By AZ Business Magazine | AZ Big Media (Image by Joe Kniesek)
The deadly building collapse of a high rise in Miami, Florida is capturing worldwide attention. A Phoenix structural engineer explains the chances of a building collapse happening here are unlikely.
“It is very rare for a building to collapse in the United States,” said John-Jozef Proczka, a structural plan s examiner with the city of Phoenix Planning and Development Department. “Building codes are updated frequently in Phoenix. We look at tragedies and failures around the world to determine if there should be additional code changes, so we have the largest chance possible of preventing a tragedy.”
There are no uniform building codes nationwide. Individual jurisdictions adopt their own codes. All the major cities tend to adopt similar codes. Building codes in Phoenix are updated every 6 years, the most recent round was adopted in 2018.
Proczka didn’t want to speculate on the exact cause of the collapse in Miami, but his professional eye is drawn towards a potential failure in the foundation, columns in the lower stories or soil towards the center of the building.
