Tel Aviv Building Collapse During Tama 38 Work Prompts Investigation

A front section of a building on Nachalat Binyamin Street in Tel Aviv collapsed on Wednesday morning during reinforcement and additional floor construction work as part of a Tama 38 urban renewal project. No injuries were reported, but three adjacent buildings were evacuated due to safety concerns. The structure, built nearly 90 years ago, had previously been classified as dangerous but was removed from the list in 2024 after rehabilitation work was completed. Initial assessments suggest the collapse is linked to the ongoing construction, though the exact cause remains undetermined. The project developer, Shlomi Tahori, declined to comment. The Tel Aviv Municipality stated that the contractor is Yesodot Motzakim Ltd., and work permits were issued about five months ago.

The planned project involved adding two and a half floors with five new apartments, as well as strengthening existing apartments with safe rooms and installing an elevator. The exact extent of work already performed is unknown. Experts suggest potential causes for such collapses include damage to the building's foundations or load-bearing elements like columns and walls.

Concerns about the building's stability were raised between 2020 and 2024 when it was deemed dangerous due to defects in areas like balconies and the stairwell. However, a 2024 engineer's report concluded the building was repaired and safe, leading the municipality to close the dangerous building file.

Yair Dikman, a building engineer, explained that collapses during Tama 38 reinforcement can occur from excavating near existing foundations, damaging supporting columns, or adding new floors. He criticized the Tama 38/1 method, which preserves the existing structure, arguing it's better to demolish and rebuild. "It's like wrapping a 90-year-old man around to strengthen him, but he himself remains old. This is not a good method, and it would have been better to demolish the building and build a new one," Dikman stated.

City planning and construction supervision authorities, along with the Ministry of Labor's professional supervision, are investigating the collapse and the work performed. Preliminary findings are expected soon. Safety inspectors issued a closure order for the site, noting it was not properly reported and lacked a required site manager. To resume construction, a new building permit will be necessary, as the original was for reinforcement and additions, and now half the building has collapsed.