A structural engineering firm estimated the Champlain Towers South condominium complex in Surfside, Florida, needed about $9 million in repairs about three years before its collapse.
BREAKING OVERNIGHT: In 2018 Engineer flagged “major error” at Surfside condo, dating back to the buildings origins, where lack of proper drainage on pool deck caused “major structural damage,” according to records released last night by town officials https://t.co/CsQLDhkGNB
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) June 26, 2021
The city of Surfside released the November 2018 email from Morabito Consultants, LLC, as rescue efforts continue at the site of the building’s collapse June 24 and more than 150 people remain unaccounted for. (RELATED: Condo Collapse Aftermath: At Least 4 Dead As Search Continues For 159 Missing People In Miami)
The email shows the façade needed about $3 million in remediation repairs, and the garage, entrance and pool needed nearly $4 million in repairs. The building’s electrical, mechanical, plumbing and sprinkler repairs totaled over $1 million, as did additional projected soft costs.
An October 2018 structural engineering report by Morabito Consultants, revealed in a separate email, also reportedly showed a “major error” in the building’s structure.
“The main issue with this building structure is that the entrance drive/pool deck/planter waterproofing is laid on a flat structure,” the email stated. “Since the reinforced concrete slab is not sloped to drain, the water sits on the waterproofing until it evaporates. This is a major error in the development of the original contract documents prepared by William M. Friedman & Associates Architects, Inc. and Breiterman Jurado & Associates, Consulting Engineers.”