According to structural expert Richard Slider, the possible influence of storm winds on search-and-rescue operations at the collapsed Surfside, Florida condominium could cause the building structure to fall even further. In an interview with CNBC’s “The News with Shepard Smith,” Slider said, “These systems, or the concrete columns and slabs that are there now, are already unstable, to a certain level.” “When wind has an affect on this, if it does come to the area, that clearly adds another level of impact and maybe increases the structure’s tendency to collapse more.” Elsa developed into the season’s first hurricane in the Caribbean. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed fear on Friday that the hurricane might hit South Florida, halting rescue operations and perhaps toppling pieces of the structure that have not yet collapsed. “Tropical storm force winds are possible in the [Surfside] area,” DeSantis warned. “Our Department of Emergency Management is anticipating this and making the appropriate precautions to protect a significant amount of equipment. You might be able to host an event with the structure as well.” At a news conference Friday evening, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said that she had issued an emergency order permitting the demolition of the partially fallen 12-story condominium complex. Slider agreed that pulling down what’s remained of the building is the best option, and that attempting to fix what’s left of the structure is impractical. “Obviously, hurricanes are one of the difficulties that we have in Florida, so the windows and doors would have to be upgraded,” said Slider, president of Slider Engineering Group Structural and Forensic Engineering. “If you wanted to repair it, which I don’t think is a viable choice, you’d have to upgrade, and by the time you finished, I don’t think it would be economically feasible.” As of Friday evening, 22 persons have been confirmed dead, with 126 others still missing./n
Read More
