The cause of the South Florida condo collapse near Miami remains unknown. However, a shocking revelation made late Friday provided the most direct clues to what might have been. An engineering report from 2018 found that Champlain Towers South had significant structural damage below its pool deck. Surfside released the report and a number of other documents late on Friday, as rescuers continued operations to locate any clues about the 159 people still missing following the collapse that left at least four people dead. Although the management of the condominium complex had previously revealed that there were problems, the October 2018 report made it clearer.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis was partly why condos were set for multimillion-dollar repairs. The lawyer representing the owners of the building stated that the entire process would have taken much less time if they were clearly informed of the serious threat. Officials claim that the condo board was informed about the problems with the building but failed to respond in a timely fashion.Morabito Consultants' report didn't warn of imminent danger but it did reveal serious problems and a major design error. The report stated that waterproofing was not done properly below the pool deck, and that there was no drainage. Failure to waterproof the concrete slab below these areas is causing severe structural damage. The report stated that failure to replace the waterproofing within the next few years will result in concrete deterioration expanding exponentially. The report also pointed out that concrete columns are susceptible to cracking and spalling. It stated that concrete deterioration must be addressed quickly to preserve the building's structural integrity.In an interview Saturday morning, Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County Mayor, stated that investigators would be investigating all possible causes of the collapse. She stated that there is hope and she will continue to keep her eyes on it. We will get to the bottom and find the answers to prevent it from happening again. However, rescuers still have hope for finding survivors. She said that they are still trying to find survivors.
