A new technical report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology has identified the structural failures that triggered the 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, finding the building’s breakdown began roughly three weeks before the tower came down.

According to NIST’s findings, two critical connections between garage support columns and the pool deck slab failed first. That failure caused cracks to grow and spread over the following three weeks until the deck separated from the main tower, which could no longer support the remaining structural load.

Federal investigators attributed the disaster to decades of structural corrosion combined with design and construction issues dating to the building’s original construction that did not meet code standards at the time.

Greg Batista, a structural engineer who inspected the property in 2017 after residents reported a leaking planter above a parking area, said he told the building’s representatives at the time that the issue was structural rather than waterproofing-related.

Champlain Towers South collapsed in the early morning hours of June 24, 2021, killing 98 people. The building had been undergoing its 40-year structural recertification review at the time. A $1.02 billion settlement for victims’ families was approved by a judge in 2022.

In response to the collapse, Florida lawmakers passed stricter building safety requirements. Buildings three stories or taller that are more than 30 years old must now undergo mandatory milestone inspections, repeated every 10 years. Coastal condo buildings face an earlier deadline, requiring inspection at 25 years of age.

State law now also requires condominium associations to complete a Structural Integrity Reserve Study and maintain reserve funds of at least $25,000, specifically dedicated to repairs identified in that study.

Matt Kuisle, a reserve specialist with the Community Associations Institute and a board member of his own South Tampa condo association, said addressing structural issues as soon as they’re identified is more cost-effective than delaying repairs, and that the Surfside collapse served as a reminder that buildings require ongoing maintenance to remain safe.

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