(WSVN) - In the years since the Surfside tower tragedy, we are looking back at what happened and what we can learn from it.
It was a day that rocked South Florida. In a matter of minutes, 98 lives were lost when the Champlain Tower South came crashing down in Surfside.
Greg Batista, engineer: “I immediately got in my car and I went down to the site and I saw all the other ambulances going back and forth, people hugging themselves. And it was–it was truly, it was truly eerie.”
Greg Batista is an engineer. He has been inspecting buildings in Florida for 30 years and specializes in concrete repair projects.
The exact cause of the Champlain Tower collapse is still under investigation, but in the latest report, the National Institute of Standards and Technology confirms the swimming pool deck collapsed at least four minutes before the building came crashing down.
Condo collapse survivor: “As you went down the stairway for the emergency ramp, everybody was screaming and panicking.”
Testing showed the steel-reinforced concrete columns supporting the pool and tower were half the strength they should have been. Meaning the columns did not meet construction standards when the tower was built in 1980. Tests also showed some steel was extremely corroded.
Batista says that’s something he sees all the time in South Florida, especially along the coast.
Greg Batista: “This is what we would call a spall, and a spall is where the concrete just comes up, because the steel that’s underneath it is corroding and it’s expanding.”
Batista says spall, or concrete spalling, is caused when concrete cracks and pulls away from steel support.
Greg Batista: “So how would you know that this is something that is a spall? If you knock on this, you don’t hear it. But when you knock on this, it’s a hollow sound.”
He says what happened in surfside appears to have been the perfect storm, meaning it wasn’t just one issue that caused the collapse and it should serve as a warning to all condo residents.
Greg Batista: “If there’s anything to be learned from this is that people need to be vigilant. They are on the front lines. They’re looking at this building everyday.”
He says people should take note of cracks and other deterioration in their building.
Heather Walker: “Where should residents be looking for?”
Greg Batista: “Well, the structure, much like a human body is, is basically the bones. The bones is what keeps you falling to the ground. So the bones, as far as a building is concerned, is basically your columns. It’s basically your, your beams that you can see there.”
Batista says if you notice anything concerning you should report it to your condo board. If they don’t take action, contact the building department and make sure your board stays on top of repairs.
Greg Batista: “maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.”
Something as simple as painting can help to protect from corrosion.
Greg Batista: “A lot of people like to say a stitch in time saves nine. In this particular instance is a stitch in time saves a million. Because these repairs, if left unattended, will be will cost a lot of money. And not only that, but will eventually become dangerous.”
Condo laws passed in the wake of the surfside disaster require more inspections and reserve money for repairs. Batista thinks these new laws could avoid another building from collapsing.
Greg Batista: “It’s very unlikely, very unlikely. It’s possible but highly unlikely.”
The final report on the cause of the Champlain Tower collapse is expected to be released next year. In the meantime, engineers like Batista are doing their part to prevent another tragedy.
Heather Walker, 7News.
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