Underscoring the critical role that building safety standards play in preventing catastrophic failures, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently released a 90-minute summary video detailing preliminary findings from its active investigation of the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida.
In June 2021, a 40-year-old beach-side condominium in Miami-Dade County partially collapsed, killing 98 people. Shortly after the disaster, NIST established a National Construction Safety Team to investigate the failure of the residential high-rise.
As part of its inquiry, NIST reviewed two dozen hypotheses on how the failure occurred, relying on extensive physical evidence, imagery, historical records, witness interviews, remote sensing data, laboratory testing, computer modeling, and more. NIST’s video, featuring investigative lead Judith Mitrani-Reiser and co-lead Glenn Bell, focuses on the disaster’s “higher-likelihood” scenarios. Among them: the understrength of the building’s original structural design relative to the requirements of the building code.
Notably, the investigation revealed that there were design and construction problems that weakened the building from the start, and that there were no records from the original construction of the building.
While NIST does not offer recommendations for changes to codes or practice, the agency highlights some areas that industry experts could consider.
Future NIST Investigative Report and Proven Track Record of Impact on Codes and Standards
Looking ahead, as the National Construction Safety Act (NCST) requires NIST to see its recommendations implemented, the agency will release its comprehensive investigation report in 2026. The report will include recommendations for improving the safety and structural integrity of buildings through changes to building codes, standards, and practices, to prevent similar tragedies.
NIST’s previous investigations have had sweeping impacts on safety: Its first NCST investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center led to more than 40 changes to the International Building Code. Its investigation into the 2011 Joplin Tornado resulted in the first-ever tornado design provisions in U.S. building standards.
“The main point is that this tragic event has revealed flaws in our systems and quality is at the heart of it,” said Mitrani-Reiser. “Our team has worked tirelessly to find the causes of this disaster, and we are on the home stretch now, but much of the very hard work of bringing about change to ensure disasters like this do not repeat is still in front of us.”
The Champlain Towers South investigation represents a pivotal moment for building safety and an opportunity to focus on the importance of building safety standards and practices. Access more information on NIST’s investigation.
