Federal safety agency to investigate Florida building collapse
“Based on the information that we have collected, we are able to recommend a full technical investigation under the National Construction Safety Team Act. We will now establish a team to begin the painstaking process of collecting and analyzing any and all information that might help us determine the technical cause of failure,” Judith Mitrani-Reiser, who is leading the institute team on site, said during an evening news conference, alongside state and local officials.
Institute Director James Olthoff said Wednesday that the inquiry will be a fact-finding, not fault-finding, technical investigation and will not interfere with any search and rescue operations.
Rescue workers search in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South condominium on June 30, 2021, in the Surfside area of Miami.
The investigation’s ultimate goal will be to determine the technical cause of the collapse and, if indicated, to recommend changes to building codes, standards and practices or other appropriate actions to improve the structural safety of buildings. Multiple officials warn that a thorough investigation conducted by NIST could take years to complete.
A senior administration official had previously told CNN the agency had reached the decision.
Biden has called for an investigation into the collapse and an administration official confirmed any investigation would be done through NIST. The agency has been providing regular updates to the White House through the Commerce Department.
A six-person team of federal officials including scientists, structural engineers and a geotechnical engineer arrived in Florida late Sunday night to assess the condo collapse and conduct a preliminary investigation of the collapsed building’s materials, history and applicable building codes at the time the condo was built, the ground surrounding the building and numerous other factors, an agency official said.
This story has been updated with additional details.
