A recent study using InSAR technology reveals that nearby construction activities are accelerating the sinking of luxury towers along Miami's coastline. The study found that 35 buildings, including notable condos like Eighty Seven Park, Arte Surfside, and Trump Tower III, experienced subsidence of 2 to 8 cm between 2016 and 2023.

Subsidence is particularly prominent in Surfside and Sunny Isles Beach, home to many of Miami's high-profile luxury residences. Notably, some buildings in these areas, such as the Porsche Design Tower, saw subsidence exceeding 10 cm during the study period.

The findings come in the wake of the tragic 2021 collapse of the Champlain South Condominium Tower, which raised serious concerns about the structural integrity of Miami's coastal buildings. The collapse was linked to poor maintenance and design flaws, but it also underscored the importance of monitoring buildings in corrosive coastal environments.

The study attributes the subsidence not only to the region's porous limestone geology but also to nearby construction activities. The researchers noted a "spatio-temporal correlation between new constructions in the area and subsidence" and suggested that load-induced, prolonged creep deformation of sandy layers within limestone could be accelerated by vibrations or groundwater changes caused by construction.

In particular, buildings constructed after 2014 are more prone to subsidence, with a significant percentage of new buildings in northern and central Sunny Isles Beach experiencing sinking. The study suggests that stormwater injection and tidal flow could also contribute to subsidence by rearranging sand grains or dissolving limestone.

Despite the findings, South Florida's property market remains strong, with several high-rise buildings, including the 60-storey St Regis tower, still under development in the area.