The probe into the
2021 collapse of a beachfront condominium building that
killed 98 people in South Florida should be completed by the
fourth anniversary of the disaster, federal officials said
Thursday.
The investigation led
by the National Institute of Standards & Technology is
looking into two dozen different scenarios that could
explain why the 12-story Champlain Towers South building in
Surfside abruptly failed early in the morning of June 24,
2021, they said.
“We’re still not prepared to close the door on any of them
yet," said Glenn Bell, associate team lead of the Champlain
Towers probe. “We are still testing, testing, testing.”
Bell told a meeting of NIST's National Construction Safety
Team Advisory Committee on Thursday that most of the
intensive work on such things as concrete core samples,
corrosion in reinforcing bars and evidence of subpar
construction in the 40-year-old building will be done by
next spring, followed by a final report and recommendations
by June 2025. |
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"We a“re driving hard
now to complete this investigation by the fourth anniversary
of the collapse. This investigation is one of the most
complex and challenging of its type ever undertaken,” he
said.
Much attention has focused on the pool deck, which
investigators previously said failed to comply with the
original building codes and standards, with many areas of
severe strength deficiency that likely contributed to the
disaster. Officials said Thursday the pool area remains a
central focus, along with the garage beneath it.
“The interaction of the pool deck and the tower is really
important in the progression of the collapse,” Bell said.
There also were studies done on the ground underneath the
building to determine whether sinkholes, underground voids
or soil irregularities might have played a role.
Investigators have not found evidence that was a factor.
Judith Mitrani-Reiser, the Champlain Towers investigative
team lead, said 24 computer hard drives have been recovered
that might have video or other evidence that could help
explain what happened. Photos were shown at Thursday's
meeting of a seventh-floor unit where a video camera on a
table captured some debris falling from above before the
building collapsed.
That kind of evidence is invaluable, she said.
“The information from the public has been just an amazing
asset to our investigation,” Mitrani-Reiser said. "A
different angle would really be tremendous. We are really at
the mercy of what we can find.”
Meanwhile, at the site in Surfside, Dubai-based DAMAC
International, plans to construct a building with 57 units
ranging in size from 4,000 to 9,000 square feet. The luxury
building would include a business center, event space and
two pools, according to plans submitted to Surfside.
A judge last June approved a settlement topping $1 billion
for victims of the Champlain Towers South collapse, one of
the worst building failures in U.S. history.
The money comes from 37 different sources, including
insurance companies, engineering firms and a luxury
condominium whose recent construction next door is suspected
of contributing to structural damage of Champlain Towers
South. None of the parties admit any wrongdoing.
Plans are also still in the works for a permanent memorial
to the victims.