A Discussion and Forensic Investigation of the Champlain Towers South Building Collapse in Surfside, Florida

Abstract

On June 24th, 2021, Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida experienced a partial collapse that led to the loss of 98 lives. The objective of this thesis is to study the events leading up to and during the time of collapse so that a forensic analysis of the surfside collapse can be made. The thesis examines the main factors that could have contributed to this collapse whether it be design, deterioration of concrete, construction, and/or maintenance procedures. To achieve this a column takedown was done on the columns in the collapsed section. Engineering spot checks were then conducted for punching shear and buckling. The results of the study indicate that the pool deck design did not meet the requirements of the building code of the time (South Florida Building Code 1977). The building pool slab was poorly designed to prevent punching shear. The columns in the lobby had too small a cross-section to prevent buckling in the event of a punching shear failure. Moving forward, it is recommended that (1) a peer review of the structural drawings be required for condominiums that service hundreds of individuals; and (2) the scope of the 40-year recertification program change to require a quantitative analysis of the building.