Could a building collapse like the Surfside disaster happen in the Bay Area? Here’s what you need to know

The catastrophic apartment collapse in Surfside, Florida, in which at least 18 people died and about 150 are still missing, is raising questions about whether a similar disaster could occur in the Bay Area. The Chronicle spoke to Emily Guglielmo, president of the Northern California Structural Engineers Guild, about the potential for such a situation and what residents should know.

“We don’t see these collapses in the Bay Area or the US. We have strong building code,” said Guglielmo, who is also a principal at Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers. “This is a very rare event.” There are very few cases of an American building collapsing in the absence of an obvious external catastrophe such as a terrorist attack or, as happened in the Bay Area in 1989 and 1906, great earthquakes that destroyed entire neighborhoods.

What caused the collapse of Surfside?

It is not yet clear. An engineering report from 2018 reported “significant structural damage” under the building’s pool deck and cracking and collapsing columns in the parking garage. A repair project was planned as the building collapsed.

Guglielmo said bedrock movement and damage from salty air from the Atlantic could be factors in the collapse, but it’s too early to draw any conclusions. “There were probably several complex issues that led to something very catastrophic and surprising,” she said.

Do San Francisco buildings share any risks with the Miami area?

Because of building regulations, San Francisco’s waterfront doesn’t have the same beachfront apartment towers that are common around Miami. Land adjacent to downtown docks, controlled by the Port of San Francisco, prohibits residential uses. The homes facing Ocean Beach in Sunset and Richmond are mostly single-family dwellings. Structures near water can be exposed to salty air, which can lead to corrosion.

Many tall buildings in Downtown and Mission Bay have been erected on the mud of the bay, which can cause increased stability, as is the infamous Millennium Leaning Tower. Guglielmo said that some settlement is normal and soil pressure is calculated during the design phase. She said buildings should be monitored for excess stability after they are completed.

What should a building owner or occupant do if he sees damage to his building?

Guglielmo said signs such as foundation cracks, water leaks or exposed rebar should be reported to an expert such as a structural engineer for a full inspection. “It’s important to have a trained eye,” she said.

Have any buildings collapsed in the Bay Area in the past?

The only recent example of a fatal building collapse occurred in 2015 in Berkeley, when a balcony collapse killed six and injured seven, all students. City officials concluded that the support beams had severely rotted from water damage. In contrast, the Surfside apartment building has a concrete foundation.

In 2000, an old two-story apartment building in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles collapsed and a resident was killed. City officials did not find criminal negligence and cited the building’s age of 76 years. The Los Angeles Times reported that two years before the collapse, cracks in the foundation and other violations were found.

According to news reports, there have been only two other cases of large building collapses in California in recent decades. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.9, caused damage throughout the Bay Area, particularly in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, the Marina District of San Francisco, and the East Bay. Sixty-three people were killed, including 42, when the Cypress Street Bridge in West Auckland collapsed. The 1994 Northridge earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.7, in Southern California killed 60 people, including 16 in the collapse of an apartment building in Northridge Meadows.

How does the Gulf region deal with the risk of collapse during earthquakes?

San Francisco required the timber-frame apartment buildings that were prone to collapse during the earthquake for retrofits. The order includes buildings with five or more condominiums with building permits issued prior to 1978 and two or more floors above a “soft floor,” such as a garage that could collapse.

Cities including Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, and Fremont also have retrofit requirements for wood-framed buildings.

A 2018 city report found that 68 towers in San Francisco built between 1964 and 1989 had steel beams that could crack during a major earthquake. The report did not conclude whether the buildings needed updating.

California updated its building codes after the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, including higher standards for hospitals.

Can earthquake retrofits protect other types of collapse?

Guglielmo said that as part of the retrofit process, the building is being inspected and other potential weaknesses may be revealed. But the retrofit program is narrowly targeted to protect against seismic activity, not other types of hazards, she said.

If a California apartment building has defects, who pays for the repairs?

The state statute of limitations for construction defects in apartment buildings is 10 years, so if problems are found before that, the apartment association can sue the building developer to pay for repairs. After that, the owners will have to pay for repairs through reserves, a special appraisal or, in extreme cases, through loans.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer J.K. contributed to this report. Denine.

Roland Lee is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: rolandlisf

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