[Becca9800]

Originally Posted by nick demis

All these Monday morning quarterbacks need to wait until the REAL OFFICIALS (mostly structural engineers) have had a chance to examine the site, do the calculation and come to some conclusions. Anyone that claims they know what caused this is full of it.

No one is Monday morning quarterbacking, no one has claimed to know what caused that bldg to fall. The forensic engineering expert in the clip was telling how the investigation would proceed, what signs they would be looking for in order to arrive at a conclusion. You should watch it, it is quite interesting to the non-engineer types.

[Nucky]

Just a few basic things that apply to construction everywhere. Salt, (calcium) and heat are two enemies of concrete. Forty years ago in some cases, calcium was added to concrete to help it set up quickly. This action attacked the rebar in the mix. Chemical additives were invented some years back that can be added and the rebar is not under attack. There are ways to test the concrete that is in the pile to see what additive was used if in fact there was any at all.

Soil compaction and grading are also key ingredients to prevent disasters like this. Also using leftover concrete from the first delivery a truck makes in the next load deteriorates the strength and durability of the 2nd load. Remember the ceiling falling in on The Big Dig in the North East. Leftover Concrete.

Payoffs to inspectors to look away and sign that things passed was a very popular thing 20 to 40 years ago to help keep costs down. Sadly the poor people paid the price for one or more of the things I mentioned. God Help the Families.

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Chicago Experts, Officials Weigh in After Miami Beach Condo Building Collapse – NBC Chicago

My father handled catastrophes for Fireman's Fund Insurance Company in the early 1990s. This brings back memories for me of some of places he visited back then.

I was watching the news and one of the missing people at Surfside told her son that she had been woken by loud creaking sounds the night before this awful event occurred.

https://twitter.com/search?q=surfsid...Ctwgr%5Esearch

I can imagine a sinkhole taking down one of those matchbox rental apartments in TV.