Possible Reasons why Buildings Collapse

Possible Reasons why Buildings Collapse
Just before 2 am US Eastern Daylight Time on June 24, the Champlain Towers South Tower in Surfside, South Florida, partially collapsed. Fifty-five of the building’s 136 flats being destroyed. The 12-storey was built in 1981 on reclaimed wetlands.
Till the hour I write this article, At least ten-person are confirmed dead, and about 100 people remain missing. The search goes on to find survivors under the rubble. Many others have been injured.
While investigations are still underway into the cause of this collapse, the main reasons for structure failure are Construction Defects or Design Defects.
It’s unclear at this stage why the building collapsed. Still, it has been speculated that it had been sinking over time, which may have contributed to the collapse.
I’ve seen the collapse video. The section that collapsed first and then took the surrounding areas was the entire middle section near the pool deck.
The surviving resident reported that he had been telling people the pool deck tile was cracking.
There was also construction work ongoing nearby at 35 meters. Investigators will need to consider whether this could have disturbed the foundations. In addition, this nearby construction work could have created ground movement under nearby buildings due to vibrations or deep excavations work.
The collapse pattern failure that began at ground level or a higher elevation is essential to determine. For example, if this building were set on friction piles rather than bedrock piles could affect the pattern of failure location. Remember, though, that columns are connected to horizontal beams or slabs, and a failure at one or more of those column-to-slab connections could release a slab and pancake a building as well. In addition, pancake collapses tend to ‘stack’ floors on themselves, bringing all their weight down nearly square on the floor below.
A pancake collapse is a “progressive failure” that often begins at the bottom. First, a load-bearing element is damaged, usually in a building’s lower floors or foundation, which triggers the top floors to collapse vertically into the floors below.
Once there is ‘no’ support at the bottom floors or foundation, the top floors start pounding from top to bottom in a progressive manner.
Apartment buildings are designed to carry heavy loads under normal static conditions. As a result, they provide little resistance against dynamic moving masses such as an upper section pancaking a section below.
In brief, buildings usually collapse for five reasons
1. The foundations are too weak.
Building on unstable land could have caused damage to the foundations over time. In addition, when buildings experience lots of ground movement, significant cracking can occur, causing structural damage.
The building foundation for such high-rises will typically rely on a type of “pile” foundation. Piles are essentially long, slender columns made of materials such as concrete and steel, which transfer the load from the building deep into the ground.
A reduction in soil capacity to support these loads, such as in the event of a sinkhole, there would be nothing underpinning the building. So it’s possible the sinking of the building over time may have been a critical factor in its ultimate collapse.
2.​The load is heavier than expected
The recent work on the building’s roof will also have to be investigated. However, it’s less likely this extra load would have caused the collapse.
3.​The strength isn’t tested.
Reports should identify any significant issue with the building.
However, it is vital to find out exactly what happened and what it might mean for similar buildings in Miami and worldwide. The main conclusion is all Structures that have existed for 30 years or more must undergo a safety test every ten years.