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Federal Report Details Sequence of Failures in 2021 Surfside Condo Collapse
National Institute of Standards and Technology investigators released a technical report Monday describing how two pool-deck connections failed weeks before the June 24, 2021 collapse that killed 98 people. The report rules out nearby construction, foundation issues, and storm surge as causes.
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Federal investigators on Monday released a technical report detailing how the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida began to fail weeks before its June 24, 2021 collapse that killed 98 people. The National Institute of Standards and Technology team said two connections between garage columns and the pool deck failed in early June 2021.
Cracks then spread and loads shifted to other structural elements that could not support them.
The report states the southern pool-deck edge became unseated from a supporting wall, causing a slab to sag and break away. That damage increased loads on neighboring connections until they also failed. Investigators ruled out vibrations from nearby construction, foundation failure, sinkholes, and storm-surge effects as contributing factors.
Oliveira, whose husband and five-year-old son were among those killed, said she was disturbed to learn the building had shown signs of failure for three weeks before the collapse. "It's extremely disturbing, specifically the fact that it started cracking three weeks prior to the collapse," Oliveira said.
Co-lead investigator Judith Mitrani-Reiser stated the building's original design left margins against failure too narrow from the start. Co-lead investigator Glenn Bell said the findings are intended to help prevent similar tragedies.
