Jacob Ogles
Could modern technology predict or prevent the next major structural collapse in Florida?
A case study presented by RADISE International founder Kumar Allady showed attendees of Florida TaxWatch’s Spring meeting how sensors embedded in concrete could detect and track corrosion of cement.
“Sensor technology and the Internet of Things is revolutionizing concrete structures,” he said.
Ahead of the presentation, Florida TaxWatch Vice President of Research Bob Nave reminded attendees of several recent disasters that drew national attention.
The most notable was the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside in 2021, which killed 98 people. But smaller disasters like the Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse in 2018 also claimed five lives.
Florida TaxWatch in April released an independent study on how the use of microelectronic sensors to continuously monitor structures could alert engineers and public officials immediately to potential hazards with structures.
“This technology acts more like a streaming movie as opposed to one-time or periodic on-site inspections,” the report reads. “This technology can save many millions of dollars in inspection costs and protect many lives, as well as save billions of dollars worth of public infrastructure and property.”
Allady spoke on the topic, and along the way showed how the technology is being used already with several bridge projects in the state of Florida. That includes a massive road project connecting Interstate 395, State Road 386 and Interstate 95 in Miami-Dade County.
But for the most part, most $20,000 cars brought to the market today have more electronic sensors than $1 million towers being constructed.
Allady stressed that condominium associations and developers likely won’t embrace the technology on their own.
“The decision has to come at the policy level, because you’ve got to implement some of these things,” he told Florida Politics. “A lot of the condominium side, we had some of the instrumentation, they don’t want to see the data. They don’t want litigation, part of a legality point of view, and will not listen. The contractors or the engineers or the owners, some people are progressive and they want to see the data, but some people don’t.”
He said sensors can be installed in existing or new construction. The process will be different in either situation. But sensors will glean the most data if they can be installed as part of building foundations.
“Every structure that we are building presently, we are losing an opportunity,” he said.
The Legislature did enact new regulations after the Surfside collapse, but revisited the law this year amid outcry on costs. Allady, though, said policymakers could put in sensor requirements at a measured pace.
“As a starting point you want to do with size threshold buildings, or the high-rise buildings about three stories or four stories,” he said. “Then they can go from there.”
