Rescuers searched the wreckage of the Champlain Towers South condominium on Saturday in Miami’s Surfside area. The building was partially collapsed on Thursday.
Lynn Suite / AP
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Lynn Suite / AP
Rescuers searched the wreckage of the Champlain Towers South condominium on Saturday in Miami’s Surfside area. The building was partially collapsed on Thursday.
Lynn Suite / AP
Just a month after an engineering report warned of “Major structural damage” requiring immediate repair Surfside, Florida officials assured residents of Chaplain Towers South that their buildings were safe.
NPR received minutes of a November 2018 meeting that showed Surfside City inspectors met with residents of the building. and assured them that the building “It’s in very good condition,” the NLA learned of the meeting from villagers who attended the meeting and gave an interview to weekend edition said he was told the building was not in danger.
The reviewer’s comments directly contradicted an engineering report from five weeks ago. which warns that the failed waterproofing in the concrete slab needs to be replaced. “In the near future”
The cause of the building collapse remains unknown. But according to reports, the slab has deteriorated. because it is flat instead of sloping That means the water is not draining from the concrete waterproofing as quickly. but gathered there until it evaporated
A nine-page report from Morabito consultants warned that failure to perform “extremely expensive” repairs would “expand the extent of concrete deterioration exponentially”.
12 storey condominium in Surfside. Partially broken Thursday morning. Nine people have been killed and more than 150 are missing. Rescuers are still combing through the rubble. But officials said they had not detected any signs of life.
Residents are assured
An engineering report dated Oct. 8, 2018. At the Champlain Tower South Condominium Association board meeting on Nov. 15, Surfside building staff Ross Prieto appeared to discuss. with such reports “The Structural Engineer’s report has been reviewed by Mr. Prieto,” said the meeting minutes. “It looks like the building is in very good condition.”
According to city officials, Prieto is no longer employed by Surfside, NPR has repeatedly tried to contact him. But those efforts were unsuccessful.
Minutes of the meeting appeared to contradict comments made by current Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, who said Saturday the report was unlikely to be read at the time. Burkett was not mayor in 2018 but told reporters the city had the report. in file
Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade told reporters on Saturday that officials “did not know anything” about the report.
Surfside officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Surfside residents said they were at the meeting.
Talk to NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro on weekend editionSusana Alvarez, a resident of Champlain Towers South, said she was present at the November 2018 meeting and said residents were told the building was safe.
“We sit there with Surfside City,” Alvarez said. “And Surfside City told us the building wasn’t bad. The building is not bad. That’s what they said, ok?
“A structural engineer has been around for a while,” Alvarez added. “We took $15 million to repair the building as he said. No one ever told us the building was in terrible shape, no one, no one.”
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