Structural damage found before tragedy

SURFSIDE, Fla.(Reuters) – An engineer found evidence of major structural damage beneath the pool deck and “concrete deterioration” in the underground parking garage of the Surfside, Florida 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium in a 2018 report, three years before it collapsed without warning.

The engineer’s 2018 report, released by town officials, was produced for the condominium board in preparation for a major repair project set to get underway this year.

It was not immediately clear whether the damage described in the report was in any way connected with the building’s collapse on Thursday.

Vice Mayor Tina Paul called the structural issue identified in the report “very alarming” in an email on Saturday morning.

The engineer, Frank Morabito, warned that the waterproofing installed below the pool deck had failed due to a major error in design.

“The failed waterproofing is causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas,” he wrote. “Failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially.”

In addition, Morabito said concrete columns, beams and walls in the garage were showing “abundant cracking,” including areas underneath the pool with “exposed, deteriorating rebar.” Morabito could not be reached for comment. Morabito’s firm submitted an 84-page document to the town in April detailing a “40-year building repair and restoration” plan for the Champlain Towers South condominium, which was built in 1981.

The condominium was preparing to go through recertification this year, a safety requirement for buildings that reach 40 years of age in Florida.

Satellite data from the 1990s showed the building was sinking between 1 and 3 mm. per year, while surrounding buildings were stable, according to Florida International University pro. Shimon Wdowinski.