Crews work in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo, Miami, Florida. Photo / AP
Crews work in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo, Miami, Florida. Photo / AP
Almost three years ago, owners in the Florida oceanfront high-rise building that collapsed with deadly consequences learned it would cost at least US$9 million ($12.7m) for major repairs, with their shared bill coming due July 1.
That estimate, from the Morabito Consultants engineering firm in October 2018, meant owners at Champlain Towers South were facing payments of anywhere from US$80,000 for a one-bedroom unit to US$300,000 or so for a penthouse.
An itemised bill sent by the condo board in April to owners of the building's 136 units showed that much of the planned work was in the pool area and the façade. Installing new pavers and waterproofing the pool deck and building entrance would cost US$1.8m, with another US$1m going to "structural repairs" and "planter landscaping", according to a condo board email obtained by The Associated Press.
Engineers and construction experts say the Morabito documents focused on structural work and make clear there were several major repairs that needed to be done as soon as possible. Other than some roof repairs, that work had not begun, officials said.
The cost estimate emailed by Morabito Consultants to Surfside officials was among a series of documents released as rescue efforts continued at the site of the collapsed building, where more than 150 people remained unaccounted for. At least nine people were killed in the collapse, authorities say.
Another 2018 Morabito report submitted to the city said waterproofing under the pool deck had failed and had been improperly laid flat instead of sloped, preventing water from draining off.
"The failed waterproofing is causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas. Failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially," the report said.
South Florida Urban Search and Rescue team look for survivors in the destroyed Miami building. Photo / AP
The firm recommended that the damaged slabs be replaced in what would be a major repair.
That came as news to Susana Alvarez, who lived on the 10th floor of the doomed tower and said a Surfside official assured residents in a 2018 meeting that there was no danger. It wasn't clear who that official was.
"The Town of Surfside told us the building was not in bad shape. That is what they said," Alvarez said on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition programme. "No one ever told us that building was in such bad shape."
A lawyer for the Champlain Towers South condominium association, which was in charge of the repair work, did not immediately respond Sunday to an email seeking comment. Surfside officials also did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Stephanie Walkup, an engineering professor at Villanova University, said it will take time to pinpoint the cause — or series of causes — that brought down Champlain Towers South.
"The ultimate cause of the collapse may have been related to design error, construction error, deterioration or other event," Walkup said in an email. "We all want answers and engineers will want to learn from this collapse as we have others, but we want to make sure we have the right ones," she added.
The Mayor of Surfside Charles Burkett, left, talks with relatives hoping to find missing loved ones in the collapsed building. Photo / AP
Rescuers digging through the rubble of the destroyed building have sought to reassure families that they were doing as much as possible to find missing loved ones, but the crews said they needed to work carefully for the best chance of uncovering survivors.
Relatives have grown increasingly desperate for news and worry about the slow progress and dwindling hopes. No one has been pulled alive from the pile since Thursday, hours after the collapse. Some family members were taken by bus Sunday to a location near the site after relatives frustrated with the pace of rescue efforts demanded to visit the scene.
"My daughter is 26 years old, in perfect health. She could make it out of there," one mother told rescuers during a weekend meeting with family members.
"It's not enough," continued the mother, who was among relatives who pushed authorities to bring in experts from other countries to help. "Imagine if your children were in there."
More than 150 people are still unaccounted for in Surfside, and authorities and loved ones fear the toll will go much higher.
