The new developments of Wenbin Zhao’s theory about the cause of Champlain Towers South Collapse
July 2, 2021
By the way, I also want to say:
the west part of the building will not collapse soon, because it doesn’t need to lift the eastern part of the building any more, its burden has been reduced, it’s on the whole become safer than before, I think the rescuers needn’t to worry about that it will collapse at any time.
As for its sister towers, Champlain Towers North and Champlain Towers East, if their foundations are in good condition, I think the residents can still live in their units.
But we need to inspect other buildings’ foundation on the slopes of such small islands and shores.
July 4, 2021
Before the remaining part of the collapsed Champlain Towers South was demolished on July 4, 2021 at 10:30 pm, I was trying my best to leave some messages in the comments section at the end of these article:
https://source.asce.org/nist-will-investigate-champlain-towers-south-collapse
https://source.asce.org/quest-for-answers-begins-following-florida-building-collapse
Following are the three messages I left, but obviously they did not get any attention.
WENBIN ZHAO July 4, 2021 At 12:03 am
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I have really found the real cause of the collapse of Champlain Towers South, I think I should keep working to create a theory to help find some signs of such softer and harder foundation caused collapse in advance.
I got news that the remains of the collapsed condo will be demolished in matter of hours. I feel sorry that I couldn’t be on the scene of the collapsed Champlain Towers South, the U.S. government did not invite me to be there to see the remains of the collapsed building. If I can see the remains of the collapsed building, I can definitely create a theory to help find some signs of such softer and harder foundation caused collapse in advance, I’m sure that theory will instruct us to prevent future softer and harder foundation caused collapses and potentially save people’s lives.
But the remains of that collapse Surfside condo building will be demolished soon, I feel I will miss a chance to create a theory to help this world.
WENBIN ZHAO July 4, 2021 At 5:48 am
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I have said that the still standing part of the Champlain Towers South will not collapse soon, and I also think it can resist Hurricane Elsa.
Now a new team of experts came forward to demolish the still standing part of Champlain Towers South. I think, when they do this, it’s very safe to drill the columns in the western end row on the first floor, and it’s enough to drill only these columns and put explosives in them.
When they blast these columns, the remaining building will not collapse towards east and will not come down on top of the existing pile of rubble.
When they drill and blast these columns, they will feel these columns are indeed in good condition, because such harder and softer foundation caused collapses damage the still standing columns on the harder part of the foundation very little, and that’s the reason why I say the still standing part of the building will not collapse soon.
This demolition will also certify that my theory is correct.
I have come forward to explain the cause, I hope you can pay attention to it.
WENBIN ZHAO July 4, 2021 At 9:20 pm
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I want to repeat,
If the demolition crew only drill and set explosives in the columns at the western end of the building on the first floor, when they do these things they are very safe, blasting these columns can make sure the remaining building will come down in the westward direction and not on top the the existing debris pile.
When they drill and blast these columns, they will feel these columns are indeed in good condition.
July 7, 2021
I think I have found the real cause of that collapse.
But I’m still keeping studying the process of the collapse, I have watched that collapse video for more than 100 times and carefully reviewed a lot of relevant photographs, I’m sure that the beams on the first floor (or basement) connecting the eastern part of the building and the western part of the building sheared off from the western end first, and then the second floor’s beams sheared off, the third, …… finally the twelfth floor’s beams were pulled off from the western part of the building. Please note, in such collapse when it goes to upper floors, the shear force is becoming weaker and the pull force is becoming stronger.
But when the shearing off went to the fifth floor’s beams ( maybe fourth floor’s, I’m not sure, but it should be the middle floor’s beams), those sheared off beams impacted the columns on the eastern side heavily and broke off these columns, so the video shows that the middle of the eastern part of the building was dented first, the video can’t show the first floor’s beams shearing off, we can only watch the middle of the eastern part of the building was dented first.
What the video shows and other photographs show are all in compliance with my mechanical analysis.
Now I’m 99.9% sure that the real cause of that collapse is that the western part of the foundation is harder and the eastern part of the foundation was softer, and the designer ignore the original topography of the building site. If I’m able to go to the collapse site to look and review other data, I will be 100% sure about my conclusion.
July 9, 2021
We heard news nearly a week ago that the city of North Miami Beach ordered the evacuation of Crestview Towers Condo, I don’t know if this building is really safe or not, but I think the authorities should also think about if this building’s foundation has problem, if the northern part of the foundation is softer than the southern part of the foundation, if the northern part of the foundation has been sinking faster than the southern part of the foundation. Because this building is also very near to water, right on the southern bank of a river. Take a look at the following images:
Maybe Crestview Towers Condo has the same problem, the northern part of foundation is softer and sinking faster than the southern part of the foundation, just as that collapsed Champlain Towers South did.
