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Surfside, FL - Federal investigators say the 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside likely began at the building’s pool deck rather than the residential tower.
According to preliminary findings from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, warning signs of structural distress were reportedly visible weeks or months before the disaster.
NIST investigators conducted computer simulations, large-scale testing, and physical inspections to determine how the collapse unfolded.
Glenn Bell, associate lead of NIST, said the analysis is nearing completion.
“The painstaking work of our investigation is yielding results,” Bell said.
The report indicates that corrosion, concrete shrinkage, and faulty construction joints weakened slab-column connections at the pool deck.
These connections had critically low safety margins due to design understrength and misplaced reinforcement, allowing the collapse to spread into the middle and eastern sections of the tower.
Alarm records and eyewitness accounts suggest the pool deck may have failed at least seven minutes before the tower began to fall.
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Judith Mitrani-Reiser, team lead at NIST, said early signs of structural distress were concentrated in the pool deck and street-level parking areas, particularly near repaired cracks and construction joints.
Investigators emphasized that while the pool deck is the likely starting point, failure in the tower may also have contributed.
Issues beneath the building, such as settling or piling failures, were ruled out as triggers.
The collapse killed residents ranging from 1 to 92 years old and prompted international rescue efforts.
The towers have been demolished, and redevelopment plans are in progress.
The federal investigation has faced delays, with a full report now expected in Spring 2026.