(305) 876-6001 
A 2018 Report Highlights Possible Structural Problems At Champlain Towers
Did Champlain Towers fail to address issues raised in a 2018 Engineering report? As we wrote yesterday, buildings don’t just collapse, and when they do, it is usually the result of an engineering mistake, a construction defect, or an inspection mistake.
Frank Morabito, the engineer hired to assess the property, wrote, “Failure to replace waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially,…. The proper repair would be an “extremely expensive” undertaking, [R]emoval of the concrete topping slab to gain access to the waterproofing membrane will take time, be disruptive and create a major disturbance to the occupants of this condominium structure.”
The parking garage under the pool deck and planter slabs also “revealed signs of distress/fatigue,” according to Morabito’s report. “Several sizable [cracks in the concrete] were noted in both the topside of the entrance drive ramp and underside of the pool/entrance drive/planter slabs, which included instances with exposed, deteriorating rebar,” according to the report.
It is still unknown whether the recommended repairs were done. Based on the cost and time involved, I am “speculating” that they were not. This will raise a number of important questions:
1. Did the board inform the unit owners about the seriousness of the issues raised in the report?
2. Did the board authorize the recommended repairs?
a. If no, why not?
b. If yes, were they done properly?
We are all at a loss for words, and continue to pray for a miracle.
Mark Kaire has been practicing law in Miami for nearly 30 years. He is dedicated to helping the injured people of Miami receive compensation. Mr. Kaire has been blogging on Miami’s legal issues for many years.