Luxury buildings and condominiums in Miami are sinking at an “unexpected rate,” according to study

Dozens of buildings and condominiums built facing the sea in Miami are sinking at an “unexpected rate,” revealed a study by a university that has merited the action of local authorities, according to a local newspaper reported this Tuesday.

At least 35 buildings located on the coastal strip that extends from the north of Miami Beach to Sunny Isles, and that includes the cities of Surfside and Bal Harbor, all of them in southern Florida (United States)have experienced sinkholes of between 2 and 8 centimeters between 2016 and 2023.

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This is revealed by a study from the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Sciences at the University of Miami, whose author, Farzaneh Aziz, noted that the findings are “unexpected.”

“The study highlights the need for continuous monitoring and a deeper understanding of the long-term implications for these structures,” added the researcher, according to a press release from the university center.

Larisa Svechin, mayor of Sunny Isles, which the study found is home to the largest number of buildings that consistently sink, said The imposing skyline of high-rise buildings in this town is “structurally sound”, that “everything is safe” and in orderas reported this Tuesday by The Miami Herald.

The newspaper reports on the visit of structural engineers and the head of construction inspection from Sunny Isles to several of the buildings mentioned in the study, which was published on Friday in a specialized scientific magazine.

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Among the buildings mentioned in the report are the Surf Club Towers, the Faena Hotel, the Porsche Design Tower, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Trump Tower III and the Trump International Beach Resorts, some of which have more than 300 units and are occupied by residents and tourists.

“While it is well known that newly built skyscrapers show settlement of up to several tens of centimeters during and immediately after construction, This study showed that subsidence can persist for many years“says a note from the University of Miami.

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The study, for which satellite images of the studied areas were compared, clarifies that the collapse of buildings is normal because due to their weight they settle on the ground, however some analyzed structures reveal a collapse beyond what was expected.