A study by the University of Miami identified the problem in 35 buildings; sags reach 7.6 centimeters
A survey by the University of Miami released last Friday (Dec 13, 2024) revealed that dozens of residential condominiums and luxury hotels in Miami are sinking with “unexpected” rates. Approximately 70% of buildings in Sunny Isles were affected, including properties worth millions of dollars. Here is the study (PDF – 6.24 mB).
“Almost every building on the coast is sinking,” Falk Amelung, a geophysicist at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Sciences and senior author of the study, told the American newspaper Miami Herald. “It’s a lot,” completed.
From 2016 to 2023, 35 buildings, in the waterfront areas in Surfside, Bal Harbour, Miami Beach and Sunny Isles luxury buildings such as Surf Club Towers, Faena Hotel, Porsche Design Tower, Trump Tower III and Ritz-Carlton Residences, sank up to 7.6 cm. There is still no information about the long-term impacts of subsidence.
The study combined 222 images from the European Sentinel-1 satellites, which fly 700 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, and used a technique called “persistent radar scatterers”with fixed elements on structures such as building balconies, roofs and sidewalks, as reference points that reflect the signal back to the satellite, to measure displacements.
“We now have a satellite-based method for monitoring ground stability in coastal high-rise buildings, which can contribute to safety monitoring in this area. While the findings don’t always provide definitive answers, higher-resolution satellites are available for more in-depth analysis. Residents and authorities must be informed about any subsidence occurring in their buildings and the rate at which it occurs.”said study co-author Antonio Nanni, professor of civil and architectural engineering at the University of Miami College of Engineering.
When investigating what causes these buildings to sink, researchers pointed out that Miami’s subsoil is composed of limestone interspersed with layers of sand. The study suggests that part of the problem arises from the displacement of grains in the sandy layers, a process triggered by the weight of tall buildings and the vibrations caused during the construction of foundations.
The researchers further propose that continued subsidence may also be influenced by daily tidal flows and the cracking of limestone below the surface. Furthermore, they recommend that construction companies make an effort to minimize construction vibrations – factors that contribute to the gradual and continuous sinking of the ground over time.
“Subsidence is likely a combination of several mechanisms. These findings raise additional questions that require further investigation,” said study co-author Gregor Eberli, president of the Robert N. Ginsburg Institute of Geosciences, director of the Laboratory of Comparative Sedimentology and professor in the Department of Marine Geosciences.
Larisa Svechin, mayor of Sunny Isles Beach, an area where more than 20 buildings were affected, said the priority “It’s the safety of our residents”. According to the newspaper Miami Heraldshe said she was not aware of any structural problems, but that she called an immediate meeting with the municipal manager after the study was released. Svechin further commented that all required building inspections are up to date and that “the law also requires inspection records to be posted online and shared with residents”.
Read the full list of sinking buildings from 2016 to 2023:
- Regalia,
- Ocean II, Residences by Armani Casa,
- Ocean III, Marenas Beach Resort,
- Millennium Condominiums,
- Porsche Design Tower,
- Bentley Home Development Site,
- Trump International Beach Resort,
- Aqualina Resort e Residences on the Beach,
- The Mansions at Aqualina,
- Pinnacle,
- Chateau Beach Residences,
- Double Tree Resort e Spa,
- Sole Mia, a noble house resort,
- Florida Ocean Club,
- Ocean Four Condominium,
- Muse Residences,
- Jade Ocean Condominiums,
- Jade Beach Condominiums,
- Jade Signature Condominium,
- Kings Point Imperial Condominium,
- Trump Tower III,
- The Ritz-Carlton Residences,
- Oceana Bal Harbour,
- Fendi Chateau,
- Marbella Condominium,
- Waverly,
- Carlisle on the Ocean,
- Residence Inn by Marriott,
- Luxury Condo Cabarete,
- The Surf Club Torre Norte,
- The Surf Club Hotel Tower,
- The Surf Club Torre Sul,
- Arte Residence,
- 87 Park Tower,
- L’atelier condominium,
- Faena House
