The hints that sea level rise and resulting water intrusion could have cause structural damage leading to the collapse of a high-rise condominium in Surfside, Florida, must be causing some sleepless nights for residents and owners associations in Honolulu’s many aging condominiums.
Of course, the cause of the Florida building’s collapse will likely take years to establish, but the release of prior engineering reports, and anecdotal reports of frequent flooding in the building’s basement parking area, are pointing fingers at water intrusion that eventually led to cracks in concrete, giving the water access to the internal rebar. Over time–the building is 40 years old–the damage could have been, well, catastrophic.
Some initial news reports following the Surfside disaster pointed to the possible role played by “frequent flooding in the building’s lower parking garage, including the possibility of water seeping up underneath through the porous limestone rock on which the barrier island sits that includes Surfside and Miami Beach.”
All in theory, of course. But most of Honolulu rests on multiple layers of that same porous limestone, and many of Oahu’s condominiums have been fighting flooding for years, including those in Waikiki, and across the Ala Wai along Kapiolani, where the water table has been rising. And then there’s Kakaako, of course.
Some may remember back in 1989, when a new Duty Free building was under construction in Waikiki. They foundation required excavating to a depth of 30 feet in an area where the water table was, at that time, just six feet below the surface. The contractor had to continuously pump water from the excavation as part of a massive dewatering operation prior to pouring the concrete foundation. And as they pumped, Waikiki began sinking. Buildings throughout the area, and along Kapiolani, reported damage from settling triggered by the dewatering. It brought public attention to the water not far below the surface throughout much of Honolulu.
And as sea level rises, the layer of brackish or fresh water floats on top of it, a process which accounts for much of what until now has been considered just “nuisance flooding” in many buildings, often in underground parking areas.
I know of one Kapiolani condominium that required major repairs after water began flooding into its elevator shafts during high tides or heavy rains, and another where persistent groundwater intrusion played havoc with underground equipment rooms, including electrical centers, and was believed to have damaged sewer lines running under the building. I’m sure these buildings are not alone. The gossip network between building managers and managing agents is likely loaded with other examples.
There are a slew of Honolulu buildings that have reached or are near the 40-year mark. Could cracks in concrete, and the resulting spalling, cause structural issues over time as these building continue to age, and water levels continue to rise? These concerns will obviously have to inform future long-range maintenance and repair plans for aging buildings, including shorter timelines for routine repairs, and ongoing testing of structural integrity of older buildings.
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Uraku tower on Kapiolani (former Love Thomas Porsche Audi dealership) has been shifting since its been built. There are visible cracks around the building and some measuring devices to see the movement of the building.
Food for thought indeed!
Not that I like the thought of it, but maybe my Makiki condo will be beachfront in a few years?!
In the City & County of Honolulu Building Department we trust? After all many of structures are built on Salt, Sand and Loi.
Kalihi is soon to face the same mass fate of wide scale vertical development as Ka’ka’ako!
I’d be really concerned if I were living in one of those Diamond Head / Gold Coast high rises that were built in the 50’s and 60’s. I’m sure some are maintained well, but all those HOA’s should really look into this. Direct oceanfront concrete buildings around 70 years old…
@Dave: indeed, “older” condos built in the 50’s and 60’s may need closer inspections. . . Then what? Force residents out until costly repairs are made? (painful medicine but might have to be done)
SAD BUT TRUE IAN. As soon as that condo in Miami went down and reports of water damage began circulating I instantly thought of the many similar condos in and near Waikiki that might also be potentially susceptible to below ground movement and water damage.
The Miami Condo tragedy also brought back memories of the Marco Polo fire and refusal to install fire sprinklers over cost which resulted in loss of life and building. Sounds like association members in Miami were aware of the water damage but decide to put repairs off for another two years.
Then you have the Millennium Tower in San Francisco which has sunk 18 inches and tilted 14 inches since it was completed in 2008.
Definitely no easy answers. Just lots of very expensive below ground engineering repairs and legal fees.
Although a different type of catastrophe, I wonder if the Miami incident will make some people rethink their opposition to mandatory sprinklers in large apartment buildings? Councilmember Fukunaga has single handily blocked any legislation. Instead council mandated more frequent inspections. That’s good, but we should require sprinklers and help HOAs with loans if need be.
Very noble idea (mandatory sprinklers) but condo dwellers are constantly being nickeled and dimed incessantly to the point of hair pulling insanity (unlimited increasing property tax assessments, ever growing HOA fees, ongoing repairs in 50+ yr old buildings, etc etc) – or even suicide – and quite a large number are on fixed or highly limited sources of money.
What’s a large apartment building versus small? Marco Polo being large? Medium? Just curious…really.
Well, I think I posted we should provide HOA’s assistance to blunt the economic impact of the requirement. But what is worse, being out some nickels and dimes are burning to death because your neighbor feel asleep with the stove on? And I don’t remember what the line was for HPD when it come to medium vs large, but yes Marco Polo is large. The bill that died said any building over 75 feet – I am guessing higher than that poses challenges for HFD. There are less than 300 buildings that fit the definition, this isn’t impossible to do.
Building height is a reasonable criterion for the necessity of sprinklers.
Water to fight fires must be pumped up, and the taller the building, the more difficult it is to pump water to the top floors at the rates needed to effectively fight fires.
And of course the taller a building, the longer it will take firefighters to get to the top floors.
Perhaps one way to mitigate the cost of sprinkler installation is to loosen the requirements for lower floors. Factoring in distance to hydrants or to fire stations might allow some loosening as well.
Ian: RailSOS and many others have raised the issue of sea level rise along the planned route of the rail, particularly in the stretch along Aloha Tower. Six of the rail stations are planned in Tsunami Inundation Zones. Not only are Honolulu’s many buildings near the sea at risk, but this multi-billion infrastructure fiasco could also face damaging flooding. Despite many warnings, HART seems determined to proceed on this insane course of action. Only continued public outcry over the cost and planned routing (among other serious issues of incompetence and mismanagement) can avert this looming disaster.
@Stanford Masui: imagine the fiasco if rail lines along the Aloha Tower corridor have to be repaired due to underground flooding and damage. Talk about an endless money pit!
RAIL, if ever fully completed to Ala Moana as planned.. could face an eventual doomsday if the Uraku Tower, fell on it. Destroying not only RAIL money hub, that could peril the entire Ewa wing of Ala Moana Center with its huge multi story parking garage. At a human toll of thousands.
None of these scenarios were considered in the EIS, even though the Uraku Tower issues have been around for decades.
It’s not as if Ala Moana Center, has not already seen catastrophic rail collapse issues.
Ala Moana shopping center can’t even get safety railing right (if that’s what you were referring to)! Remember the guy that fell off and died a couple years ago?
There are very interesting aerial photos of the area, and this building had water close by on both sides, not just the beach. The week of the collapse, tides were very high and very low. (full moon) The lowest was about one hour after the collapse. The ocean level had risen twice and fallen twice each day for a week. That, coupled with the deterioration of the structure, and jarring from the next door construction, pushed it “over the cliff”.
Age takes a toll of reinforced concrete even without flooding:
https://thesenecaeffect.blogspot.com/2021/06/dust-thou-art-and-unto-dust-shalt-thou.html
The Collapse of Concrete Buildings: Dust thou art, and unto Dust shalt thou return.
Roman bridges and buildings did not have rebar, of course; their durability comes from a special aggregate they used. Reinforced concrete absorbs moisture and so eventually the rebar rusts and expands as it rusts, spalling off the surrounding concrete, exposing the steel bars to additional weathering / rusting. As this article explains, it’s difficult to assess the risk of such damage, much of which may be hidden.
Worth a read for the comments on condo boards and owner resistance to paying for cosrtly repairs:
The Dream of Florida Is Dead
The Miami condo collapse is a crisis for the entire state.
https://slate.com/business/2021/06/miami-condo-collapse-florida-building-industry-crisis.html