MADRID, Spain.- A preliminary report of the federal investigation into the collapse of part of the Champlain Towers South building, located in Surfside, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, revealed that it could have occurred because the pool, located in the bottom of the tower, had a “severe deficiency of strength.”
In it report about the investigation of the landslide —which occurred in the early hours of June 24, 2021—, published this Thursday, Glenn R. Bell, a researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NCST), explained that the design of the pool structure did not comply with the codes and standards applicable at the time of construction.
“In the most severe areas of insufficient strength, the strength provided by design is only about half of what codes and standards require,” Bell said.
The specialists also noted that the steel reinforcement within the concrete slabs of the pool deck had been buried deeper than originally planned. Just as it was detected that the planters placed on top were heavier than the initial design, which added weight to the structure in general. Investigators found corrosion on parts of the platform’s steel reinforcement.
The document also notes that a fragment of the pool floor collapsed about seven minutes before the rest of the building. The final analysis report should be published in May 2025.
The partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South, which had 12 floors and 136 apartments, caused the death of 98 people. The second sector of the building remained standing until it was demolished by order of Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on the night of Sunday, July 4, 2021.
