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that the Miami DEA had recently started parking cars seized from drug dealers in the rooftop garage. However, later investigations found that the supporting steel structure of the building had been eroded and weakened by resurfacing of the parking lot combined with salt in the sand. The concrete slab
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The collapse occurred at 10:24 a.m. EDT on Monday, August 5, 1974 when the roof caved in, triggering a partial collapse. People in the building thought an explosion or earthquake had occurred. Employees working in the part of the building that did not collapse were quickly told to evacuate the
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The building had been constructed in 1925, making it 49 years old at the time of the collapse. It had undergone a full engineering inspection in 1968 before the DEA office was cleared to move into the building. The structure underwent some renovations in 1971, the same year that the DEA moved into
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Firemen worked through the night to rescue survivors and to recover bodies from the wreckage. Evidence and records related to pending cases were locked in vaults beneath the rubble, keeping them safe. Rescue operations had to proceed slowly because of the danger of a partially-destroyed wall that
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Initial speculation centered on a theory that the cars parked on a six-inch-thick slab of concrete on the roof were too heavy, causing the collapse. Investigations later concluded that resurfacing of the parking lot combined with salt in the sand had eroded the supporting steel structure of the
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have particular risks, as salt in the aggregate rock used when making concrete can corrode reinforcing steel due to the area's humid climate and salty air. This corrosion can expand and crack the concrete, causing it to lose structural capacity. The collapse led to
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Initial speculation centered on the cars parked on the roof of the structure overloading the concrete slab they were parked on and causing the collapse, with the number of cars at first being reported as 80 and then 57. Former
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Miami-Dade County Office of the
Inspector General Final Report: OIG Review of the Dade County Courthouse and the 40/50 Year Recertification Requirement
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Examining the six tons of rubble left by the collapse, Miami-Dade County engineer John
Pistorino concluded that concrete buildings in
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In 1974, between 125 and 150 people worked in the building, although not all were on site when the building collapsed.
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275:"Survivor Speaks: 1974 DEA building collapse led to 40-year recertification process under scrutiny after Surfside"
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106:'s mandatory 40-year recertification program for buildings with the hope of avoiding another such collapse. The
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390:"After A DEA Building Collapsed In 1974, Engineer Created Recertification Program To Prevent Future Disasters"
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building. Seven people were confirmed dead due to the collapse, and 15 were injured and treated at
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poured on the roof of the building in 1971 may also have partially contributed to the collapse.
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On August 5, 1974, at 10:24 a.m. EDT, a
Federal office building housing the US
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413:"Have buildings spontaneously collapsed before? Yes, but it's a short list"
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The Corpse Had a
Familiar Face: Covering Miami, America's Hottest Beat
251:(Report). Miami-Dade Inspector General. February 29, 2016. p. 6
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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threatened collapse, potentially burying rescuers and survivors.
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331:"6 Die as Roof Falls: Cars Drop Into Federal Office in Miami"
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177:"The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Years 1970–1975"
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the building. It was located near the current site of the
213:"Last of 7 Bodies Recovered In Collapsed Miami Building"
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Building and structure collapses in the United States
186:. United States Department of Justice. p. 36
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411:Blaskey, Sarah; Cassidy, Dana (June 30, 2021).
110:are a part of these recertification programs.
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25:(DEA) Miami Field Division office in downtown
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273:Hensel, Karen; Cohen, Daniel (July 8, 2021).
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48:Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
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305:"Office Building Roof Collapses in Miami"
120:List of structural failures and collapses
37:building, weakening it catastrophically.
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486:August 1974 events in the United States
16:Catastrophic building collapse in Miami
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388:Staletovich, Jenny (June 25, 2021).
481:1974 disasters in the United States
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130:Structural integrity and failure
506:Drug Enforcement Administration
23:Drug Enforcement Administration
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337:. August 6, 1974. p. A3.
108:40 Year Structural Inspections
91:The Corpse Had a Familiar Face
50:at 1201 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami.
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125:Surfside condominium collapse
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367:. Random House. p. 77.
311:. August 6, 1974. p. 66
219:. August 7, 1974. p. 38
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153:, Retrieved 07/09/2021
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64:Jackson Memorial Hospital
363:Buchanan, Edna (1987).
352:– via ProQuest.
501:Disasters in Florida
448: /
392:. WUSF Public Media
335:The Washington Post
309:The New York Times
217:The New York Times
89:wrote in her book
452:25.786°N 80.191°W
374:978-0-394-55794-6
104:Miami-Dade County
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151:The DEA Years
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470:Categories
443:80°11′28″W
440:25°47′10″N
136:References
41:Background
343:146147650
85:reporter
70:Aftermath
339:ProQuest
114:See also
57:Collapse
422:July 8,
396:July 8,
348:July 8,
315:July 8,
284:July 9,
255:July 9,
223:July 8,
190:July 8,
184:DEA.gov
31:Florida
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249:(PDF)
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27:Miami
424:2021
398:2021
369:ISBN
350:2021
317:2021
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279:WSVN
257:2021
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192:2021
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