As investigators continue to seek the trigger for the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, one of the deadliest accidental building collapses in U.S. history is already causing state elected officials, city and county buildings officials, industry groups and others to hurriedly reassess the condition of older buildings—leading to additional evacuations. And some are considering the need for stricter regulations and enhanced inspection standards.
Significantly, one building is likely to receive a clean bill of health. An investigation ongoing as of press time by KCE Structural Engineers of Champlain Towers North, a near twin of the collapsed structure, is preliminarily finding the building safe. “There’s nothing that we’ve seen so far in the north tower that would indicate any potential for a structural collapse,” said Allyn Kilsheimer, founder, president and CEO of KCE, in an interview with ENR. “Everything I know [so far] about the north building is positive.”
