Cracked Slab Drives Residents Out Of 16-Story Sarasota Condo; Could Be As Long As Six Months Before Re-Occupancy Allowed

In Sarasota, Florida, the St. Petersburg Times reports:

• To the list of things Florida homeowners have had to worry about — hurricanes, sinkholes, termites, foreclosure, Chinese drywall — add this: fears that your 16-story condominium might collapse. That has driven residents of the waterfront Dolphin Tower into indefinite exile, two weeks after a crack big enough to slide a hand through suddenly appeared in the floor of Apartment 4C. And city officials say no one will be allowed back permanently unless engineers can fix what one called a "scary'' problem.

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• The danger stems from flaws in the original design and construction nearly 40 years ago, engineer David Karins told the crowd. Tests have found "voids'' in the concrete that is blamed in part for the continued shifting and cracking of a fourth-floor slab that supports the 12 floors above it. "It's a tough problem,'' said Karins, whose firm was hired by the condo board to assess and repair the damage. "This is not something that happens every day." Almost immediately after the first crack appeared in late June, work began to reinforce the support slab. The major repairs, which involve jacking up the top 12 floors, will be "an elaborate and difficult thing to do,'' he warned.

• Even if no more serious problems are found, it could be as much as six months before residents can move back in. And there are no guarantees insurance will cover the cost of the repairs, which Karins estimated will be "at the high end of six figures.''

For the story, see Dangerous crack forces residents out of Sarasota high-rise condo.