The knocking grew louder before she heard a "smash," as if a wall had collapsed in the unit above hers. She thought it was construction, she said. It didn't make sense, not at 1:10 in the morning.
Thinking the commotion was an earthquake, Nir told her children, "Run as fast as you can," and they took off, leaving the property and crossing Collins Avenue, the one-way thoroughfare hosting hotel and condo towers on the eastern edge of the barrier island that is home to Surfside.
"God was waiting for us to leave the building -- and then another big boom," Nir told CNN. "Then we didn't see anything. It was suddenly white after the big boom and with white clouds all over."
Did the pool area present signs of danger?
She was frantic and told him the building was shaking, Michael Stratton told the Herald. She reported that a sinkhole had opened up where the pool used to be, he said. Then, the line went dead.
Stratton's wife is among the 145 people still unaccounted for as rescuers comb through the rubble that once composed dozens of apartments. The death toll from Thursday's disaster stands at 18.
The contractor has not been named, but Herald reporter Sarah Blaskey spoke to him.
His initial thought was, "Wow, why haven't they maintained this building better?" and took a photo to send to his boss, Blaskey recounted. He was on-site for what he thought was "cosmetic stuff" to spruce up the pool area, but once he went below he felt, "This is going to be a bigger job," the reporter told CNN.
Forensic engineer Stephanie Walkup, a professor at Villanova University, said the deterioration seen in the photo "does look significant," but she emphasized the contractor's photo came from the pool maintenance area, which is not where the building appears to have begun caving in -- an observation echoed by the Herald reporter.
"But it is clear that water has been infiltrating the concrete deck in that area for some time to the point of extensive corrosion," Walkup said.
She would not have sounded any alarms based on the contractor's photo alone, she told CNN, but "if that distress was observed throughout the entire structure, that's the point where it becomes extensive. That's the point where it becomes concerning."
A 2018 photo,shared with CNN by Tom Henz, shows the earlier stages of the crack engineers and experts consulted by CNN say appears to be the same crack visible in 2021, although the more recent photo appears to show it has worsened. The cause of the apparent deterioration is not clear.
After inspecting the building in 2018, engineer Frank Morabito wrote in a report that "failed waterproofing" below the pool deck was "causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas," and warned that failure to replace it in the near future would cause "concrete deterioration to expand exponentially."
A 2021 letter to the building residents from the condominium association's president confirmed that the exponential deterioration had indeed taken place in the interim years.
"The concrete deterioration is accelerating," wrote Jean Wodnicki, the association president. "The observable damage such as in the garage has gotten significantly worse since the initial (2018) inspection."
The experts CNN spoke to said that the progression seen in the crack between the two images could be an indication of the deterioration caused by the waterproofing problem described by Morabito. Or, some said, the concrete around the crack could have simply fallen off during the three-year gap to reveal the deeper fissure seen in the 2021 photograph.
A representative of the Champlain Towers South condo association declined to comment.
Report noted deteriorating concrete, rebar
Mehrdad Sasani, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern University, and Joel Figueroa-Vallines, president of SEP Engineers, have said the available information about the building, along with video of the collapse, suggest something may have failed near the foundation of the building. They've also said that, rather than a single smoking gun, a combination of factors likely compromised the building's integrity.
Those factors could include vibrations from nearby construction work, heavy equipment placed on the concrete roof for repairs, water damage and exposure to corrosive salt in the seawater and air.
On Wednesday, Sasani shared another hypothesis. The building's floor system was made of 8-inch-thick concrete plates atop columns, he said.
"Given the sudden nature of collapse, one potential mode of failure is so-called 'punching' failure," in which the column punches through the slab and "potentially progress(es) from there," the professor said.
Investigators should be looking for any instability in the foundation, possibly including weak points within the 200 or so precast piles that help support the building, or perhaps corrosion in the steel rebar used to reinforce the concrete.
Morabito Consultants in 2018 conducted a survey of the building for its 40-year certification, a stringent process for updates and improvements enacted after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The firm found spalling, or deterioration, of the concrete, though engineers have differed on what that ultimately means.
"Abundant cracking and spalling of various degrees was observed in the concrete columns, beams and walls," the survey found. "Several sizeable spalls were noted in both the topside of the entrance drive ramp and underside of the pool/entrance drive/planter slabs, which included instances with exposed, deteriorating rebar. Though some of this damage is minor, most of the concrete deterioration needs to be repaired in a timely fashion."
The waterproofing below the pool deck and entrance drive was failing and causing "major structural damage," said the report, which did not indicate the structure was at risk of collapse.
The rest is here:
Condo residents saw pool deck and garage collapse before tower crumbled to the ground - CNN
- Section 31 And Lower Decks Heading Up New York Comic Con Star Trek Universe Panel - TrekMovie - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Where to buy the Altered Starter Decks and Boosters - Polygon - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Final Fantasy XVIs wobbly Steam Deck performance gets it a failing grade from Valve - Rock Paper Shotgun - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- The Steam Deck's rare but troublesome 'loading throbber' issue has been fixed - PC Gamer - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- City Pursuing Removal of a Stone Harbor Deck Built Without a Permit - Door County Pulse - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Ellie Dubaich Wont Be Invited Back To Below Deck Mediterranean (She Angered Aesha) - Screen Rant - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- GTA V, one of the most popular Steam Deck games, is now unsupported - The Verge - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Star Trek: Section 31 & Lower Decks Beams To NYCC 2024! - Trek Central - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- GTA Online is no longer compatible with the Steam Deck thanks to its new anti-cheat software, despite BattlEye having an opt-in system for this sort... - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Parking, traffic and transit information for Penn State football vs. Kent State - Penn State University - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- AMD Plans Big Battery Boost For ROG Ally + Other Gaming Handhelds - Forbes - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Bay Area hillside home comes with one-of-a-kind 28-ton glass deck - SFGATE - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Hit the Decks! It's AMPRS&ND - Music Connection Magazine - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Jasper County Supervisors Approve Bid for Deck Repairs on Three Bridges - KNIA KRLS Radio - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Interview with Flight Panels; Chance to Win a Stream Deck XL, Profiles, and More - FSElite - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Grand Theft Auto V gets BattlEye anti-cheat, breaks online play on Steam Deck / Linux - GamingOnLinux - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- PC Gamers Can Now Play Bloodborne on the Steam Deck - Men's Journal - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering - The 10 Best Cards In Duskmourn's Jump Scare! Commander Deck - TheGamer - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- UVAs Board: Stacking the Deck for Another Year - Bacon's Rebellion - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Photos: Oakland hills mansion with see-through deck listed for $2.7 million - The Mercury News - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Now is the best time to buy a Steam Deck as new models are cheaper than refurbs - PCGamesN - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Rosie & The Revival Rev Up For Soundchecks And Tape Decks Release - musicrow.com - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Metagame Mentor: Modern with the Critters of Bloomburrow - Magic.gg - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Supergroup Rosie & the Revival Delivering 'Soundchecks and Tape Decks' This Week - antiMusic.com - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- I lived Below Deck on a luxury yacht heres what you need to know - New York Post - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Coco Gauff Decks Out in Denim at Her Collab Party With American Eagle - Us Weekly - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- The 6 Best Software For DJing Without A Controller: No Decks? No Freaking Problem! - Magnetic Magazine - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- NEW 'FLESH AND BLOOD TCG: ARMORY DECK' ANNOUNCED - ICv2 - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Rosemary Street Parking Deck on track to open later this month - - The Daily Tar Heel - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Scry for less with this Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck thats 25% off right now - Gamesradar - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- [TCG] More Info On Crossover Breakers! - YGOrganization - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- A 75-foot-wide lime green floating observation deck on the Schuylkill River scheduled to open in 2026 - PhillyVoice.com - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Dev behind turn-based strategy hit Tactical Breach Wizards shocked to slot in behind Black Myth: Wukong and the Steam Deck: "Basically number... - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Final Fantasy XVI is rough on Steam Deck, but it has potential - PCGamesN - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- 'Lost in the Shuffle': Is a deck of cards the answer to a 500-year-old murder mystery? - Yahoo News Canada - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard devs talk up their PC features, optimisations and Steam Deck verification - GamingOnLinux - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Apheros helps data centers cool down. Check out the pitch deck it used to secure $1.85 million. - Business Insider - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Read the pitch decks from these 36 creator-economy startups that helped them raise millions of dollars - Business Insider - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Clash Royale: Best Decks for What's in the Bush Event - GameRant - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering - Gruul Prowess Standard Deck Guide - TheGamer - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- The Best MTG Standard Decks - August 2024 - MTG Rocks - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Best decks for Clash Royale "What's in the Bush" event - Sportskeeda - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- I bought the TikTok Cheetos tarot deck and its surprisingly good - The Wild Hunt - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Valve released Windows drivers for Steam Deck OLED but no official support - GamingOnLinux - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Valve confirms it'll support the ROG Ally with its Steam Deck operating system - The Verge - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- 8 rooftop decks to visit at Pittsburgh restaurants and bars - NEXTpittsburgh - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Valve confirm plan to get Steam Deck's SteamOS on the ROG Ally and more handhelds - GamingOnLinux - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- LILYGO T-Deck Plus is a $70 handheld with GPS, LoRa, and a BlackBerry keyboard - Liliputing - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Star Trek: Lower Decks Character Gets One Final Season Of Growth - Hollywood Outbreak - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Tiny house with a chic roof deck can be yours for $19,000 on Amazon - New York Post - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- [Pokmon TCG] The Snorlax Deck Is Literally the Sleeper Pick at Worlds - - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- Lugia VSTAR, Ogerpon ex, and Gardevoir ex make up nearly 50% of the decks at Pokmon NAIC 2024 - Dot Esports - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- On Below Deck Med, guests service themselves while chef sleeps and captain texts - reality blurred - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Jgermeister and Santa Cruz Skateboards Launch Limited Edition Decks and Apparel - Zikoko - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Magic: The Gathering - The 10 Best Cards In Modern Horizons 3's Eldrazi Incursion Deck - TheGamer - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350: an innovative deck and three different draughts - BoatNews.com - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Cruise Rooms Near Stairs and Promenade Are Best - Royal Caribbean Blog - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Observation deck reopens at The Sunsphere after steelwork construction for new welcome center - WBIR.com - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Here's What's Next for Woodstock's Parking Deck Construction - Cherokee Tribune Ledger News - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- How To Run The Modern Horizons 3's Eldrazi Incursion Commander Precon In MTG - TheGamer - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Why Below Deck Down Under Season 3 Needs To Happen - Reality Tea - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- What Happened To Daisy Kelliher After Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 4? - Screen Rant - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- When one MTG deck costs $400, can we admit there's a problem? - Wargamer - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- This $4.25M Village condo has a deck with city viewsand a rooftop studio inside an old water tank - 6Sqft - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- The Best Cards To Upgrade Your Eldrazi Incursion MH3 Precon Deck (Magic: The Gathering) - Screen Rant - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Double exit would clear the decks for very popular Manchester United signing, plans appear to be taking shape - United In Focus - Manchester United FC... - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- A Potential Below Deck Mediterranean Cheating Scandal Is About to Rock the Boat - E! Online - E! NEWS - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Incredible Bird Combo Deck Spreads its Wings Early in New Modern! - MTG Rocks - June 13th, 2024 [June 13th, 2024]
- Ghost of Tsushima runs well on Steam Deck, making its PSN nonsense all the more annoying - Rock Paper Shotgun - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Disney Lorcana: How To Upgrade The Amber/Amethyst Starter Deck From Ursula's Return - TheGamer - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Clearing the Decks for Real-Time Payments - PaymentsJournal - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Hit the Decks! It's Louis the Child Music Connection Magazine - Music Connection Magazine - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- How To Play A Dragapult Ex Deck In Pokemon TCG - TheGamer - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- NonSteamLaunchers Steam Deck plugin in testing, plus a way to Remote Play Together anything - GamingOnLinux - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Nvidia could be teaming up with MediaTek to create a Steam Deck-busting handheld gaming chip - PC Gamer - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Ghost of Tsushima single-player only on Steam Deck due to PlayStation Network features - GamingOnLinux - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- What Happened To Luka Brunton From Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8? - Screen Rant - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Steam Deck users need to download this free performance boost update - PCGamesN - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Your next Steam Deck rival could have an Nvidia GPU, according to leak - PCGamesN - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Five Steam Deck roguelikes you need to play during Replayability Fest - PCGamesN - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]