(The Center Square) – Lawmakers should mandate smart sensors in multi-story condominium buildings to warn residents of potential structural failures, says a report by a Florida nonpartisan policy group released on Friday
The report by the nonprofit Florida TaxWatch group recommends that lawmakers mandate the embedded microelectronic sensors, which can measure structural degradation, metal fatigue, water leaks and stress, in high-rise buildings, bridges and dams.
They also are seeking incentives for retrofitting of the sensors for existing structures and the creation of a statewide sensor data platform to provide real-time monitoring.
Florida has been hit hard by structural collapses. In 2021, 98 people in the Champlain Towers South condominium building died when one of the complex’s towers collapsed due to structural issues. In 2018, at Florida International University, a pedestrian bridge collapsed killing six.
The report also says there are 98 high-hazard dams and over 1,000 miles of levees protecting $100 billion in property.
According to a study from the University of Miami cited in the report, there is subsidence in 35 high-rise buildings in a 12-mile stretch from Miami Beach to Sunny Isles, with some of the buildings sinking up to 3.1 inches due to soil shifting. Half of these high-rise buildings, defined by state law as 75 feet or greater, were less than 10 years old.
Many of these cases of subsidence are related to the deformation of limestone, which makes up Florida’s bedrock and is porous to water. The movement of tidal groundwater or stormwater injection used for flood management, according to the report, can also rearrange sand under the buildings.
The microelectronic sensors can be embedded into building columns, bridge piles (which are driven into the bedrock to support the deck structure) and used to determine water levels with dams to warn of potential collapses or breaches. Using wireless technology, these tiny sensors can report potential problems and allow the evacuation of residents and allow for possible repairs.
“The tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Sunrise, and the subsequent special session called by the Florida Legislature to enact new condominium safety requirements, allowed for immediate action to protect Floridians – but more work remains to be done to provide additional relief to condominium owners and associations,” said Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic Calabro in a release. “Florida TaxWatch presents this report to underscore the critical need for early warning systems, like microelectronic smart sensors, in Florida’s vertical infrastructure to avert catastrophic failures, save lives, and preserve property values.”
