Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #SurfsideBuildingCollapse
Most recents (11)
#SurfsideBuildingCollapse—NEW TONIGHT: your first look of the @NIST investigation underway into what caused a portion of Champlain Towers South to collapse. (THREAD) 📸Courtesy: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Here you can see some of the portions of the building that have been preserved and tagged for evidence by engineers with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) who investigate building failures. 📸: @NIST 
(1) Thread #7: #SurfsideBuildingCollapse #Surfside #SurfsideStrong
The remaining part of the building was carefully brought down in a controlled demolition last night. A memorial wall established by the public has survived:
palmbeachpost.com/story/news/202…
The remaining part of the building was carefully brought down in a controlled demolition last night. A memorial wall established by the public has survived:
palmbeachpost.com/story/news/202…
(2) You can find my earlier Surfside threads here:
(3) I am looking to see when the leaders of the response effort will say "search and recovery operation" instead of "rescue," after 12 days.
It will help the grief-stricken families and friends of the deceased, even though some of them may not realize that right now.
It will help the grief-stricken families and friends of the deceased, even though some of them may not realize that right now.
(1) Thread #6: #SurfsideBuildingCollapse
I called it early on. This event has a ripple effect across the US for emergency management, public safety policy, and infrastructure. The "built environment."
My Surfside thread directory:
I called it early on. This event has a ripple effect across the US for emergency management, public safety policy, and infrastructure. The "built environment."
My Surfside thread directory:
(2) I'm not "tooting my own horn." I'm doing what anyone else would do when they have information that others might not have, that could save one life, let alone hundreds of lives.
This building collapse is not new or unusual to folk outside the US who witnessed similar events.
This building collapse is not new or unusual to folk outside the US who witnessed similar events.
(3) It's true that most people would believe "buildings don't just fall down in America," and in most cases, they are right. There are stringent standards and liability laws in the US.
But statistically, someone always lets the side down. It's human nature.
But statistically, someone always lets the side down. It's human nature.
(1) THREADS DIRECTORY: #SurfsideBuildingCollapse.
I'm here to tell you about New Zealand's response to losing 115 people in the very similar 2011 #CTVBuilding collapse.
I write about emergencies in thread form, for ease of navigation. Only a few end up needing a directory.
I'm here to tell you about New Zealand's response to losing 115 people in the very similar 2011 #CTVBuilding collapse.
I write about emergencies in thread form, for ease of navigation. Only a few end up needing a directory.
(2) I'm not an American but one day I might be. I love the country. NZ & the US are old friends & we should get on better than we do.
Anyway, my first #Surfside thread was limited to concern for those directly affected. Aimed to be free of controversy:
Anyway, my first #Surfside thread was limited to concern for those directly affected. Aimed to be free of controversy:
(3) Thread #2 saw me express some righteous anger about those who allow disasters to happen through their own incompetence and recklessness.
It turns out, channeling emotion into showing care for others makes one feel better for at least a while.
It turns out, channeling emotion into showing care for others makes one feel better for at least a while.
(1) #SurfsideBuildingCollapse Thread #5
Well, 5 threads about an event is my personal record & that's going to be broken. I will start a "directory thread" linking them all.
Today, 7/1/2021 marks a turning point for Surfside in several ways.
Well, 5 threads about an event is my personal record & that's going to be broken. I will start a "directory thread" linking them all.
Today, 7/1/2021 marks a turning point for Surfside in several ways.
(2) I predicted last night that the rescue operation was about to become a recovery operation. Today, safety sensors activated & crews had to reluctantly pull back. This happened in the 9/11 recovery op & in the NZ situation. All similar types of events, of different sizes.
(3) Further, the fire chief said that a female voice had been heard in the initial hours after the collapse but they couldn't find or reach her.
This happened in NZ, too. Several people survived the collapse only to die while still trapped. One had been on phone to her husband.
This happened in NZ, too. Several people survived the collapse only to die while still trapped. One had been on phone to her husband.
#SurfsideBuildingCollapse
#MiamiBuildingCollapse
Take another look here @EngineeringWon1, three days ago I was speculating that these very regular sets of parallel lines look like a series of precast slab panels that had moved relative to each other.
Now, removing the bias I see:
#MiamiBuildingCollapse
Take another look here @EngineeringWon1, three days ago I was speculating that these very regular sets of parallel lines look like a series of precast slab panels that had moved relative to each other.
Now, removing the bias I see:
looking again I and following the lines towards the camera you will see at least one column, implying one of a line of columns supporting the slab above. The dark ripped out lines are perpendicular to the line of columns visualised above. Notice how the lines end near the column:
Let's say the ripped out lines are in the longitudinal direction and the line of columns in the transverse direction. Now notice how the ripped out lines end near the transverse zone. This appears to be because reinforcing or post-tension tendons lift up to the top of the slab...
(1) #SurfsideBuildingCollapse Thread #4
Welcome to my stream of consciousness tweeting about active emergency management events. I am an EM geek with professional and (sadly) personal experience to share.
Link to earlier Surfside threads:
Welcome to my stream of consciousness tweeting about active emergency management events. I am an EM geek with professional and (sadly) personal experience to share.
Link to earlier Surfside threads:
(2) To recap, I was in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand on 2/22/2011 when the lack of a quality engineering report killed 115 people.
An earthquake triggered the collapse BUT obvious damage from an earlier, smaller quake had been missed by local officials.
An earthquake triggered the collapse BUT obvious damage from an earlier, smaller quake had been missed by local officials.
(3) This point is highly relevant to the engineering reporting process getting underway in Florida after Surfside.
Like in Christchurch, building inspectors & officials are hastily designing a reporting system that is not sufficiently geared to find which buildings are at risk.
Like in Christchurch, building inspectors & officials are hastily designing a reporting system that is not sufficiently geared to find which buildings are at risk.
(1) Thread #3: Updates on the #SurfsideBuildingCollapse tragedy in Miami, Florida.
This short video gives you a snapshot into where the families are now at, approximately 60 hours post collapse:
us.cnn.com/videos/us/2021…
This short video gives you a snapshot into where the families are now at, approximately 60 hours post collapse:
us.cnn.com/videos/us/2021…
(2) I'm writing threads about this building collapse for two reasons.
a) It's a tragedy that will likely end up with a death toll of >160 people. That puts it in the realm of Hurricane Katrina, Oklahoma city 1995 etc.
b) I have experience from a similar incident in 2011
a) It's a tragedy that will likely end up with a death toll of >160 people. That puts it in the realm of Hurricane Katrina, Oklahoma city 1995 etc.
b) I have experience from a similar incident in 2011
(3) I'll add links to my earlier threads further down. For now I want to stress this point:
The community is nearing the point at which they will have to accept that their loved ones are not coming back.
No one wants to be the one to give the bad news, including me.
The community is nearing the point at which they will have to accept that their loved ones are not coming back.
No one wants to be the one to give the bad news, including me.
(1) I have kept any discussion about the cause(s) of the #SurfsideBuildingCollapse out of my thread of ways to help those affected. (Link below.)
Having spent the past 10 years watching hundreds of New Zealand buildings being condemned for seismic risk, I am aghast.
Having spent the past 10 years watching hundreds of New Zealand buildings being condemned for seismic risk, I am aghast.
(2) Source for the above:
edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/m…
My other thread, free of engineering talk:
edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/m…
My other thread, free of engineering talk:
(3) I also wrote about a similar tragedy on March 15, 2018, that cost 6 lives. The collapse of the pedestrian footbridge at Florida International University in West Miami:
(1) A time of writing there are still 159 people unaccounted for at the #SurfsideBuildingCollapse in Florida.
We who were in Christchurch, NZ on 2/22/2011 have been through something similar. 115 people died in an earthquake-caused building collapse here.
We send our love.
We who were in Christchurch, NZ on 2/22/2011 have been through something similar. 115 people died in an earthquake-caused building collapse here.
We send our love.
(2) "Pancaked" was the term used to describe the collapse of the CTV (Canterbury TV) building in 2011.
We, too, kept vigil for days hoping some more people would make it out alive.
nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/ct…
We, too, kept vigil for days hoping some more people would make it out alive.
nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/ct…
(3) In our case, the building collapsed during a Tuesday lunch hour, when some of the building's office workers had just gone out for lunch.
The earthquake caused PTSD among thousands of people, incl. me. There were 300k people in the city, & countless others closely linked.
The earthquake caused PTSD among thousands of people, incl. me. There were 300k people in the city, & countless others closely linked.
99 people unaccounted for from the Surfside building collapse.
Going to thread together some of the people being reported as missing by loved ones.
1. Michael Altman, Unit 1101.
His family has checked the hospitals & filed a report. @CBSMiami
Going to thread together some of the people being reported as missing by loved ones.
1. Michael Altman, Unit 1101.
His family has checked the hospitals & filed a report. @CBSMiami
2. Marina Azen
Family members says Marina has been living in the building for about 20 years, hoping she is in one of the hospitals.
Family members says Marina has been living in the building for about 20 years, hoping she is in one of the hospitals.
3. The entire Pettengill family
