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In the early morning hours of June 24, 2021, half of the 12-story Surfside Florida luxury condominium, Champlain Towers South, came crashing to the ground, killing 98 occupants.
In a recent public update, the NIST detailed the lengthy work needed to uncover the causes of this collapse.
This includes building design, construction, modification, and deterioration analysis, evidence preservation, remote sensing analysis using data collected with tools such as LIDAR during recovery, material tests on recovered evidence, a geotechnical analysis of the surrounding soil and geologic conditions, as well as detailed structural and failure analysis using computer modeling.
Additionally, they will interview people with historic knowledge of construction in south Florida, and continue to accept information from the public that could shed additional light on this tragedy.
Although answers from NIST's investigation will not be forthcoming for a number of years, many individuals unrelated to the NIST have combed through publicly available information to find possible causes.
While precise triggers leading to the collapse may never be known, most public evidence, as this video demonstrates, points to two key factors: Badly neglected and deteriorated pool deck concrete slab that lead to a pool deck collapse, and resulting damage to three key building support columns that lead to the building collapse minutes later.
A timeline based on public witness accounts, details the dramatic events of that morning.
In an interesting twist, this USA Today article digs deep in to possible drug related money laundering and corruption surrounding the building's construction.
AP News reports a lawsuit that was just filed alleges previous construction next door contributed to the collapse.
Most of the media has focused on the lack of "answers" from the NIST and other organizations. Youtuber Jeff Ostroff has compiled an informative explanation of who NIST is, why the NIST is investigating, and why this takes so long.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 20 2021, @09:17PM (2 children)
I lived in a place once where our gas water heater was essentially "condemned" by a contractor, even though they were not city workers. The unit could not be used until it was repaired, possibly re-inspected by the city. My memory is a bit hazy, as I was a renter so you get that benefit of it being "not your problem". In any event, the thing was safely repaired but I was impressed with the idea that some contractors could, in effect, be "deputized" to condemn things within a building, if not the building entirely. I'm not sure if that power would have been used by the contractor in this case if it were available; but it sounds like something they might want to look in to. Of course there's potential for abuse there--contractors holding the building hostage, but you wouldn't be required to use the same guy, others could dispute it (putting their bond in jeopardy if it turned out you were just bribing them, etc.). In other words, more eyes and a more clear procedure to condemn things that are truly unsafe might be helpful.
(Score: 2) by Kymation on Saturday November 20 2021, @11:05PM (1 child)
Either the contractor or the engineer should have reported this finding to the city building department. I would not be surprised to find that this was done and the city did nothing. If it was not reported then the engineering firm and/or the contractor could be liable.
I once found that a house that I was looking to buy had slid several inches downhill. I reported this to the city, but they did nothing until a landslide started under that house several years later. While this is only one case, I have heard many stories of similar results. To be fair, the city probably doesn't want to get into an argument with a property owner over something that may or may not indicate a serious problem.
(Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Sunday November 21 2021, @12:27AM
Something to keep in mind is Surfside, where Champlain Towers South was, is actually very tiny self-run town right on the back of Miami. (I've read that the town of Surfside evolved a long time ago from some kind of exclusive beach club) They have their own building department and they were already in some hot water. Reports of issues in 2018 were shrugged off claiming the building was in "Good Shape".