NIST Updates Lengthy Florida Condo Collapse Investigation
SomeGuy writes:
In the early morning hours of June 24, 2021, half of the 12-story Surfside Florida luxury condominium, Champlain Towers South, came crashing to the ground, killing 98 occupants.
In a recent public update, the NIST detailed the lengthy work needed to uncover the causes of this collapse.
This includes building design, construction, modification, and deterioration analysis, evidence preservation, remote sensing analysis using data collected with tools such as LIDAR during recovery, material tests on recovered evidence, a geotechnical analysis of the surrounding soil and geologic conditions, as well as detailed structural and failure analysis using computer modeling.
Additionally, they will interview people with historic knowledge of construction in south Florida, and continue to accept information from the public that could shed additional light on this tragedy.
Although answers from NIST's investigation will not be forthcoming for a number of years, many individuals unrelated to the NIST have combed through publicly available information to find possible causes.
While precise triggers leading to the collapse may never be known, most public evidence, as this video demonstrates, points to two key factors: Badly neglected and deteriorated pool deck concrete slab that lead to a pool deck collapse, and resulting damage to three key building support columns that lead to the building collapse minutes later.
A timeline based on public witness accounts, details the dramatic events of that morning.
In an interesting twist, this USA Today article digs deep in to possible drug related money laundering and corruption surrounding the building's construction.
AP News reports a lawsuit that was just filed alleges previous construction next door contributed to the collapse.
Most of the media has focused on the lack of "answers" from the NIST and other organizations. Youtuber Jeff Ostroff has compiled an informative explanation of who NIST is, why the NIST is investigating, and why this takes so long.
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.