An oceanfront apartment block that collapsed near Miami suffered «significant structural damage» to a concrete structural slab below its pool deck that needed extensive repair, according to a 2018 engineering report on the building.
The report was part of a series of documents released by the city of Surfside today as rescuers continued to dig through the rubble of the building in an attempt to find any of the 159 people still unaccounted for after its collapse.
At least four people were killed.
While the engineering report from Morabito Consultants did not warn of an imminent risk of damage—and it is unclear whether any of the damage observed was responsible for the collapse—it did indicate the need for extensive and costly repairs to fix the system. Problems with the building.
She said the waterproofing below the pool deck failed and was incorrectly laid flat rather than sloping, preventing water from draining.
“Failure of waterproofing caused significant structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas. Failure to replace waterproofing in the near future would greatly expand the extent of concrete deterioration,” the report said.
The company recommended replacing the damaged panels in what could be a major repair.
The report also revealed «abundant cracks» in the columns, beams and concrete walls of the parking garage. Some of the damage was minor, while others had deteriorating reinforcing bars. He also noted that many of the building’s previous attempts to repair columns and other damage with epoxy were marred by poor workmanship and failed.
Below the pool deck «where the slab was injected with epoxy, there were new cracks radiating from the cracks that were originally repaired,» the report said.
At the site where the building once stood, dozens of rescuers used large machines, small buckets, drones, microphones and their hands Friday to dig into the mountain of debris that was the 12-story South Champlain Towers.
Rachel Spiegel was eager for any update of her missing mother, 66-year-old Jodi Spiegel, who lived on the sixth floor.
«I’m just praying for a miracle,» Ms. Spiegel said. «We are sad because she was even in the building.»
Jane Ugarte has been dealing with what she fears will be a tragic end for her old friends Juan and Ana Moura and their son Juan Jr., who was visiting his parents in their tower apartment.
«I know they won’t find them (alive),» Ugarte said. «Over a long time.»
Hopes were based on how quickly the crews could complete their harrowing and delicate task at Surfside, a few miles north of South Miami Beach.
«Anytime we hear a beep, we’re focused in that area,» Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Ryd Jadallah said. «It could just be steel buckling, it could be debris falling off, but not specifically clicking noises or human voice sounds.»
Two heavy cranes, battered by gale-force winds and pounding with choppy rain, cleared the debris from the heap using large claws, shattering glass and metal while picking up the material and tossing it aside. A smoky mist rose from the site.
Once the machines paused, firefighters in protective masks and carrying red buckets climbed over the pile to manually remove smaller pieces in hopes of finding places where people might be trapped.
In a parking garage, knee-deep water rescuers used power tools to break into the building from below.
Surfing mayor Charles Burkett said crews were doing their best to save as many people as possible.
«We don’t have a resource problem, we have a luck problem,» he said.
Officials said they still did not know exactly how many residents or visitors were in the building when it fell, but they were trying to locate 159 people deemed unaccounted for and may or may not have been present.
Flowers left in tribute decorated a fence near the tower, and people waiting for news of the search watched from afar, their hands intertwined and hugging. Worshipers were praying in a nearby synagogue where some of its members were among the missing.
Miami-Dade Police Chief Freddy Ramirez said authorities are working with the medical examiner’s office to identify the bodies that have been found. 11 injuries were reported, and four people were treated in hospitals.
Local Mayor Daniela Levin Cava said rescuers were in «extreme danger» as they scurried through the rubble.
“Debris is falling on them while they are doing their work,” she said. «We have structural engineers on site to ensure they don’t get injured, but they are moving forward because they are very motivated.»
Teenager Jonah Handler is rescued from the rubble hours after the collapse, but his mother, Stacey Fang, is dead. Relatives issued a statement expressing their thanks «for the sympathy, sympathy and support we have received.»
«There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacey,» she said.
While officials said the cause of the collapse was not established early Thursday, Governor Ron DeSantis said a «final answer» was needed in time.
A video clip showed the center of the building appearing to collapse first, followed by a section near the beach.
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