More than four years after 98 people died in the collapse of a Florida apartment complex, federal agents have yet to finalize the cause, but they have some key theories.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, which handles the probe, said this week it hopes to close the investigation in 2026.
“We will investigate this failure that will have lasting impact, save future lives and ensure this never happens again,” NIST investigator Judith Mitrani-Reiser said in a new report from the agency.
Most residents were sleeping in the 12-storey Champlain Tower south when a beachfront condo in Surfside, Florida collapsed on June 24, 2021 on a huge mountain of Kurabu Rub.
Meanwhile, a new, luxurious apartment building is rising at the Champlain Towers site, a few miles north of Miami.
What is the cause of the collapse?
NIST has gone to zero for what is called three “higher, stupid” scenarios. All of these are related to construction defects that stem from the beginning of a structure 40 years ago.
“These conditions existed since construction was completed 40 years before the partial collapse,” said Glenbell, co-lead investigator for NIST’s National Construction Safety Team.
One possibility is a failure in connection between a building column and a pool deck lab that does not meet the building code criteria. The other is that the steel reinforcement “was not located where it should be.” This means that the columns and pool decks are too weak.
And the third theory is that when work done later in the pool – heavy planters, sand and pavement were added, the deck’s heavy load was “already functionally and structurally inadequate.”
The NIST report also points out that support columns in building underground parking garages are frequently exposed to flooding, causing corrosion of steel reinforcement and concrete deterioration.
Are there any other theories?
Investigators could not find any evidence of blank in the ground beneath the building known as the “Karst.” Using satellite data, the NIST team discovered that it was not sinking or resting under Champlain Towers. This indicates the existence of Karst.
Furthermore, investigators found that the limestone on which the condo was built was “sufficient to carry the building’s luggage” and that the concrete that supports the Champlain Tower had “appropriate material strength.”
One of the challenges for investigators is that there are no available records from the construction of the original building, not many in previous years.
How do other condo buildings handle the new rules?
After surfside, state lawmakers enacted a law in 2022 requiring the Condominium Association to have sufficient reserves to cover large-scale repairs. Some residents were caught off guard by the large fees charged to cover the long-standing delayed maintenance costs required to comply with legal standards.
Gov. Ron Desantis signed a new law this week, allowing several condo associations to fund their reserves via loans or lines of credit. It also gives residents more flexibility to suspend payments in reserves while prioritizing necessary repairs. Extend the Condominium Association deadline, complete structural integrity studies, and exempt some small buildings from those studies.
“Now is the time to make changes,” Senator Ed Hooper said. “The elderly are losing condos because they couldn’t afford to increase their monthly HOA fees. That’s wrong.”
What is being built on the site?
It is a luxurious condominium building called Delmore, with 37 “mansions” and a starting price of $15 million. The site was purchased at auction by Dubai-based Damac International for $120 million.
The company says amenities include a seal-through swimming pool, an indoor pool, an outdoor kitchen, a fitness centre and a meditation garden.
The new condo is expected to be completed by 2029.
Is there a memorial to the victims?
The design of a monument to the 98 victims and honoring their families was approved earlier this year by Surfside officials and family committees. However, the city’s plans and zoning committee opposed its appearance and recommended that alternatives be considered.
Existing proposals envisage the display of tall “water walls” and materials from collapsed buildings. Surfside officials say they want to keep the project going smoothly, but will consider additional opinions, particularly from the Family Committee.
“I understand the urgency, but this monument will be here far beyond anyone in this room,” said Lindsay Lequar, chairman of the planning committee, at the city committee meeting in April.
