Federal investigators investigating the Champlain Towers South apartment collapse in Surfside, Florida, are leaning toward the conclusion that the building’s pool deck was likely the cause of the collapse.
Investigators at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on Thursday announced the agency’s nearly three-year investigation into the shocking and sudden collapse of the 12-story L-shaped Champlain Towers South building that killed 98 people in June. The latest information on the investigation was announced. 2021.
NIST said a team of engineering, geotechnical, social science, materials science and other experts is collecting and analyzing evidence to determine the cause of the collapse. The investigation, which has already cost $30 million, includes talking to witnesses, testing materials from the collapse site, creating complex computer models and analyzing video footage.
Ginni Gontae visited Surfside on July 7, 2021 to honor her friends Nancy Claes Levin and Jay Klayman, who lost their lives after the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. – Visited the Wall of Hope Memorial Museum. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald, via AP)
Surfside condominium collapse investigator finds pool deck construction ‘deviates from design requirements’
A widely shared video of the incident shows the center of the building collapsing within seconds, followed quickly by another part of the building.
Another video taken by a tourist on the night of the collapse showed water pouring into the garage and chunks of concrete covering the floor on the north side of the building. Investigators say the video is evidence that the pool deck, located at ground level above an underground parking garage, collapsed into the parking lot before the eastern portion of the tower collapsed, the Miami Herald reported. Stated.
The building was partially destroyed on June 24, 2021, and the remaining building was demolished approximately 10 days later.
According to CBS News, Thursday’s meeting cited design flaws in the construction and the failure to meet safety standards in place at the time, as well as those in place in 1979 when Champlain Tower was first built. The focus was on what was missing.
Aerial photos show the building partially collapsed. The ongoing investigation into the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, is leading to the conclusion that the building’s pool deck was to blame. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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Investigators said the design of the pool deck and tower did not meet strength and other requirements at the time.
“We believe we have conclusive evidence that the pool deck collapsed before the tower catastrophic event,” said Glenn Bell, team associate leader for Champlain Towers South NCST NIST. Ta.
According to a CBS News report, Champlain Towers South NCST NIST project leader Fahim Sadek said some of the pillars may have been lacking in strength and did not comply with original codes and standards. said.
To determine the cause of the collapse, Sadeq said investigators are looking at the impact of vibrations from the pillars, concrete mix, corrosion, the building’s foundation and nearby buildings due to construction.
Investigators said failure theories have been narrowed down to about two dozen, with one of the most likely scenarios being a connection between the pool deck slab and pillar.
They are investigating signs that the concrete protecting the rebar has been damaged by cracks, causing corrosion, and note a history of water leaks in the garage and around the pool.
This aerial photo shows a portion of the oceanfront 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium that collapsed in Surfside, Florida on June 24, 2021. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel, via AP)
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“The overall purpose of this investigation is to learn from it and bring about improved norms and changes in practice to minimize the likelihood that disasters like this terrible tragedy will happen again,” Bell said, according to CBS. ” he said.
CBS also reported that the pool deck collapsed more than four minutes before the building, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the collapse started there.
Investigators are considering about two dozen failure theories, trying to rule out less likely causes, such as a sinkhole in the limestone beneath the tower or uneven settling of the building’s foundation.
The investigation found no evidence of an explosion or any unusual events that could have caused the incident, the Miami Herald reported. Several flashes were seen as the building collapsed.
Nevertheless, investigators said they did not rule out the possibility that something inside the tower caused the collapse.
FOX News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.
