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.
If there was a reduction in the capacity of the soil to support these loads, such as in the event of a sinkhole, there would be nothing underpinning the building. Given the information that has emerged so far, it's likely the sinking of the building over time may have been a key factor in its ultimate collapse.
Once the initial emergency search for survivors is completed, and the remaining part of the structure is deemed safe, attention will turn to what exactly caused the collapse. A range of experts (such as structural engineers) will be involved in this review.
In previous similar building collapses in the United States, the causes have typically been identified following investigations. For instance, in the case of one 2013 Philadelphia building accident, the catastrophe was attributed to the reckless and unsafe removal of structural supports during demolition work on a vacant building. This caused the vacant building to collapse onto a store, causing multiple deaths.
In the case of the Miami building, however, the exact cause may not be as easy to identify. The building had undergone several inspections during the ongoing recertification process, yet it appears imminent danger was not detected.
Investigating a building collapse typically takes months, and a full answer is sometimes never found. Right now in Miami, this process should be as rapid as possible, as nearby buildings may also be in danger.
For residents' sake, the question of whether this incident was an isolated freak event will need to be answered quickly and comprehensively.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. You can find the original article here.
Trivess Moore is a senior lecturer at the school of property, construction and project management at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. He has received funding from various organizations including the Australian Research Council, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Victorian Government and various industry partners.
David Oswald is a senior lecturer in construction at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. He has received funding from various organizations including the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and the Association of Researchers in Construction Management.