‘Didn't want to alarm anybody': South Florida sinking building study gets mixed reactions

Local leaders, architects and others are weighing in on a new study from the University of Miami that found nearly three dozen oceanfront buildings from Miami Beach to Sunny Isles Beach are experiencing some level of sinking.

The 35 buildings are experiencing subsidence, a process where the ground sinks or settles, ranging from two to eight centimeters, according to the study by scientists at UM's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science.

Buildings in Sunny Isles Beach saw the most significant subsidence effects, followed by Surfside, where the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium killed nearly 100 people.

Sinking was also found at two buildings in Miami Beach and at one in Bal Harbour, according to the study published Friday in the journal Earth and Space Science.

Professor Gregor Eberli, a co-author of the study, told NBC6 the goal of the report was to see how stable Florida's ground on the coastline is, and how high-rises like Faena House, Porsche Design Tower or the Surf Club Tower, and the other 32 buildings, react over time.

"First of all, we didn’t want to alarm anybody, we just wanted to put out the fact that yes, there is a bit of subsidence going on and we wanted to quantify that," Eberli said.

Another goal of the study was to introduce the public to the satellite technology used to gather the results.

Scientists used satellite radar to measure the subsidence between 2016 and 2023 on fixed elements on buildings including balconies, rooftop air conditioners and boardwalks.

The satellites are able to measure "millimeter-scale displacements" and by by combining images, the scientists were able to determine how much subsidence was happening.

Reaction has been pouring in since the study was published, including from officials in Sunny Isles Beach.

"The State of Florida and Miami-Dade County have comprehensive regulations in place to ensure building construction and structural integrity," city officials said in a statement. "The City of Sunny Isles Beach strictly adheres to these regulations, including compliance with the Florida Building Code and ongoing reinspection requirements."

Some architects said the research, written by 12 authors, needed more sets of eyes.

“The measurements and the confirmation of the data usually always has to be corroborated by at least three independent parties who would look at it," Kobi Karp said. "And if all three of those parties agree than we can go forward in a proper direction.”

Karp, the founder of Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, said there are at least six inspectors on any high-rise development who ensure safety and that the building is settled on the ground it's built on.

"I personally feel very very comfortable with the structural integrity and the structural systems of the buildings that were mentioned in the report and how they were built," Karp said.

Co-author Esber Andiroglu said one of the study's goals was to inform architects and engineers about the amount of sinking taking place to help them be more efficient.

"It’s not so much about the safety of the occupants, but more about the preservation of resources and containing costly repairs to more manageable maintenance expenses," he said.

Andiroglu also wanted to make clear that the ground sinking is a natural and expected process.

“We design with that in mind and there are safety factors and corrective measures that account for all that," he said.

Local leaders are also chiming in, saying they're aware of the report.

“Obviously when there is a report like this publicly, we take it very seriously. We think about it, we talk about it, and we make sure it’s not impacting our buildings," Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said.

"It’s not something that’s happening quickly or suddenly, so it should pose no risk to any of us," Miami-Dade Mayor Daniela Levine Cava said.

The co-authors said there is still research to be done.