New research shows that luxury high-rises in Miami-Dade aren’t just sinking more than expected; they’re sinking unevenly, with parts of the building sinking faster than others. This so-called differential settlement, engineers say, can potentially create long-term structural damage and dramatically increase maintenance and insurance costs.
“We can see really well now how these buildings are internally deforming, that some are shrinking and tilting….and that there is differential settlement,” said Falk Amelung, the University of Miami professor whose 2024 paper revealed that at least 35 buildings along Miami’s barrier islands — from the Porsche Design Tower to the iconic Faena Hotel and several buildings named after Donald Trump — were sinking more than expected.
High-rises are expected to settle as their enormous weight compresses the ground beneath them, but that settlement is expected to stop soon after construction. UM’s research showed that the high-rises continued to sink into the sand and porous limestone they were built on years after they were constructed…