Thirty-five Miami high-rise buildings are sinking...2-8 cm for 7 years
Dec 19, 2024
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According to local media such as the New York Post, a joint research team from the University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University, Houston University, Germany's Hanover University, the GFZ German Earth Sciences Research Center and the California Institute of Technology published the findings of a survey showing luxury buildings on Miami's Barrier Island are sinking into ground subsidence in the journal Earth and Space Science.
According to the study, 35 luxury condos and hotels across Florida's Sunny Isles Beach, Surfside, Miami Beach, and Bal Harbour have experienced ground subsidence in the past few years.
From 2016 to 2023, the subsidence of 35 buildings reached about 2 to 8 cm, according to the survey.
Most of these buildings are condos and hotels that have been built since 2014.
The problem is that the ground subsidence will continue in the future.
The researchers claimed that it is expected to sink up to several tens of centimeters during construction and immediately after completion.
Dr. Faulk Amelung, who led the study, found that most high-rise buildings slow or stop subsidence over time, but these buildings continue at a constant rate. This suggests that the ground subsidence may last for a long time" he warned.
As for the reason for the building's sinking, the researchers argued for several possibilities.
First of all, the ground may have subsided while sand particles from this area flow into the intermediate ground formed by the limestone layer.
Construction-related vibrations and groundwater flows were also raised as a possibility of subsidence.
Natural phenomena such as tidal flow and rainwater inflow were also cited as the cause.
The paper's lead author, Dr. Farzanne Aziz Zanzani, emphasized that "the discovery of ground subsidence along the southern Florida coastline is unexpected" and that "continuous monitoring and long-term further research are needed.'
Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County had a population of about 2.7 million as of July last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
In addition, a total of more than 27.2 million people reportedly visited the site last year.
bellho@sportschosun.com
