MIAMI - Federal
investigators say the swimming pool deck of Champlain Towers
South condo that collapsed two years ago in Surfside,
killing 98 people, failed to comply with original building
codes and standards.
Investigators with the
National Institute of Standards and Technology gave an
update on the collapse of the Champlain Towers South
building, during a regular meeting of the National
Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee. The town of
Surfside is located just north of Miami Beach.
Besides design understrength, investigators reported signs
of corrosion, misplaced reinforcement and the placement of
heavier and additional plant containers on the deck than
those in the original plans. These and other factors led to
" critically low margins against failure," investigators
said.
Experts have
previously suggested problems with the pool deck might have
led to the 40-year-old, 12-story building's collapse on June
24, 2021, but the NIST investigation is ongoing.
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Officials expect their
technical work to be completed by next spring, with a report
on the cause and any potential recommendations for updating
codes, standards or practices to come in 2025.
As the investigation continues, developers are working to
build a new structure on the site, despite calls from
victims' family members to build a memorial at the location.
Dubai-based DAMAC International, which purchased the
1.8-acre (1-hectare) site for $120 million last year,
submitted plans for a new condo building this week to the
town of Surfside. The proposed building, designed by
London-based Zaha Hadid Architects, includes 57 units,
ranging in size from 4,000 to 9,000 square feet (360 to 810
square meters). The luxury building would include a business
center, event space and two pools.
The proposal actually includes two variations for the
building, depending on the final setback variance allowed
for the site. One design features vertically aligned
balconies, while the other includes tiered balconies that
are set back as the floors go up. No prices have been listed
for the units, but comparable residences in the area sell
for over $1 million.
Since shortly after Champlain Towers South's collapse,
family members of the victims and their supporters have
called for a memorial to be placed on the site. Town
officials have said they will dedicate space along a nearby
street for a memorial, but some family members insist the
memorial should be placed where people actually died.
Town officials still need to approve the new development
plans.