Are oceanfront high rises collapse-prone in the Myrtle Beach area? What you need to know.

A Myrtle Beach high rise building was evacuated and remains vacant. Are the Grand Strand’s skyscrapers safe?

The homeowners’ association of Renaissance Tower in Myrtle Beach Resort is being sued in federal court by building residents, after an engineer in October discovered structural weaknesses that forced its evacuation.

Here’s what you need to know about skyscraper design challenges and building guidelines.

Issues with SC beachfront condo complex were known years before evacuation, lawsuit says

The higher you get, the more wind matters

Ashleigh Weatherly, a Myrtle Beach-based engineer involved with the construction of many Grand Strand high rises throughout his 30-year career, said variables like wind pressure and ocean proximity help determine how tall a building can go.

“The wind loads and everything increase by being on the ocean and the taller that you’re going, you’re designing for a greater wind pressure. The pressure that you get goes up with height,” he said.

If there were no zoning restrictions, Weatherly said the region could easily boast buildings as tall as the 1,776-foot high One World Trade Center in New York.

Once crews dig 25 to 50 feet below the ground here, they’ll hit a limestone layer that require piling systems to ensure stability.

“Most of the buildings that are six, eight stories or greater are on concrete auger pilings that go down and socket into that limestone layer, so theoretically we could build a building as tall as they do in New York,” Weatherly said.

Regular oversight should prevent scares like the Renaissance Tower evacuation

Horry County Code Enforcement on Oct. 7 ordered the evacuation of Renaissance Tower, a 22-story condominium complex that had corroded steel and concrete support structures. The problem was discovered after Renaissance Tower board members hired an engineer to evaluate the foundation. In June 2021, a similar building collapse in Florida killed 98 people.

“It’s certainly good for any HOA or hotel to get an inspection maybe every five years or 10 years max just to make sure things are going good,” Weatherly said.