I’m feeling pretty somber as I sit here writing this month’s column. Latest reports indicate 152 people remain unaccounted for following the partial collapse of a 12-story residential building in Surfside, Florida, on June 24. Nine people have died, and rescue crews continue to work around the clock with dogs and other equipment in search of survivors. My heart goes out to this community in the wake of this terrible tragedy.
The main focus on everyone’s mind right now is finding the missing people. Every hour that ticks by means less of a chance for survival. However, eventually, the focus will shift to, “Why did this happen?” There are already many speculations swirling around as the city of Surfside released a series of documents over the weekend. One of the engineering reports released — dated in 2018 — cited “abundant cracking and spalling of concrete columns, beams and walls” within the parking garage. The report also warned that the ground-floor pool deck concrete slab had major structural damage, and needed extensive repairs. While it is not yet known if these structural issues caused the building to partially collapse, the lack of action to address these repairs is concerning.