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Bettesworth Construction
building subsidence

641-Foot Porsche Design Tower in Miami Was Found to Be Sinking—What the Study Measured

A University of Miami satellite study detected subsidence at Porsche Design Tower, but it did not determine whether movement was differential or whether the tower is damaged or unsafe.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 3 min read
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Yes. A 2024 University of Miami study detected subsidence at the 641-foot Porsche Design Tower in Sunny Isles Beach using satellite radar observations. That finding measures ground or building displacement; it does not establish that the tower is structurally damaged or unsafe. The study did not determine whether movement was uniform or differential, an important distinction for engineering assessment.

What the study measured at Porsche Design Tower

The peer-reviewed 2024 paper, “InSAR Observations of Construction-Induced Coastal Subsidence on Miami’s Barrier Islands, Florida”, reports more than 10 centimeters of line-of-sight displacement at Porsche Design Tower in a TerraSAR-X observation spanning 2017–2021. Line-of-sight displacement is the component of movement measured along the satellite’s viewing direction; it is not, by itself, a complete three-dimensional account of how a building moved.

That tower-specific observation is not the same measurement as the study’s broader regional finding, summarized by the Miami Herald: researchers identified 35 buildings with roughly 0.8 to just over 3 inches of subsidence between 2016 and 2023. The periods and reported figures differ, so they should not be combined into a single estimate of how far Porsche Design Tower has sunk.

Finding Period and scope What it means
More than 10 cm of line-of-sight displacement 2017–2021; Porsche Design Tower, TerraSAR-X observation reported in the 2024 study A tower-specific satellite observation in the radar viewing direction; not a determination of total vertical settlement or structural condition.
Roughly 0.8 to just over 3 inches of subsidence across 35 buildings 2016–2023; regional summary of the University of Miami study, reported by the Miami Herald A multi-building finding over a different observation period, not a tower-specific figure.

Does subsidence mean the tower is damaged or unsafe?

No such conclusion follows from the satellite finding alone. The study documents measured displacement, but it did not determine whether the tower moved uniformly or differentially. Uniform settlement and differential settlement are not interchangeable: differential movement, in which parts of a structure settle by different amounts, can pose a distinct engineering concern. The reviewed reporting does not establish that Porsche Design Tower has structural damage or is unsafe.

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The study also did not find pre-collapse settlement at Champlain Towers South, according to the Miami Herald’s account; researchers said settlement was not the cause of that collapse. The Porsche Design Tower observation therefore should not be presented as a prediction of a similar event.

What may have contributed to movement?

The researchers reported a correlation between subsidence and sandy layers interbedded in limestone, drawing on sparse geological data. They discussed construction vibration and sustained structural loading as possible contributors to gradual particle rearrangement and creep. These are proposed mechanisms, not a proven cause specific to Porsche Design Tower.

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What is known about the tower’s foundations and inspections?

A 2025 Miami Herald investigation reviewed records describing a 2011 geotechnical analysis prepared before construction. The Herald reported that the analysis discussed differential-settlement risks and recommended foundations deeper than 85-foot piles; later project details said the tower’s piles were drilled to 155 feet. Those historical records provide foundation context, but they do not establish the tower’s present condition.

After the subsidence study, Sunny Isles Beach Mayor Larisa Svechin told the Miami Herald that required inspections were up to date and that city officials would review buildings named in the study. Her statement that the city was “100 percent confident that everything is safe” concerned the city’s buildings and inspections; it was not a published, independent engineering determination specifically about Porsche Design Tower. The Herald reported that the tower did not respond to its requests for comment at the time. The reviewed sources do not provide a completed tower-specific inspection or current official safety determination.

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What would clarify the tower’s condition?

The key unresolved engineering question is whether movement is uniform or differential. The researchers and experts called for further investigation, including monitoring and on-site assessment. Satellite observations identify displacement over time, while a tower-specific engineering assessment would be needed to evaluate the building’s condition; the reviewed sources do not report the outcome of such an assessment.

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