Guest essay by Eric Worrall
According to Visiting Lecturer in Sustainable Development Ran Boydell, The horrific collapse of the condo building in Surfside may be a warning of things to come, if we don’t reduce CO2 emissions.
Most buildings were designed for an earlier climate – here’s what will happen as global warming accelerates
July 3, 2021 1.29am AEST
Ran Boydell
Visiting Lecturer in Sustainable Development, Heriot-Watt UniversityClimate change will affect every aspect of our lives – including the buildings we live and work in. Most people in the US, for example, spend about 90% of their time indoors. Climate change is fundamentally altering the environmental conditions in which these buildings are designed to function.
Architects and engineers design buildings and other structures, like bridges, to operate within the parameters of the local climate. They’re built using materials and following design standards that can withstand the range of temperatures, rainfall, snow and wind that are expected, plus any geological issues such as earthquakes, subsidence and ground water levels.
When any of those parameters are exceeded, chances are some aspect of the building will fail. If there are high winds, some roof tiles may be ripped off. If, after days of heavy rain, the water table rises, the basement might flood. This is normal, and these problems cannot be designed out entirely. After the event has passed, the damage can be repaired and additional measures can reduce the risk of it happening again.
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The tragic recent collapse of an apartment building in Miami in the US may be an early warning of this process gaining speed. While the exact cause of the collapse is still being investigated, some are suggesting it might be linked to climate change.
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Whether or not the link to climate change proves to be true, it is nevertheless a wake up call to the fragility of our buildings. It should also be seen as a clear demonstration of a critical point: wealth does not protect against the effects of climate change. Rich nations have the financial clout to adapt more rapidly and to mitigate these impacts, but they can’t stop them at the border. Climate change is indiscriminate. Buildings are vulnerable to these impacts no matter where in the world they are, and if anything, the modern buildings of developed countries have more things in them that can go wrong than simpler traditional structures.
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Read more: https://theconversation.com/most-buildings-were-designed-for-an-earlier-climate-heres-what-will-happen-as-global-warming-accelerates-163672
I tried to find Ran Boydell’s staff entry on the Heriot-Watt university website, but his name didn’t appear in my search.
As for Ran’s claim about the building collapse being caused by climate change. We are used to climate scientists trying to opportunistically attach themselves to any recent crisis, to push their fear mongering. But in my opinion trying to exploit the Miami building collapse, before the investigation has concluded, while people are still searching for bodies, sets a new low for this kind of behaviour.
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(I’ll try this again.)
This disaster sound more like what happened in “The Towering Inferno” than “An Inconvenient Truth”!
(DANG! I’m “Awaiting for approval” because I typed “Gunga Fin” instead of “Gunga Din”!)
It was all my fault!!
Name one catastrophe/tragedy/negative event that isn’t a result of climate change.
FLORIDA’S SINKHOLES
By David Brown| In Sinkhole Repair, Sinkholes
Mapping Florida’s Sinkholes: Understanding the Sinkhole Threat
Sinkholes can form anywhere in Florida, but the highest activity level occurs in west central Florida because of the karst limestone environment. There are several influences that increase the risk of sinkhole activity such as long-term weather conditions, heavy acidic rains, and drought-like conditions.
The regional map on the right depicts sinkhole locations that have been reported since 1954 by the Florida Geological Survey Series No. 110. It does not show all sinkhole activity in Florida, but you can get a generalization of how widespread this problem is.
Sinkhole Zones in Florida
Sinkhole formation has accelerated over the years. They are commonly created by extended droughts, heavy rainfall, land development, water pumping, and construction of retention ponds. Sinkholes in Florida can range in size small to large. Some are large enough to swallow homes, roads, swimming pools, and buildings.
Not only does sinkhole activity destroy structures, but they also pose an environmental concern. The carbonate rocks, which are present in sinkhole formation, provide direct access to all types of pollutants such as fertilizers and pesticides. Oil and gasoline also channel directly into the sinkhole. Despite all the problems sinkholes produce, they are a natural part of the ecosystem.
Know the Common Signs of Sinkholes in Florida
As a homeowner or business owner, it is important to know the common signs of sinkholes in Florida. Most sinkholes give early warning signs before they create become a serious threat. Look for the common signs of sinkhole activity such as:
If you notice any of these signs, give us a call. We can inspect your issue to see if it is a sinkhole and repair it if necessary. We offer sinkhole repair for the residents of Florida. Our services include compaction grouting and void filling.
What does “high density, lightweight” mean?
Professor of what? Let me see his published research just for starters.
He’s not any sort of Professor. He’s a working architect who’s only connection to academia is he probably gave a couple of talks there one year – just barely enough to get him ‘visiting lecturer’ status. I’m guessing he now uses it to give himself an air of importance – credibility by association with a prestigious University (who might not even know he’s calling himself that).
Uh … what?
Where did Neanderthals spend there time? Around a fire when they didn’t need to hunt/gather food?
When I was a kid (one of the kids of a pediatrician), our new house didn’t have AC. Whole house AC wasn’t common. Inside, outside, the temperature wasn’t much different. o cable TV. No WIFI (though some sound systems were HIFI).
Today to say that people people spend “90% of their time indoors” is more of a tribute to (fossil fueled) technology such as AC, iPhones, PCs, Cable and Streamed TV, etc., etc.
That stat is as superficial as they come.
it’s not climate change
if a building has structural defects and you don’t act when they get bad enough it will fail and in this case falls down
sad for the people inside but they should have acted when in 2017 they were told of the structural defects
all structures age – that’s why we paint buildings etc to try and avoid the inevitable failure of these materials
Oh, this just slays me: The horrific collapse of the condo building in Surfside may be a warning of things to come, if we don’t reduce CO2 emissions.- article
So, sloppy construction, weathering, poor quality and/or cheap materials (to save $$$) had nothing on the Green Earth to do with that. Of course not. It’s obviously that Demon Globull Warming or CO2 levels, both of them being the Invisible Clankers that went right in there and demolished that building in one horrific go.
It is seldom that I see anything as heinous as that anywhere, and that includes some truly idiotic and insensitive statements made by people who should learn when to zip it shut.
Boydell should be ashamed of such ambulance chasing. One good effect of the Climate Alarmists’ incessant blathering about everything bad having to do with climate change is that eventually everyone, even the media, will tune them out and ignore them, treating them like the raging nutters they are.
I know a step Ran Boydell can take that will eliminate one CO2 source. I’m sure he is willing to make the personal sacrifice for such a existential threat.
Well I hope this so called academic doesn’t actually lecture students.
Simply more lies spewed by yet another leftarded lie spewer. Yawn.
it was a Demo to clear the way for the RESET.
I think it’s linked to the fragility of Boydell’s intellect.
“But in my opinion trying to exploit the Miami building collapse, before the investigation has concluded, while people are still searching for bodies, sets a new low for this kind of behaviour.”
I agree.
I will note that it is also too early to call a grand jury into session to investigate criminality in the building collapse when we don’t even know the cause yet.
Sounds to me like a politician taking advantage of a situation.
Climate change: The universal excuse to pass the buck.
If everything is due to climate change nothing is. Maybe as stated in another post, using non epoxy coated rebar and less than called for is the overarching caue. Real science
One thing for sure is sea side buildings are subject to a lot of salt in the air
I am three miles inland on the Florida east coast
When we have onshore winds and surf I see the salt on our cars and home
The corrosion problem is well known and is aggressively addressed
Take a ride along the coast and you will see corrosion repair everywhere
“The tragic recent collapse of an apartment building in Miami in the US may be an early warning of this process gaining speed. While the exact cause of the collapse is still being investigated,”SOME” are suggesting it might be linked to climate change.”
Propaganda is SO much fun to write!! The infamous “SOME” are “SUGGESTING” “MAY”.
NO mention of data. NO reference that links to any actual data. ALL the reporting is quite specific(unusual) that the building was 8 years late for inspection. Almost every report points to gross short cuts that had been taken during construction that effectively eliminated long term protection from corrosion of the steel, the strength of the concrete, and effective foundations.
The are also hints that the design, construction, and double checking of the building were not done completely. The style of construction did not have a long history of successful results.
The results they suggested based on the known facts are simply silly.
“But in my opinion trying to exploit the Miami building collapse, before the investigation has concluded, while people are still searching for bodies, sets a new low for this kind of behaviour.”(Eric Worrall).
Mr. Worrall is entirely correct in calling out the speculations(not facts) about the construction or circumstances of the building. “Climate change ” had nothing to do with it- not enough for tenths of a degree in temperature to have any effect.
Idiots run wild.
Maybe this is good. The overreach with crazy attributions like this has GOT to be getting at least a few people to stop and think a bit.
Or maybe I’m delusional…
I have designed several large industrial structures in Miami-Dade. I can tell you that we design with redundancy. Reinforced concrete design has always required sizing members so as not to fail in a brittle catastrophic manner. The failure mechanism presents the distress long before collapse. So consequently these catastrophic failures are extremely rare in the US.
However, drive a vehicle with a high yield device down into the underground parking garage next to an interior column, and you have a problem. And it’s not an environmental one.
Meanwhile, Cuba loses the equivalent of one building collapse per week. When my brother visited (2013) five tenement buildings had unit collapses during the four days he was there.
Use the wrong materials, screw up the math and shoddy maintenance leads to problems most every time. Boydell is a troll.
1) Ambulance chasing much…
2)”Architects and engineers design buildings and other structures, like bridges, to operate within the parameters of the local climate.” This is purest horseshit structures are built to withstand the forces upon them, the local climate has little to do with it..
Amongst the above-floated fluff from author Ran Boydell is this: “Whether or not the link to climate change proves to be true, it is nevertheless a wake up call to the fragility of our buildings.”
This is a ridiculous statement on its face. The Surfside building collapse got all of its news coverage for the basic reason that such a collapse is so extremely rare, not being associated with an earthquake, a violent storm, flooding, fire, terrorist attack, etc. (my comment here is certainly not meant to diminish the tragic loss of life and grief and suffering associated with this building collapse).
What the video and photo coverage of the remains of building clearly tells me is that the steel rebar—that was supposed to be used to “pre-stress” the concrete to obtain specified design strength for the main structural material (reinforced concrete) used throughout the building—was incorrectly positioned within in concrete floors/ceiling and wall slabs. In an extraordinary number of visible locations in the standing structure, as well as some of the collapsed concrete slabs, one can see evidence of the rebar rods being located within an inch or less of the surface, NOT in the middle zone of the 4-6″ thick horizontal and vertical concrete slabs, as it should have been to develop maximum structural strength.
Furthermore, even including the Surfside building collapse, what is the total percentage of 40+ years old concrete “high rise” structures that have collapsed in such a fashion over, say, the last five years? I willing to bet it is less that 0.005% . . . and that’s what Boydell refers to as “the fragility of our buildings”???
Climate change has absolutely nothing to do with improper design or improper construction.
Steel reinforced concrete is not supposed to be “fragile”. Now go and examine the malfeasance which caused this bldg to collapse.