year!!! 3 years after!! They're reporting that had the managers (likely the HOA - Association) had advised the 'homeowners' of the seriousness of the report, they would've scheduled the repairs sooner. Sounds like the obvious 'blame game' had started to kick in.

HOAs are generally comprised of homeowners, which, more times than not, are not qualified in many aspects or components of complex infrastructures and general construction knowledge. The boards would generally consist of folks/homeowners who just like to be on the board for various reasons other than actually having the proper knowledge to preside over important things the properties require to sustain it's general viability and/or sustainability.

http://www.reuters.com/world/us/engineer-had-warned-structural-damage-before-florida-building-collapse-nyt-2021-06-26/

Pretty sad. There is another building exactly like this one about 1-2 buildings north of this one that should maybe take heed of what happened with this building.

[BC]

GQ,

Believe "major structural damage" was quoted in the article you provided a link for, not minor.
 

[GQBlues]

GQ,

Believe "major structural damage" was quoted in the article you provided a link for, not minor.

I saw that, BC...but as the article went on, it also stated the engineer gave no indication in his report that the building was in any danger of collapse. Said they needed to be repaired in a 'timely manner'. Not urgently repaired. Not 'is in dire need of repair', but repaired in a 'timely manner'.

Also, (and this is just my opinion) in California's real estate market, any potential seller/landlord is obligated to disclose any 'potential' danger in a property e.g. flood zone, sitting on a fault zone, proximity to train tracks/ industrial / refineries, etc... Any potential condition which may, or may not, change the decision of any potential buyer/renter. I personally wouldn't move into an apartment, or buy a unit in the building, if the disclosure tells me that a 'major structural damage' had been reported and remains unrepaired.

There's just something wrong in this picture. If there was 'major structural damage' and left unrepaired - local/state agencies, I would think, would've easily step in and declare this unsafe to reside in. So, either current reporting's interpretation is sensationalized or even tempered in anticipation of a massive legal ramifications, or the media is at it again.

There's a couple more information that surfaced about this building. Apparently there's a global satellite that monitors the elevation of many of these buildings. This particular one had been shown to recede in it's elevation every year. Another report was found that a tenant complained about 'water seeping through his walls' at one time.

[GQBlues]

They'll probably need to take this down soon, but according to Zillow, some of the units just recently sold and closed escrow.


I can't imagine the feelings, both the seller and buyer, are feeling just about now.


http://www.zillow.com/b/champlain-towers-south-condominiums-miami-beach-fl-5ZJTRr/

[2tallbill]

They'll probably need to take this down soon, but according to Zillow, some of the units just recently sold and closed escrow.


I can't imagine the feelings, both the seller and buyer, are feeling just about now.


http://www.zillow.com/b/champlain-towers-south-condominiums-miami-beach-fl-5ZJTRr/

I would not want to be the one who wrote up the title insurance. Most banks won't
allow a loan for unrepaired major structural damage. A title insurance company
is supposed to highlight anything like that.

[GQBlues]

I agree Bill. Which is partly why the news saying 'major damage' seem rather out of place. It would be a huge red flag for any prospective buyer, not least of which, the banks.

Apparently in Florida, they have a 40 year recertification for structural and electrical inspection of these types of  buildings. This particular one was in the midst of of one. Moreover, the settlement rate of this one was in the 2 millimeter/year that was noted back in the '90s. 30 years will make that settlement a total of almost 2.5" today.

Not only is it 'slowly' sinking, but it is also apparently 'shifting'. LMAO. Surfside is like an ocean breaker. It moves laterally with the rising sea level. To quote:

It’s a tough conversation to have, but the building shouldn’t have been there, along with a lot of other buildings. We’re due for a real awakening.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cause-miami-condo-collapse-unclear-experts-say-barrier-islands-present-n1272316

I was living in Marina Del Rey when my wife first arrived. One of the best time in my single life then living in that peninsula. But it is seriously a minimum of 4.5 magnitude earthquake away from Haiti 2.0

http://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/history-reveals-marina-del-reys-achilles-heel-liquefaction-7282/

Like Surfside, Marina Del Rey was a swamp land as recent as 1960s.

I find this fascinating because I had a hand in many high rise residential/mixed use building development in LA with those 2-3, sometimes 4+ level underground parking. They get filled up in no time. Many times people buy units in them before it even gets finished being built. It always amazes me people want to live in these buildings considering we are really due badly for the big one.

[2tallbill]

It always amazes me people want to live in these buildings considering we are really due badly for the big one.

California's building codes are very robust when it comes to Earth Quakes. NONE
of the other states building codes require all the structural support, hold downs,
tie downs, hangers, sheer requirements. Every header is minimum a 4x12, in
the rest of the USA you nail two 2x10" together.

Geology reports, soils testing, you name it California has a regulation for it.

Modern houses and buildings are pretty safe as long as California doesn't become
Atlantis or something. 40+ year old buildings weren't build to the same spec's.